Woolen Mills operated from the 1870s until 1962 and once was one of the largest mills in the nation. Several months ago Preservation Piedmont members were treated to a tour of the historic Woolen Mills factory by developer Brian Roy, who had been nurturing a vision for the site for years. His vision became closer to reality on August 27, 2018, when WillowTree Inc. announced that it will leave its offices near the Charlottesville Downtown Mall and move to the Woolen Mills complex. When the work is completed WillowTree will occupy nearly 85,000 square feet and expects to eventually increase its workforce to 400 with room to grow to 500. The $30 million project will also have space for a coffeeshop and a restaurant.