Graniteville Historic District

Graniteville Historic District is a textile manufacturing area in South Carolina that spans 150 acres with 1800s mill buildings, worker housing, and an old power canal system. The complex also includes Hickman Memorial Hall from 1907 and St. John's Methodist Church, which still anchors the center of the site.

William Gregg founded this textile complex between 1845 and 1849 as one of the first factory towns in the Southern United States. The place pioneered combining industrial production with organized community living.

The worker neighborhoods still show traces of mill community life through modest houses built close together that reflect how families lived during the industrial era. St. John's Methodist Church stands at the center and served as the gathering place for the entire community.

The district preserves many original buildings and modernized structures that are now used by businesses or open to visitors. It works best to walk through and explore different areas gradually to understand how the mill and residential sections were arranged.

The original power canal system from the 1840s stretches over a mile and still runs through the grounds today. This old engineering feat is often overlooked but shows the technical skill that went into the factory design.