The Mill Building -- The upper mill building was once home to the Franklinville Manufacturing Company, and is still standing today. The building was used to house Franklinville’s first cotton mill in the 1800s. Nearly the entire brick frame of the house is still standing, and renovation plans are underway. The building holds significance because it is the oldest water-powered cotton textile mill still standing in North Carolina, South Carolina and Virginia.

Read more about the upper mill building: http://macwhat.googlepages.com/uppermill

Faith Rock – Towering above the Deep River in Franklinville is Faith Rock, a geographic landmark in Randolph County, and the setting for a legendary event during the Revolutionary War.  In 1782, local Andrew Hunter was captured by David Fanning, a Tory leader who was pioneering a guerilla war in the South. Hunter knew his life was in danger if he remained a prisoner to Fanning. Hunter stole Fanning’s favorite mare and sped off through several gunshots, riding the horse off Faith Rock to safety. Faith Rock can be seen from the trail, and can also be accessed from higher elevations as a lookout point.

Read more about Faith Rock: http://macwhat.googlepages.com/deepriverlandmarks

The Town of Franklinville – Franklinville’s prominent cotton textile history dates back to 1838. Two water powered mill buildings served as the hub of textile activity in Franklinville: The Randolph Manufacturing Company, and the Island Ford Manufacturing Company. While slaves operated many mill villages in the 1800s, many investors in Franklinville were anti-slave activists who participated in helping slaves on the Underground Railroad. Mill workers kept the anti-slave sentiment alive and the mill buildings were not operated by slaves, but rather provided jobs for many local residents.

Read more about Franklinville’s history and the mill villages: http://macwhat.googlepages.com/generalhistory

Native American fishing weirs – Original fishing weirs, created by Indians, are still visible on the Deep River when the water levels are low enough. The weirs are made up of rocks, which form “V” formations in the water. Indians would use these formations to trap fish, making it easy to scoop them out and capture fish more efficiently.