Seneca Cotton Mill

National Register Listing

Street Address:

1300 E. South 6th Street, Seneca, SC (Oconee County)

Alternate Name:

Lonsdale Mill;Seneca Mill;Utica & Mohawk Cotton Mill

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NRHP Nomination

Record Number:

S10817737022

Description and Narrative:

The Seneca Cotton Mill complex is locally significant for its association with textile manufacturing, the primary industry in the South Carolina Upstate at the time of its construction and operation. Originally designed by W. B. Smith Whaley and built between 1900 and 1901 with 15,000 spindles, the plant greatly expanded in the postwar period to over 75,000 spindles. Major additions were made to the main mill in 1927 and 1946, with smaller additions in the 1950s and 1960s. Later called the Lonsdale Mill and finally the Utica & Mohawk Cotton Mill, the mill is significant as one of the few remaining examples of its type in Oconee County. The evolution of architectural styles evident within the complex reflects the shift in tastes from the early to mid-twentieth century period, as well as the thriftiness of the 1920s cotton industry. The period of significance encompasses the start of construction of the original mill in 1900 and ends in 1952, when Utica-Mohawk built a new plant and company headquarters in nearby Clemson, diminishing the importance of Seneca Cotton Mill to the local textile industry. Listed in the National Register January 13, 2022.

Period of Significance:

1900 – 1952

Level of Significance:

Local

Area of Significance:

Industry

National Register Determination:

listed

Date of Certification:

January 13 2022

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