The mills were the center of life in the town of Porterdale, and the Porterdale Mill, built in 1899, was the best known. It remains an engineering wonder, spanning about 800 feet of the Yellow River. A 125-foot stone dam was essential to the operation of the mill and is a landmark in its own right. During the early 20th century, the Porterdale mills manufactured more cotton rope than any other mill in the nation, and during World War II, they were the leading supplier of rope to the United States Navy.
The abandoned mill was later converted into housing, known as the Porterdale Mill Lofts, and still serves the community in this incarnation.
Porterdale Historic District, National Register of Historic Places
That mill is on par with anything built during the same era in New England.
Probably due to new technology making them inefficient and obsolete; cost of upgrading and maintaining the buildings; and competition from lower-cost facilities overseas. Similar large mills in Augusta and Columbus also fell by the wayside, but have thankfully had new life after being converted into offices and event spaces.
Georgia and South Carolina for many years in the 1900’s were also known for their sewing machine factories, so prevalent in small towns across the states, mostly employing women. They were once the economic backbones of their communities. Sadly, competition from lower-cost facilities overseas eventually led to their demise too. However, opportunities in their small towns for adaptive re-use have not appeared, so they are mostly still sitting empty.
“Progress” sometimes leaves some folks behind.
Why were the mills shut down?