Joel Jackson (J.J.) Rucker (1880-1960) founded the Rucker Cotton Seed Company and later built a cotton gin at this location around 1930. Farmers brought wagonloads of cotton to the rear of the gin, where the cotton was weighed, combed, washed, and dried in a large centrifuge under the floor. The seeds were returned to the farmers for planting the following year. Although the gin closed in 1950, the seed hopper remains on the property, and the building has since housed a number of businesses, including shops, offices, and a church pew manufacturer.