First and last visit to Lyman Mill

After reading a goupstate.com story on the destruction of the old Lyman Mill in Lyman, SC that closed in 2005, I quickly decided I wanted photos of the mill before they get too far along tearing down the mill.


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I thought being a Sunday the crews wouldn't be working, but I was quickly proved wrong. A few people were in their machines busy with their work. The area is surrounded by a construction fence, but a large part of the parking lot is still available to park and walk around.


Part of the work is already done, and the company performing the destruction expects to done by the end of May.



Most of the mill is still intact at this time. If you want to visit though, you better visit soon.


I also found an abandoned railroad right of way I just had to explore. I traced it back to where it headed into someone's property, and not far beyond it presumably would have merged with the mainline. Then I traced the line toward the mill.



The railroad passes by the mill at the edge of the parking lot.




The railroad then crosses a road heading into a residential area.



The right-of-way is easy to see, but hard to follow with cars parked on either side of narrow two-lane streets.



I traced onto a map the right-of-way from the GPS locations embedded in these photos, my memory (uh-oh), and satellite coverage of the area.


View Abandoned railroad right-of-ways in a larger map

I'm happy I found more than I expected, but I'm also sorry the mill is being torn down.

While on the way to Lyman, I spotted a monument I've passed by many times in the past. Today, I decided today was the day to find out what this monument was all about.



So now I know. Whew!

Location: 14 Pacific St, Lyman, SC 29365, USA

Comments

  1. TomApril 9, 2012 at 11:42 AM

    This mill is just around the corner from my office. I've been watching the demolition, too. My boss, who grew up on the area, has been taking one photo of the mill each day as it's been torn down.

    When the mill closed we had a major influx of unemployed folks in the area.

    Here's the only photo I have of the intact mill...

    http://www.flickr.com/photos/randomconnections/4409786758/

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. MarkApril 9, 2012 at 11:49 AM

      When I tried the link, I got this message: "Oops! You don't have permission to view this photo." :(

      Delete
  2. DefectiveTurretSeptember 20, 2014 at 4:05 PM

    I wish I could have seen it all intact...even just the front building and smoke stacks were amazing to see in person, tho.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Johnny G.April 20, 2016 at 10:12 AM

    Thanks for posting this. I am strangely fascinated, and saddened, by the old textile mills in the upstate.

    ReplyDelete

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