Upstate South Carolina is full of old textile towns and I think they’re so fun to explore. Even though it’s much hotter down there, I could spend a while wandering around those old towns. Unfortunately, my daughter decided we weren’t safe at this old cotton mill. After walking around for only a few minutes happily finding “ancient parts” (LoZ fans here), she was pretty convinced that cannibals were going to crawl out of the depths to feast on our flesh. We ended up being just fine, though.
Photos taken east of Asheville, NC
The photos below were taken at a Clinchfield Mill in Marion, NC. It burned down a few years ago.
I found some backup and went back to explore the inside of the old Newry cotton mill. Once you’re inside it isn’t as spooky as I thought it would be. It’s actually pretty peaceful. The mill closed its doors in 1975 and it has been vacant since then. There isn’t a patch of the entire place that isn’t covered in graffiti, even in the dark bowels of the mill. There are multiple floors and each one seems a little more dilapidated than the last. You have to be very mindful of where you’re walking. Especially as you get closer to the roof.
The town itself is really nice to walk around in, too, and people still live in the old homes that were originally built for the first mill workers in the late 1800s. There’s still a dam there and it’s a pretty lovely spot to catch a nice sunset on the river.
An unexpected day off last week led to exploring an abandoned mill in South Carolina. I was alone, and it was too spooky to go inside, but hopefully I’ll go back soon on a sunny day to check out the inside.
just bees and things and flowers 