Timeline: Mill Suited
photo by: Josh Meister/Cooper Carry
From cotton to beer to spark plugs, the industrial property at 515 North Washington St. in Old Town Alexandria, Virginia, has housed the manufacture of varied and eclectic products over the past 169 years.
Washington, D.C., real estate development company CAS Riegler purchased the property in 2014 and, with the help of architecture firm Cooper Carry, has transformed the interior into a community of 25 loft apartments known as The Mill. Here, we take a look at this 19th-century former factory’s unique history.
photo by: Alexandria Library/Special Collections
1847
The four-story brick factory, containing two 30-horsepower steam engines that power 3,840 spindles and 124 looms, is constructed for the Mount Vernon Cotton Company.
photo by: Charles Magnus/Library of Congress, Geography and Map Division
1863
The building is seized by the Union Army during the Civil War and serves as a jail for more than 1,000 prisoners until 1865.
1903
Robert Portner Brewing Company purchases the space to use as a bottling house, replacing old plank flooring with concrete and adding an elevator tower at the southeast corner. The brewery was forced to close in 1916, at the onset of Prohibition.
1918
Express Spark Plug Company of America assumes ownership of the factory and advertises “Be Good to Your Motor” with 6-foot-tall black lettering on the exterior.
photo by: Alexandria Library/Special Collections
1935
John Loughran purchases the property from the Express Spark Plug Company and converts it into the Belle Haven Apartments. As part of the renovation, an elaborate portico, shutters, and dormer windows are added by architect A.B. Lowstuter.
1992
The International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) acquires the building, which serves as IACP’s headquarters until it is purchased by CAS Riegler 22 years later.
photo by: Josh Meister/Cooper Carry
2015
Modern loft apartments featuring exposed brick and ironwork and varied floor plans are finished in November and available for lease. Though the interiors are remodeled, the original 2-foot-deep brick walls and iron structure are preserved.
