News Coverage
“In community after community we can see entrepreneurial retail and restaurants redeveloping the area,” Steve Swan, vice president of development for Riverside Mill told the Daily Herald this morning. “I think this can be a real catalyst for growth. One of the most exciting things will be an opportunity to create a fun, festival marketplace where people can rediscover a lot of the historical significance of Weldon.”
According to the developers of the future marketplace, they are hoping to open in early 2009 and they plan to market the business as a tourist destination.
Riverside Mill will have space for more than 100 antique dealers in a 10,000 square foot raised gallery with its original plank floor, massive timbers and wide open views of the river, housing pottery, blown glass, jewelry, metal, wood and leather crafts from local, regional and national artisans.
Two-dimensional art from area artists will also be featured.
There will be 40,000 square feet of sales area opened to the public once renovations are completed. “We’re opening up huge windows that haven’t seen the light of day in 50 years,” said Keith Cuthrell, the majority owner of Rockfish Capital LLC, which bought the ...
Photo courtesy The Daily Herald.
Photo courtesy The Daily Herald.
Old mill gets new life as mall and auction facility.
WELDON, N.C. – Soon the historic Weldon Cotton Mill will become the home to antiques and artisans. Renovations are under way to convert the mill into a combined antique mall and artisans gallery called Riverside Mill. The initial phase of renovations will open 40,000 square feet of sales area to the public. An auction house will also make the mill its new home.
Steve Swan, Vice President of Development for Riverside Mill, and Tim Blackburn, owner of Roanoke Valley Auction Co., announced Blackburn’s auction operations will move from Second Street in Weldon to a space in the new Riverside Mill. The first auction at the new location will be held Jan. 1. The antique mall portion of the business will open in early 2009.
“This is one more example of how Weldon’s historic waterfront is gathering momentum,” said Swan. “People will be coming to Riverside Mill to see a live auction three or four times a month. Roanoke Valley Auction will add a lot of excitement to Riverside Mill.”
Labor of love is Weldon
By Lance Martin of The Daily Herald
Riverside Mill in Weldon presents East of Santa Fe American Indian Art Gallery
Opened August 1, 2009
East of Santa Fe, American Indian owned and operated, will feature local Haliwa-Saponi American Indian artists and craftsmen plus works from other tribes across the country.
The idea for the gallery was conceived to promote and showcase the work of American Indian people. Up until now, Indian artists and craftsmen had to travel great distances to accomplish this. Economic times have greatly affected the ability to travel. The opening of Riverside Mill has provided the perfect venue for a gallery such as this, which will meld together the history of the mill and the history of the American Indian people that traveled the Roanoke River, hunted, and farmed the land.
Artist’s works will include stone carving, gourd carving, silversmith, pottery, stone pipes, cedar boxes, quilts, beadwork, original paintings and prints and one of a kind collectibles. Also presented will be flute music from a nationally known local recording artist Arnold Richardson, who records under his Indian name “Tsa’ne Do’se”. Other items available will be rugs, wall hangings, leather jackets and vests, copper jewelry and new items arriving periodically.
Re-enactors and those interested in owning reproductions of American Indian clothing, such as dresses, shirts and coats, should be sure to visit. A fabric artist specializing in traditional Southeast clothing will be available throughout the week.
To experience East of Santa Fe and Riverside Mill, travel East on Route158 for approximately 1 ½ miles and follow the signs to Riverside Mill.
Hours of operation will be seven days a week from 10:00 am to 6:00 pm. For more information, contact Charlotte Richardson at (252) 586-3339.
AMERICAN INDIAN CULTURE IN THE VALLEY
By Jacqueline Hough of The Daily Herald
WELDON — For Haliwa-Saponi Indian Tribe member Arnold Richardson, Saturday was about educating people at Riverside Mill during the American Indian Festival.
“It is knowledge they don’t get in their history books,” Richardson said. For example, he said, Indians never lived in teepees or hunted buffaloes.
“There are 567 American Indian tribes,” he said. “The purpose of today is to educate non-Indians on what Indians are about.”
It was an afternoon of traditional dancing, drumming, demonstrations and arts and crafts vendors.
President Barack Obama proclaimed November as National Native American Heritage Month.
Jacqueline Hough | The Daily Herald Bernadine Richardson demonstrated how to make Native American fry bread Saturday during the American Indian Festival at Riverside Mill.
Haliwa-Saponi are located in Halifax and Warren counties with about 3,500 members. “We live in the area in case you didn’t know,” Richardson said.
Haliwa-Saponi is the third largest tribe in the state.
“We’ve been in the same place prior to 1790,” he said. “We were here before the first census.”
Dancers in their regalia demonstrated several dance styles such as the Grass Dance, the Jingle Dress Dance and the Ladies Fancy Shawl Dance.
Richardson also introduced the 2009-10 Miss Haliwa Saponi Tribal Princess Morgan Copeland. “I travel all over the world representing the tribe,” she said.
She is the daughter of Charles and Deborah Copeland and a senior at the Haliwa-Saponi Tribal School.
Copeland will reign until the 45th annual Pow-Wow April 16-18.
Richardson said normally they are about 10,000 in attendance with 400 dancers. “We just brought you a sampling of it,” he said.
Bernadine Richardson was at the event making Native American Fry Bread. The bread is made out of flour, salt, baking powder and water. She talked about the many ways it could be eaten while she patted and fried it. “We usually make tacos out of it,” Bernadine said.
On Saturday she was frying and serving it with powdered sugar on top. She was happy about the event. “We get to show and share a little bit of our culture,” she said.
Nancy Eckert, who runs the Kindred Souls at Riverside Mill, thought the event was wonderful and was sampling the fry bread. “It’s delicious,” she said. “It is so good to be exposed to new things. You learn so much.”
Other vendors included David Lynch, Henry Lynch and Jim Connor.
Keith Cuthrell, owner of Riverside Mill, said he was pleased with the turnout even though he would have liked to have seen more people there. He said, “We’re glad enough people came out to learn about the traditions.”
Cotton mill transformed into marketplace
by Lance Martin of The Daily Herald
WELDON — The community’s plans for developing its riverfront are becoming reality.
The historic cotton mill overlooking the Roanoke River is being renovated and will become an antique mall and artisans gallery called Riverside Mill.
Antiques ~ Outlets ~ Crafts