Big Field Trip - Residential

The White Oak Mill is still in use, and while the surrounding village is not the same as it was when it was first built, it still resembles the 'mini-town' it was set up to be. It is easy to tell that this residential section was planned out and built all at the same time. The streets are set up in a grid and the streets are numbered instead of having different names. Each house is fairly small and has a similar basic structure with a chimney in the middle of the building. Many of the current residents have added their own small additions, such as carports and porches, to the main section of the house. As the mill was renovated, the surrounding residential areas became more renovated too. There are no sidewalks in this development, showing that it was built to be a practical, affordable living situation for the mill workers, instead of a social area. The mail boxes are also placed along the road instead of by the front doors, showing that it is not meant to be an especially personable area. There is also a lot more space between the houses than between the different residences in the main part of town, and there are few large trees since the houses were built in the middle of an open field and only some residents decided to plant their own foliage.

The Revolution Mill has been renovated for a new purpose, but pieces of the surrounding village still remain. There is the Revolution Masonic Lodge, Baptist Church, and Buffalo Presbyterian Church all along Church Street which runs into downtown Greensboro. There is an iron-fenced cemetery belonging to the Cone family, which was a very prominent family early on in Greensboro. These buildings are all built in the classical style.


In stark contrast to all of the mill residences is the Lowenstein residence. It was built in 1954 and designed by Edward Lowenstein for his own wife and family. The windows are designed specifically for North Carolina weather, to maximize the sun during the winter and minimize it during the summer. The house is divided into 'zones' with space to move between them. The kitchen and dining room take up one end, with a front foyer and living room in the middle, and both the children's and master bedrooms occupying the other end separated by a long, skinny hallway to divide the public and private sections of the house. The house is designed to be very warm, welcoming, and comfortable. The walls are wood paneled, and the owners' book and art collections can be viewed throughout the house. The large windows allow the house to seem as if it mixes both the indoors and outdoors together in one area.



The shape of this building is very unique, as is the incredible artwork outside in the yard. There is an exploding plane piece, a large pearl necklace, as well as many others. The chimney is also located out in the yard, which is quite unusual.