Driving S.C. backroads to photograph doomed architecture worthy of preservation. Can anyone help?
The past couple of weeks, I have traveled some 600+ miles, with R&R’s volunteers, helping document historic sites and towns across S.C. This experience has been rewarding but also somewhat depressing. Rewarding in the sense, that every corner provides preservation opportunities, to photograph historic buildings and sites worthy of sharing on R&R. But highly depressing to see just how often buildings, of which I recall fondly, have been demolished due to poor economic conditions in rural America. If you also subscribe to the R&R Facebook blog, the message is the same, these
small towns are struggling. No wonder they feel forgotten and are praying Trump will do something to help. Their school systems are well behind, their downtowns dead and their economic plight poor. As Mike Bedenbaugh of the Palmetto Trust repeatedly states, “S.C. has fifty Detroit’s.” But I also viewed many sites that had been preserved as B&B’s, stores and more – a few bright spots.
R&R continues to promote preservation across the region and we can only hope someone is listening and will help with economic incentives to safeguard rural architecture. Yes, there are some programs for historic preservation of facades, etc., but what is being done to help safeguard lovely little towns across the country – nothing!
Never the less, we also had a wonderful time seeing some new sites of which I can’t forget. One was the historic Newry Mill in Oconee County, S.C. And another the beautiful Imperial Tobacco Company Building at Lake City, S.C. These two building offer the best of two worlds for preservationists. The Newry Cotton Mill, though a cosmetic wreck offers so much character and potential, I fell in love with the site and can easily envision the beauty of it, even behind forty years of graphite. The mill village is full of well-constructed houses and as one of my conversations with a local revealed; “It was once a lovely little town of close neighbors who took care of each other. But working in the mill was like being a slave.”
Enjoy visiting several of the places we photographed this week on R&R’s pages.
If you live in the S.C. Upcountry and happen to be on your way to Myrtle Beach, you might wish to take a slight detour and look in downtown Lake City, S.C., a real changing and dynamic community. While there drive by the Imperial Tobacco Building, it is an impressive one.
As we shared last week, R&R’s usage and ranking has exploded and we continue being pleased to have the opportunity to share. You too can share by simply telling your friends about the website and getting them to sign up for the weekly blog. And do tell us about sites you too feel are worth documenting: rootsandrecall@gmail.com
From the Porch – Blog @ RootsandRecall.com – 11.16.16