On June 12, 1886, James G. Hanes, founder of Hanes knitwear, was born in what’s now Winston-Salem.

Following his 1909 graduation from the University of North Carolina, Hanes returned to Forsyth County and joined the family textile business. His factory, Hanes Hosiery Mills, became the world’s largest manufacturer of women’s nylon seamless hosiery. He was known to have said,”Nature gives you seamless legs; Hanes gives you seamless nylons.”

In 196P.H. (Pleasant Henderson) Hanes and his brother John Wesley Hanes were pioneering entrepreneurs who transformed Winston-Salem, North Carolina, into a global textile and hosiery powerhouse. [1, 2]

The legendary P.H. Hanes Knitting Company was established in 1902 in Winston-Salem following the brothers’ successful exit from the tobacco industry. The business initially focused on producing heavyweight men’s and boys’ underwear and “union suits”. Their mass-production of knit T-shirts and undergarments played a major role in supplying millions of garments to U.S. troops during both World Wars, eventually growing into the internationally recognized Hanes Corporation after a massive merger with Hanes Hosiery Mills in 1965. [1, 2, 3, 4]

Today, the legacy of the Hanes family remains deeply tied to the city’s infrastructure and development. The massive historic P.H. Hanes Knitting Company Mill Building—constructed around 1920 at 675 N. Main Street—is a Local Historic Landmark and has been repurposed to house a variety of businesses and community workspaces. [1, 2, 3]

5 Hanes Hosiery Mills Company merged with P. H. Hanes Knitting Company to become the internationally-known Hanes Corporation.

PH Hanes Knitting Company

P.H. Hanes Knitting Company Historic Marker Unveiling

PH Hanes Mill Buildings

The Town of Hanes was a historic, unincorporated mill town developed in the early 1900s around the P.H. Hanes Knitting Company mills. Located just southwest of downtown Winston-Salem, it eventually grew and was absorbed into the city limits as Winston-Salem expanded. [1, 2, 3, 4]

The Hanes textile empire and the city of Winston-Salem are historically inseparable. Key details linking the two entities include: [1, 2]

• Founding Families: Brothers Pleasant Henderson Hanes (P.H.) and John Wesley Hanes—born in nearby Davie County—came to the area in 1872. [1, 2]
• Shamrock Mills & Hanes Hosiery: John Wesley Hanes founded Shamrock Hosiery Mills in 1901, which his son James G. Hanes later grew and renamed Hanes Hosiery Mills. [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]
• P.H. Hanes Knitting Company: Pleasant H. Hanes founded his knitting company in 1902 in downtown Winston-Salem, producing underwear that would eventually supply U.S. troops during both World Wars. [1]
• The Merger: In 1965, Hanes Hosiery Mills and P.H. Hanes Knitting Company merged to create the international Hanes Corporation. [1]
• Hanesbrands Inc.: Today, Hanesbrands operates as a global apparel corporation headquartered in Winston-Salem. [1]
• The Hanes Legacy Today: The Hanes family legacy is still highly visible throughout the city. The Hanes name lives on locally through landmarks like the Hanes Mall and HanesTowne Village. [1, 2]

If you’d like to explore this history further, let me know if you are interested in:

• The Moravian roots of early Salem
• Finding specific Hanes family historic sites in Winston-Salem
• Details on the textile company’s modern corporate footprint