In 1905, local businessman Henry P. Ide joined with out-of-state investors to build the Ide-Profile Cotton Mill, and the company also established the Profile Mill Village, which began with 40 homes for workers. The company expanded the mill in 1908 and built 90 homes to house additional workers. The complex became a city within a city, with its own power plant, store, and a school it managed from 1911 to 1942. The mill operated steadily until it was sold in 1954. After the change in ownership, village homes became available for outright purchase, whereas workers had previously been required to pay rent each month, and many families bought their homes and gained financial independence from the mill. The village changed slowly and steadily until the owners closed the mill in 2001. In 2006, the Profile Mill Complex and Profile Mill Village were added to the National Register of Historic Places for their importance to the industrial development and history of Jacksonville.