About

The Fieldale Historic District, located on the Smith River in Henry County, incorporates a company mill town established in 1916 by Marshall Field & Company to produce towels for the Marshall Field's Department Store. Situated on a 1,800-acre tract of land, the town had a stable infrastructure by 1930, with industrial mills that operated from 1919 to 2003, residential housing, and social and commercial institutions — all originally company owned — to serve employees. The district's workers' houses are modest, one-story structures. Initially, unmarried female workers were housed in the multiple dwelling known as Virginia Home; unmarried males stayed in the Fieldale Hotel. The district is remarkably intact and representative of similar company towns established during the early 20th century, when work and social life were inextricably entwined.