The Shirt Factories that are situated across the city provide a window into an important aspect of Derry's history.
After their closure, many of the buildings became derelict. However, many of them have now been repurposed as accommodation or retail space, breathing new life into these once at-risk sites.
The Star Factory, built in 1899, has become one of these repurposed sites. After becoming derelict due to the decline of the shirt factory industry, the Star Factory was at risk of demolition.
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However, the iconic building was refurbished into stylish apartments in 2007 and has brought the communities of former shirt factory workers and residents together.
Willie Carson, son of Derry photojournalist of the same name, returned to Derry a couple of years ago. For him, living in the Star Factory has brought him back into the fabric of the city.
Willie spoke to MyDerry about living in such an iconic building. He said: "Returning to the city and seeing how much it has changed since I left is amazing, and to have somewhere that is part of its journey is fantastic.
"I remember the Star Factory as a derelict ruin so to see it now being put into use is fantastic. The loss of Tillie and Hendersons was huge and thankfully the rest of the factories are being revitalised.
"This was originally a corset factory for the Bayer Company, corsets were made here and then when they went out of fashion the factory was sold on to become a shirt factory.
“It is another link to a huge aspect to the industrial history of the city and beyond. The main factories of the city were called the magnificent five, and this building itself is an incredibly imposing building.
"It is, for me as a resident of the city, amazing to be in such a huge part of the history of the city."
Another resident of the Star Factory, Graham Murphy, approached the Friends of the Factories group after seeing similar plaques on former shirt factory buildings.
Clare Moore is a member of the Friends of the Factories and used to work in the City Factory. She spoke to MyDerry about what it means to the shirt factory community to see these buildings resurrected.
She said: "It means an awful lot to see the buildings brought back to life. That is why the plaque initiative has been so important to us.
"We wanted something physical to commemorate the shirt factory times. I personally think the plaque initiative really brought the community together and brought the stories out that could have been forgotten.
"We are a dying breed, the last of the factory girls. It is great to see the physical legacy that is being left behind. It is hard to find a family in Derry that doesn’t have a family member who worked in the factories so it is great to let that history continue.
"It will be incredibly exciting to see the redevelopment of Tillie and Hendersons, complete with the iconic staircase and statues of the factory women.
“It was becoming a forgotten history, when I saw the ad looking for women who worked in the factories to tell their stories, I came alive."
The plaque outside the Star Factory will be unveiled this Saturday April 23 at 1:30PM.
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