We recently had our High Point Central High School Class of 2000 25-year reunion at Congdon Yards…read more Our reunion took place on the third floor of "The Factory" building, inside "The Spinning Room." In short, I thought the space worked out great for the event.
The event had less than 100 guests, catering by Pepper Moon Catering of Greensboro, a cash bar, music, an Epson projector and screen for a presentation/slideshow, and speakers with microphone. Take a look at my pictures to get a feel for the event space, vibe, and decor. On a Friday night, parking was free, plentiful, and easy.
Congdon Yards consists of two 1920s Adams-Millis hosiery factory buildings in downtown High Point, next to Truist Point (baseball stadium). The property is named after the Congdon family, founders of Old Dominion Freight Line of Thomasville. Congdon Yards isn't the first time these old multistory brick buildings have been repurposed into event spaces and for other uses.
In 2010, I attended a wedding at "The Loft at Union Square," which I believe is now "The Loft" at Congdon Yards: https://www.yelp.com/biz/the-loft-at-union-square-high-point
The current incarnation of Congdon Yards opened in phases beginning in late 2020. The first building, branded as "Plant Seven," opened in spring 2021. The second building, The Factory, opened on June 12, 2023. Here are photos from the ribbon-cutting ceremony on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/p/CtZSX6cu3WM
To tell them apart, The Factory is the all-brick building with the green "Congdon Yards" water tower and "High Point - NC" smokestack outside. The Loft is located on the fourth floor of The Factory.
There are a multitude of rooms and event spaces, designed for weddings, parties, business meetings, lectures/presentations, etc. There are also public common areas, a cafe, a restaurant, offices, and "The Generator." The Generator provides access to industrial-grade woodworking machines for niche projects, an obvious nod to High Point, "the furniture capital of the world."
The cafe is called Lil's Coffee Bar. It's located at "The Commons" in Plant Seven. It's only open Monday-Friday, 8am-4pm. The restaurant is called Earl's Landing. It's located on the first floor of The Factory. It's fine dining; open Monday-Saturday for dinner only and Sunday for brunch only.
In general, Congdon Yards is a nice upgrade to High Point's downtown scene, which continues to evolve thanks to Business High Point-Chamber of Commerce, the HP365 nonprofit, state grants, and private donations and investments. It's well done and similar to a lot of other popular and successful revitalization projects around the country, where "historic" buildings have been restored and adapted for modern mixed use. Like those developments, the Congdon Yards designers did a good job blending contemporary elements into the old factory spaces while preserving their rustic feel.
For more info on Pepper Moon Catering, check out their Yelp page here (I left them a review too): https://www.yelp.com/biz/pepper-moon-catering-greensboro