Few People Realize How Much Mill History Is Preserved In The Small Town Of Pacolet, South Carolina
By AnneMarie|Published April 19, 2023
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AnneMarie
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South Carolina has been home for AnneMarie since 2001. Her favorite part of the state is Lake Jocassee. An App State alumna, it's always the mountains; the lake bonus makes it heavenly. When not writing about the state, she may be spending time with family, relaxing by the pool, or out somewhere enjoying nature.
Formerly known prior to the Revolutionary War as Grindal Shoals, the small town of Pacolet is one of the few surviving mill villages in the upstate area of South Carolina. This is partly due to well-built and maintained mill housing that kept its value and local government that continued to provide services to town residents even after the mills had closed. Pacolet Mills had become the fifth-largest textile manufacturer in the entire country by the turn of the 20th century. It’s a charming town proud of its strong mill history in South Carolina and whose citizens have worked hard to preserve that history.
With a population of only 2,235 as of the 2010 census, Pacolet is a charming, small town in Spartanburg County. The town used to be divided into two areas, Pacolet and Pacolet Mills.
In 1882, a textile mill called Pacolet Manufacturing was established. Two more mills were built, and by 1895 the three mills at Pacolet had a combined capacity of 53,424 spindles and 1,864 looms, making it the largest textile manufacturing complex in Spartanburg County. The town of Pacolet was incorporated in 1896.
In 1903, tragedy struck when a flood destroyed almost everything at the mill and killed one man. This mural shows how the town looked prior to the flood. The town recovered quickly, Pacolet Manufacturing rebuilt, and by 1907, it was one of the largest manufacturers in the South.
The company remained the chief employer in the area until the mill closed in the 1980s.
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Next to the mural, you can visit Pacolet Museum to learn all about the town's history and natural resources, including the Pacolet River and the Granite Quarries, the cultural heritage of the Cherokee, the Catawba Indian presence, early settlers, the American Revolution, the textile industry history, and the Pacolet historic district.
Pacolet became a pilot community for “Pilgrimage of Place,” a Clemson University rural revitalization project, in 2003. This program connected community members with experts in a variety of fields and produced a lengthy community master plan for Pacolet, which recognized a need to protect the historic resources of the town. The plan recommended new walking trails, a riverfront park, and a community meeting room. Pacolet has worked steadily to complete all parts of the master plan and in 2007 became the first community in South Carolina to complete all four cycles of the Pilgrimage of Place program.
It's currently being renovated to become a community center, a much-needed space in a town that rallies and works together to overcome tragedy and preserve its proud history. It's a part of the Pacolet Mills Historic District ...
... a church, an office building, and the Pacolet River Bridge. The entire historic district is a part of the National Register of Historic Places as of 2007.
Mulberry Chapel Methodist Church is one of a few Reconstruction-era African-American churches still remaining in the upstate. It's unclear if the oral history is accurate, holding that the land for the church was donated by a white landowner and former master who stipulated that in return the congregation members would pick the cotton and clear the grounds. Though not a part of the historic district, the church is listed separately on the National Register of Historic Places.
Marysville School was built in 1915 by Pacolet Manufacturing for the children of African-American families who worked in the mills. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2007.
Have you ever been to this charming town full of mill history in South Carolina? When you plan a trip there, you don’t want to miss Phil’s Steakhouse in Pacolet, one of our top choices for small-town steakhouses in South Carolina.
Is there another town in the state with a lot of fascinating history that has been well-preserved that you think should be featured? Send in an Only In Your State attraction nomination!
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