Newberry Cotton Mills was incorporated in 1882 and began operation in 1885. Designed by prominent textile mill architects Lockwood, Greene, & Co., it was one of the first cotton mills in the United States operated by steam power. Z.F. Wright, who served as president from 1905 to 1947, was responsible for several expansions. The mill also sponsored the Newberry Concert Band from 1906 to 1968, and it closed in 1982.