Riverside Mill combines an antique mall and artisan’s gallery in a historic cotton mill on the banks of the Roanoke River. Scenic river overlooks, antiques, estate jewelry, silver, furniture and collectibles give shoppers and visitors a unique experience.
Once a working, water-driven cotton mill, Riverside Mill is located in historic Weldon, NC, less than 1.5 miles from Exit 173 off Interstate 95 on Route 158 East. We’re just eight miles from the Virginia State Line.
- Space for over 100 antique dealers
- National, regional and local American Craft
- Picnic area
- Local and regional treats to eat and gift
- Great views of the Roanoke River
- Hiking along historic Canal Trail
- Just off I-95 exit 173, close to Roanoke Rapids
- Pet friendly - we welcome leashed animals
Exit 173 is home to the Halifax County Tourist Center and is just a few miles south of a beautiful new North Carolina Welcome Center. The famous “Ralph’s Barbeque” also draws a steady stream of new and repeat customers.
Riverside Mill is a pleasant surprise. This historic cotton mill complex was originally water-powered. The navigation canal that supplied the mill is now the historic Roanoke River Canal Trail, which passes through our front lawn. A short walk westward down the trail brings the hiker to the most photographed feature of the Trail, the Chocoyote Creek Aqueduct. An eastward hike on the Trail takes the walker past downtown Weldon, a National Historic District, to River Falls Park. The overlook of the rapids and cascades that form the fall line of the Roanoke River offer a welcome repose for travelers and shoppers.
Thirty yards behind Riverside Mill is one of the channels of the Roanoke River, with the old mill race forming the western boundary of the Mill site.
Half the enjoyment of visiting Riverside Mill is the mill complex itself and its riverside setting. The huge windows, massive posts and beams, heavy heart pine flooring and historic location are endlessly fascinating. We love to tell the story of how this abandoned mill complex beside the Roanoke Canal Trail was transformed into a “Must Stop” attraction on the I-95 corridor.
One hundred fifty years ago, the railroads that are within view of the Mill were part of the “Lifeline of the Confederacy”. The foundation stones of a Confederate hospital are still visible adjacent to the Mill, and a Confederate Cemetery is just off the Canal Trail a few blocks from the Mill.
Roanoke Rapids is the center of an area featuring 150,000 people within a 50-mile radius. Included among that number are the vacationers and the increasing year-round population of “Lake” residents who inhabit upscale lakeside homes around Lake Gaston and Roanoke Rapids Lake.