Washington Cotton Mill
Historic sites
The 1866 stone cotton factory at the heart of Brigham Young's Cotton Mission — once the largest factory west of the Mississippi, and still standing in Washington City.
The Cotton Mission
Brigham Young called about three dozen families, converts from the American South, to settle southern Utah and grow cotton. The mill was built at Washington because the water supply was adequate and the location was central to the growers spread along the Virgin River.
Construction started in 1866 and the first storey was in use by 1867. In autumn 1870 the building was raised to two and a half storeys, and at that point it was the largest factory west of the Mississippi.
The enterprise itself failed — southern Utah could not compete once the transcontinental railroad brought cheap cotton west — but the building outlasted it, and "Utah's Dixie" as a regional name comes directly from this episode.
The building today
The mill was added to the National Register of Historic Places in April 1971. It passed through several private owners who invested in restoring it, and the second floor has been opened for public tours.
Seeing it
The mill stands in Washington City, a few minutes east of St. George. Check current access before visiting: the building is privately held, so opening is not on a fixed public schedule the way a state-run site would be.
More on this: historic sites in St. George.
Frequently asked questions
When was the Washington Cotton Mill built?
Construction began in 1866 and the first storey was occupied in 1867. It was raised to two and a half storeys in autumn 1870, when it was the largest factory west of the Mississippi.
Why was a cotton mill built in southern Utah?
Brigham Young's Cotton Mission sent families from the American South to grow cotton along the Virgin River. Washington had the water and sat central to the growers. The venture gave the region its "Utah's Dixie" nickname.