Restoring Henry River Mill Village

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Calvin Reyes is the new owner of Henry River Mill Village, an abandoned ghost town in Burke County, North Carolina.

A desolate, dilapidated mill village in Burke County, North Carolina is getting a second chance. Instead of using bulldozers, the new owners have decided to restore the place and push it into an updated function. Moviegoers will recognize some of the buildings at Henry River Mill Village tucked between Morganton and Hickory as the site of District 12 in the “Hunger Games” movie. The one-time general store appeared on the big screen as the District 12 bakery, and one of the mill row houses served as the home of Katniss Everdeen. 

Today those buildings have broken windows, sagging rooflines and a general appearance of neglect. But when owner Calvin Reyes looks at them, he sees possibility. He first explored the site in August 2017. He was searching for a large tract of property where he could build houses for himself and extended family members. The 72 acres stood out in searches, so he paid a visit. 

He stepped out into overgrown grass and surveyed the scene of a crumbling village. “It looked like a war zone,” he said. “I immediately called my mother and said, ‘I love this place. We have to buy it.’”

In October 2017 they closed on the property, and they are moving forward with plans to transform the mill houses into overnight accommodations and restore the old-country store as a restaurant and special event venue. The property is surrounded by the river, so they hope to also tie in a lot of outdoor activities for those who will eventually rent the cabins.

Tours are currently offered if you want a glimpse of the village. Proceeds from the tours go into the Henry River Preservation Fund. For more: henryrivermillvillage.com.

“We want to let people have a destination feel,” said Reyes. “They’ll be able to experience nature, culture and history in a restorative project.” He hopes to have the first cabin available as a rental in the summer of 2019.