The Winston Factory Lofts buildings were originally part of a three-building complex that housed the operations of the P. H. Hanes Company from 1916 until 1951.
The first of the three buildings, then located at the northwest corner of Main and Sixth streets, was built in 1916. It was thought to be “the finest structure for the manufacture of knit goods in the entire South” at its construction. Sadly, that building was razed in the mid-1960’s.
Phase 1 of Winston Factory Lofts is housed in the second of the three, built in 1920-21 immediately north of the 1916 building. Known as the ‘Knitting Building’ or “North Building’, the structure copied the 1916 building in construction method and form and is built from concrete and reinforced steel.
Phase 1 is six-stories, 135,000-square-foot and located at 675 North Main Street. It is one of the most architecturally refined industrial buildings in Winston-Salem, displaying Beaux-Arts style details unusual among the City’s industrial architecture.
Phase 2 of Winston Factory Lofts is located in the third and final building in the complex that was originally built in 1928 at 101 E. Sixth Street.
The P.H. Hanes Company was a major part of the history of Winston Salem and the operations and growth of Hanes Knitting fit into the overall expansion of Winston-Salem’s industrial economy. By 1930, the city led the world in tobacco production, led the country in the production of men’s underwear, and manufactured more knit and woolen goods and more wagons than any other Southern City. The role of P.H. Hanes Knitting was significant. By the late 1930’s, the company operated six factory units with approximately 2,500 employees. The company joined R.J. Reynolds and Hanes Hosiery as Winston-Salem’s leading employers. Together they employed sixty percent of Winston-Salem’s workforce by 1940.
After Hanes Knitting moved its operations in 1951, Phase 1 was subsequently used by the Brown-Rogers-Dixson Company for warehousing and distribution of appliances throughout the southeast. Phase 2 was owned by R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Co. The buildings were acquired by Clachan Properties, LLC in 2006 and 2008, respectively.
The buildings are listed on the National Register of Historic Places (see the National Register Nomination) and are designated by the City of Winston Salem as Historic Landmarks.
