The N.C. Department of Natural and Cultural Resources recently announced the addition of 16 N.C. places or districts to the National Register of Historic Places, including an old mill in Richfield.

The Richfield Milling Co., circa 1920, is the only remaining historic industrial building in Richfield, located in northern Stanly County.

Built near the railroad, the mill served local farmers selling their grain crops for shipment to larger markets and for their own use and animal feed.

The frame roller mill is architecturally important for its heavy-timber construction and mill grain handling system, in particular the tall grain bins on the upper floors.

The properties named to the National Register were reviewed by the N.C. National Register Advisory Committee and were subsequently approved by the N.C. State Historic Preservation Officer and forwarded to the Keeper of the National Register.

“North Carolina is a leader in the nation’s historic preservation movement and the National Register is a vital tool in the preservation of our state’s historic resources,” said Susan Kluttz, a former Salisbury mayor and current secretary of the N.C. Department of Natural and Cultural Resources.

“These buildings and homes tell the North Carolina story and every effort should be made to preserve them. If we count all of the buildings classified as contributing to the significance of historic districts listed in the Register, it is estimated that North Carolina has approximately 75,000 National Register properties.”

The National Register of Historic Places, established in 1966, is the nation’s official list of buildings, structures, objects, sites and districts worthy of preservation for their significance in American history, architecture, archaeology and culture.

Over the years, various federal and state incentives have been introduced to assist private preservation initiatives, including tax credits for the rehabilitation of National Register properties.

As of Jan. 1, more than 3,500 rehabilitation projects, with an estimated private investment of more than $2.18 billion, had been completed.

Other N.C. properties recently added to the National Register include the following.

• Hanes Hosiery Mill, Winston-Salem.

• John Chavis Memorial Park, Raleigh.

• The Mayodan Downtown Historic District.

• Nathaniel Jones Jr. House, Raleigh.

• Philip and Johanna Hoehns (Hanes) House, Clemmons.

• Western Electric Co., Tarheel Army Missile Plant, Burlington.

• Cherryville Downtown Historic District.

• May Hosiery Knitting Mill, Burlington.

• St. Andrews Presbyterian College, Laurinburg.

• Cleveland County Training School, Shelby.

• Davidson Elementary School, Kings Mountain.

• Berkeley Mills Ballpark, Hendersonville.

• Fountain Historic District, Pitt County.

• Pleasant Plains School, Pleasant Plains, Hertford County.

• Burt-Arrington House, Nash County.