In 1901, one of the largest and most advanced southern pine sawmills east of the Mississippi River was built here, and the Alger-Sullivan Lumber Company created its own town to house and supply the families of mill workers. By 1915, the mill town of Century included a hotel, hospital, commissary, post office, executive club, business district, schools, churches, and segregated housing districts for black and white families, with housing ranging from small shotgun houses to large two-story executive homes. Along Church Street stands one of the company’s last built town structures, a large theater and recreation hall completed in 1922 that became lumber company offices after a remodeling in 1946. The deteriorated black residential district along Pond Street was largely demolished and the homes replaced in 1986 through a state block grant. The remaining residential district along Front, Church, Fourth, and Mayo streets, and Jefferson and Pinewood avenues represents a rare intact example of an early-twentieth century planned company town in Florida, and the district of 45 historic buildings and a formal garden site was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1989.