Change of scenery ...
When
I heard that Trump had picked Steve Bannon to be his top aide I
felt physically ill. No wonder the KKK and other white supremacists
have backed him if this is what they get in return.
I
figured I needed a respite from TV and radio news so my niece Wendy
and I got in the car and headed South 40 minutes to Rockingham, North
Carolina in search of the remains of the “Great Falls Mill”. We
weren't disappointed with what we found.
Although
almost overrun with Kudzu vine the mill still retains an eerie air of
elegance and has a colorful history. In 1833 this was a cotton
mill. It was named “Richmond Mill” and was among the first of
many cotton mills to be chartered in North Carolina. However it was
burned down in 1865 by Union soldiers during the Civil War. It was
reconstructed in 1869 and given a different name … The Great Falls
Mill.
The
newly refurbished mill operated for the next 40 years until it was
forced to close due to the Great Depression. It never became an
active mill again but was used simply to store cotton.
At
some point in the 60's the site was under consideration to become a
textile museum but. in 1972, it once again became the victim of a
devastating fire. Now all that remains are these ruins, eerily quiet
and being swallowed alive by Kudzu.
(Interesting
to note that “Hootie & the Blowfish” filmed a music video on
the site for their song “Old Man & Me” in the 1990’s.)
posted by Ginnie at 5:00 PM
7 Comments:
I am glad you had the change of scenery. It's needed these days, Ginnie.
It's good to forsake the keyboard sometimes and to see that the world is still there.
Oh, good for you! Looks like an interesting place for some cool pictures. Sounds like a plan, visiting places, sharing local history with your niece (lucky girl!)
I have been pushing, getting stuff done out in the yard while the weather holds. Keeping as busy as I can. But your idea sounds like more fun!
Interesting. I love looking at ruins. Incredibly, when a factory or mill is first abandoned or damaged by fire it looks so very sad. But given enough years, it takes on a different feeling. And it reminds us once again that time moves on.
Smart move to divert your mind these days. Kind of sad seeing once prosperous sites being devoured by aggressive plants. Lets hope it is not an omen.
Year ago many ruins from the Civil War were all over the South. LBJ's Great society helped restore places like Alexandria VA which was a dump when I forst saw it. Those old cotton mills remind me of the exploitation of thousands. No wonder Union tropps burned it.
Good idea to leave the news behind and take off on an adventure, Ginnie. The ruins of buildings are interesting, even more so in deterioration. Kudza is quite invasive I know from a trip we once took and it was everywhere!
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