BOONE, N.C. — Calvis Reyes remembers it like it was yesterday. His family was looking for land to build a home and stumbled onto Henry River Village.

What You Need To Know

Henry River Village was once the home of mill workers

The area became abandoned after the mill shut down in the 1970s

The abandoned village became District 12 for the "Hunger Games" 10 years ago

Now, they have transformed one of the homes into a vacation spot

"I called her up, 'we have to buy this place I cant tell you why,'" Reyes said.

The property is 75 acres with 20 abandoned homes and a big empty country store.

"There’s a story here, it has to be told, and we are the ones I think that are supposed to tell it," Reyes said.

There are many stories hidden in the walls. The history on the land began in 1905. Homes were built around a large mill that has since burned down after being struck by lightning. The families who lived there had no running water and no sewers.

"Everything was made from resources from the property. The wood came from trees from the property," Reyes said.

The mill shut down in 1970.

"There was no job anymore because the mill shut down, and so, it became abandoned," Reyes said. 

It stayed that way until it was found by the producer filming "The Hunger Games." The abandoned village transformed into District 12.

"Most people come for "The Hunger Games" but they stay for the history, the stories of the people," Reyes said.

They decided it shouldn't stay abandoned any longer. Now, they have transformed one of the homes into a place you can stay. They used all found objects just like it was done back in the 1900s. They are telling the story of those who lived here and the movie that made it what it is today.

"They were beyond mill workers and they have their stories and quirks, and we want to learn about them and why they are here," Reyes said.