Richland Cotton Mill
National Register Listing
Street Address:
211-221 Main St., Columbia, SC (Richland County)
Alternate Name:
Pacific Mills; Lowenstein Mill; Whaley's Mill
NRHP Nomination
Record Number:
S10817740071
Description and Narrative:
(Whaley’s Mill) The Richland Cotton Mill was the first mill in Columbia constructed under the direction of the prominent mill architect and engineer W. B. Smith Whaley. The original rectangular brick mill building, essentially unaltered since its construction, sits on nearly four acres bordered by Catawba, Main, Whaley and Assembly Streets, where it was completed on October 1, 1895. This mill signifies the focus of the Columbia community and its development as a cotton textile center in the late nineteenth century. Locally generated design and capital set this mill apart from the majority of local cotton textile enterprises of the period, which were developed through northern interests. Both architectural design and engineering expertise combined to create an efficient focal point of industrial development in late nineteenth century Columbia. The four-story structure is dominated by a single stair tower, centering on the north façade, rising seven stories. The top story features a circular vent flanked by two arched vents. Immediate additions to the rectangular building included an engine room, a boiler room, and a machine shop, all to the southeast of the main building and repeating the common bond brick pattern and regular fenestration. A round chimney, crowned by corbelling and encircling arching in the brickwork was built adjacent to the boiler room. Listed in the National Register November 10, 1983.
Period of Significance:
1895
Level of Significance:
State
Area of Significance:
Engineering;Architecture;Industry
National Register Determination:
listed
Date of Certification:
November 10 1983
