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The purpose of the South Carolina Picture Project is to celebrate the beauty of the Palmetto State while preserving some of its vanishing landscapes.

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Pendleton Oil Mill

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SC Picture Project / Anderson County / Pendleton Oil Mill

The Sittons have operated various businesses on this site in Pendleton since the Reconstruction. In the late 1860s, the family opened a cotton gin. Wanting to capitalize on the abundance of cotton seeds, they later constructed a cottonseed oil mill here sometime in the late nineteenth or very early twentieth century (cottonseed oil is used for cooking). A notice in a January 23, 1901 edition of the Greenwood Daily Journal mentions the sale of machinery to the Pendleton Oil Mill. Following World War II, the oil mill was altered to manufacture fertilizer and erosion control products. In 1934 A.J. Sitton bought nearby Central Roller Mills, which produced flour, feed, and cornmeal; he also operated that mill until it ceased operations in the 1980s.

Pendleton Oil Mill
Peter L. Wrenn of Simpsonville, 2011 © Do Not Use Without Written Consent

The Pendleton Oil Mill continued to produce fertilizer and related products until the early 2000s. Today the building is decaying, and the Town of Pendleton has been trying to work with the mill’s current owner, John Sitton, to remove the structure from the site. The town claims the structure is hazardous, and signs around the property warn trespassers of its dangers. In July of 2015, part of the building crumbled into the adjacent Norfolk Southern rail line, temporarily halting rail service in Pendleton until the materials were removed.

Pendleton Oil Mill, Facade
David Thompson of Anderson, 2013 © Do Not Use Without Written Consent

Understanding that razing the old oil mill would require professional demolition, the town has asked Sitton to sign over the property to the town, which could then try to access state or federal money for its safe removal. As of January 2017, Sitton has declined the town’s offers, claiming that he has been selling salvage material from the mill for years. However, Sitton also stated that the sale of materials has waned since the partial collapse in July of 2015.

Machinery Pictures at Pendleton Oil Mill


Pendleton Oil Mill

John Jensen of Charleston, 2017 © Do Not Use Without Written Consent

Pendleton Oil Mill

John Jensen of Charleston, 2017 © Do Not Use Without Written Consent

Pendleton Oil Mill

John Jensen of Charleston, 2017 © Do Not Use Without Written Consent

Pendleton Oil Mill

John Jensen of Charleston, 2017 © Do Not Use Without Written Consent

More Pictures of Pendleton Oil Mill


Pendleton Oil Mill

John Jensen of Charleston, 2017 © Do Not Use Without Written Consent

Pendleton Oil Mill

Laurel Bishop of Greenville, 2018 © Do Not Use Without Written Consent

Pendleton Oil Mill

Ray Richards of Anderson, 2014 © Do Not Use Without Written Consent

Pendleton Oil Mill

William L. Nickles of Anderson, 2013 © Do Not Use Without Written Consent

Plan Your Trip: Pendleton Oil Mill

Where is Pendleton Oil Mill located?
Address: 349 East Main Street, Pendleton, SC 29670
GPS Coordinates: 34.649455,-82.778059
What else should I see?
Saint Paul’s Episcopal Church 0.2 mile
Farmers Society Hall 0.5 mile
Woodburn 1.9 miles
Old Stone Church 3.8 miles
Show me more like this!
  • See other South Carolina Mills
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    Pendleton Oil Mill Map

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    We are a federally-recognized 501(c)(3) nonprofit that works to preserve the history of South Carolina’s historic, natural, and cultural landmarks before they are lost to time. This website serves as a permanent digital archive of over 2,300 South Carolina landmarks – and counting. Learn more about our work.

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