Developers of the John M. Stone Cotton Mill, formerly known as MSU’s E.E. Cooley Building, held several tours Friday of the historic building, which is located at the corner of Russell Street and Highway 12.
The Mill, as it is commonly known, is being developed into an office and conference center. Construction is ongoing. Work should be completed in June, according to developers.
Once open, it will feature more than 73,000 square feet of office and conference space. The location will have a 450-car parking garage, a 1,000-seat ballroom, onsite catering and an adjoining 110-room Courtyard by Marriott Hotel, according to Mark Castleberry, the developer leading the old building’s transformation.
The mill was built in 1902. It was named for John W. Stone, a former Mississippi governor who died in 1900 while serving as the second president of Mississippi State University, which was known then as Mississippi’s Agricultural and Mechanical College.
James Sanders bought the mill in 1911. During his ownership, it produced Starkville Chambray in 14 colors and shipped worldwide. At its peak, the mill employed 350 people workers, had 20,000 spindles and production reached 1.5 million yards per year.
The mill closed in 1962 amid a struggling textile economy. In 1975, MSU had it added to the National Registry of Historical Places.
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