Brick openings built for the first electrically lit town in the state
Colonel Rufus Yancey McAden chartered McAdenville's cotton mill in 1881, building sturdy brick worker housing alongside castle-styled mill buildings — construction solid enough that McAden Mills became the first community in North Carolina with electric lights when Thomas Edison personally helped install the generator. The mills closed in the Depression until William Pharr bought the mills and homes in 1939 and revived them as Pharr Yarns.
Why brick construction changes the window approach
Original window openings set into McAden's 1880s brick construction were framed differently than the wood-frame openings common in most of the county's other mill towns, and Pharr's 1939 renovations may have altered some of those openings further. Confirming whether a property's windows trace to McAden's original brick construction or Pharr's later updates changes what an installer should expect to measure.
Window options for McAdenville homes
What to send along first
Note whether the home is brick or frame construction, its approximate era if known, how many windows are involved, and access conditions for installers. Confirm licensing and insurance directly, since provider availability varies.
Ownership-era context
McAdenville's brick housing stock passed from McAden's original 1880s construction to Pharr Yarns' 1939 revival, two distinct building eras that both left their mark on the town's window and trim details.