The Village of Glenwillow was founded in 1893 by the Austin Powder Company, an explosives manufacturing company. The village was essentially a company town that included homes for employee’s families, a boarding house for single men, a schoolhouse, a church, and a general store. After closing the manufacturing facility in 1972, the village continued on with the addition of an industrial park.
The village center concept was created as part of Glenwillow’s 2001 strategic plan. An agreement was struck between the village and Whitlatch & Co. to rehabilitate the village center in 2004. The village center project includes the adaptive reuse of 18 historic structures, including the original general store, into attractive shops, businesses, residences and a restaurant. The village center officially opened in September 2005 and continues to grow with the planned construction of up to 50 new homes overlooking scenic Tinker’s Creek. Throughout the project careful attention to detail and historic features has resulted in a distinctive community with welcoming front porches, generous landscaping and coach-lighted sidewalks.
