History

THE OLDEST SOCK MILL IN THE SOUTH

From the oldest sock mill in the south to the epicenter of a vibrant new community, May Hosiery Mills had a storied history rooted in Wedgewood Houston. Founded in 1908, for much of the mill’s 88 years, its hundreds of employees, mostly women, manufactured a million socks a week.

In 1897, Jacob May and his family moved to Nashville and opened the Rocky City Hosiery Mill. May obtained a contract to use convict labor for his mill, located inside the state penitentiary on Church Street. In 1908, May incorporated the company under a new name—May Hosiery Mills – and opened a new location on Brown St. The mill would later expand to facilities on nearby Chestnut and Houston St. Jacob ran the mill with the help of his sons, Mortimer and Dan, until his death in 1946.

In the early 20th century, the mill was among the largest employers in Nashville. It employed many Jewish refugees the May family helped flee Nazi Germany in the 1930s. The factory supplied major stores nationwide and made the socks worn to the moon by the NASA Apollo 11 crew. The mill ceased operations in 1985 and has since served as a space for artists and businesses.