The Ovilla Cotton Gin, established in 1885, was the focal point of Ovilla industry as the community farmed cotton as its primary crop. Farming cotton was the primary industry of the area, and most families had at least one relative who worked at the gin. The cotton gin and scales were built on this site. The gin burned in 1918 and was rebuilt on the same site. The scales were not damaged and remained functional until 1966, when the cotton gin was again destroyed by fire and closed. The scale house, the site of the weights for the scales and the cotton samples, also remained intact, though it is no longer standing. The original scales still remain here as the only remaining structure from the gin.