▁Cole man ▁property ▁later ▁became ▁part ▁of ▁Franklin ▁Cot ton ▁M ills ▁and ▁a ▁Field c rest ▁C annon ▁plant . ▁▁ ▁Phot ograph s ▁of ▁the ▁mill ▁and ▁a ▁description ▁were ▁featured ▁in ▁the ▁Neg ro ▁Ex hib it ▁of ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁installation ▁at ▁the ▁Paris ▁Ex position ▁of ▁ 1 9 0 0 ▁in ▁France , ▁showing ▁African - American ▁progress ▁in ▁this ▁country . ▁In ▁the ▁early ▁ 2 1 st ▁century , ▁the ▁mill ▁building , ▁now ▁known ▁as ▁the ▁Cole man - Fran k lin - C annon ▁Mill , ▁houses ▁the ▁production ▁facilities ▁of ▁Southern ▁Grace ▁Dist iller ies , ▁Inc . ▁It ▁was ▁listed ▁on ▁the ▁National ▁Register ▁of ▁Historic ▁Places ▁in ▁ 2 0 1 5 . ▁ ▁Company ▁established ▁( 1 8 9 7 ) ▁The ▁company ▁was ▁established ▁in ▁ 1 8 9 7 ▁in ▁Con cord , ▁south - central ▁P ied mont , ▁primarily ▁by ▁black ▁capital ists ▁in ▁North ▁Carolina , ▁most ▁based ▁in ▁its ▁largest ▁city ▁of ▁Wil ming ton . ▁To ▁promote ▁the ▁economic ▁security ▁of ▁people ▁of ▁color , ▁they ▁intended ▁to ▁establish ▁a ▁cot ton ▁mill ▁to ▁be ▁entirely ▁managed ▁and ▁operated ▁by ▁black s . ▁At ▁the ▁time , ▁the ▁cot ton ▁mill s ▁in ▁North ▁Carolina , ▁and ▁the ▁South ▁overall , ▁were ▁white ▁owned ▁and ▁disc rimin ated ▁against ▁black ▁workers . ▁Man agers ▁h ired ▁black s ▁only ▁for ▁men ial ▁positions . ▁ ▁Richard ▁B . ▁Fitz ger ald ,