• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

SC Picture Project

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

  • FIND A LANDMARK
    • BY CITY
    • BY COUNTY
    • BY CATEGORY
    • BYGONE LANDMARKS
  • ADD IMAGES
  • VOLUNTEER
  • SPONSORS
  • DONATE

Watts Mill

SC PICTURE PROJECT Leave a Comment

SC Picture Project / Laurens County / Watts Mill

The remnants of Watts Mill linger in Laurens. The textile mill was organized in 1902, seven years after neighboring Laurens Cotton Mill was established. The fact that multiple textile mills could operate successfully in such a small area was a testament to the textile boom in upper South Carolina from the late nineteenth through much of the twentieth century.

Watts Mill Smokestack

Jo Anne Keasler of Greenville, 2019 © Do Not Use Without Written Consent

Watts Mill was built on the former Watts Plantation, giving the company its name. Its first president was W.E. Lucas, and operations began in 1904. Initially, Watts Mill produced cottons such as handkerchiefs. However, by the 1930s the mill had expanded to include synthetic materials, creating parachute fabric during World War II. A monument to 40 Watts Mill employees who were killed in World War II stands on the grounds of the Laurens County Courthouse.

Watts Mill Ruins

Jo Anne Keasler of Greenville, 2019 © Do Not Use Without Written Consent

The village surrounding the mill was called Wattsville, and this part of Laurens is still referred to by the mill’s name. Children of mill workers attended the Watts School until the student population outgrew the building. Ford Junior High School was built on Lucas Avenue in 1936 to accommodate the growing number of students from Watts Mill. Today Ford Elementary School continues operating from the mill’s original school building.

Watts Mill Ruins

Jo Anne Keasler of Greenville, 2019 © Do Not Use Without Written Consent

Watts Mill fell the way of many South Carolina textile mills at the end of the twentieth century, eventually ceasing operations as US companies turned to cheap foreign labor. Today, the Upstate is littered with fallen bricks that rest in piles at the base of colossal chimney towers – proud landmarks which once heralded industry and progress in South Carolina.

Plan Your Trip: Watts Mill

Where is Watts Mill located?
Address: Swygert Street, Laurens, SC 29360
GPS Coordinates: 34.516964,-81.996518
What else should I see?
Laurens Cotton Mill 1.9 miles
Octagon House 1.9 miles
Bethel AME Church 2.5 miles
Laurens 2.5 miles
Show me more like this!
  • Laurens Historic Sites
  • See other South Carolina Mills
    Watts Mill Map

    Please Help Us Stay Online

    We’d like thank everyone who generously supports the South Carolina Picture Project. You provide us with the inspiration and financial support we need to keep doing what we do. Every reader’s contribution, larger or small, is valuable. If you have enjoyed this website or found it helpful, please pitch in. Each donation helps – and it only takes a minute. Thank you!

    Support the SC Picture Project!

    $ 50.00
    Select Payment Method
    Personal Info

    Credit Card Info
    This is a secure SSL encrypted payment.

    Donation Total: $50.00

    You may also like

    You may also like

    Laurens Cotton MillLaurens Cotton Mill Brownlee GroceryBrownlee Grocery Default ThumbnailCharles Duckett House Allen Dial Home RearAllen Dial House William Dunlop Simpson HouseWilliam Dunlap Simpson House

    Reader Interactions

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Primary Sidebar

    FIND A LANDMARK

    Why This Site Matters

    Help Keep This Site Online

    We depend on the support of today’s readers to document South Carolina’s landmarks for future readers. Please help us continue this important work by making a donation below.

    $ 50.00
    Select Payment Method
    Personal Info

    Credit Card Info
    This is a secure SSL encrypted payment.

    Donation Total: $50.00

    Recent Posts

    • H.L. Hunley
    • Strand Theater
    • Camden Depot
    • Charleston City Marina
    • Secession Hill

    ABOUT US

    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.

    Footer

    ABOUT US

    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.

    CONTACT US

    We’d love to hear from you! Send us a quick email at share@scpictureproject.org.

    If you are looking for permission to use a photo, please reach out directly to the photographer listed in the image’s credit.

    JOIN US ON FACEBOOK

    The South Carolina Picture Project has two Facebook groups. One is dedicated to SC Historic Landmarks and Iconic Landscapes, and the other is dedicated to SC Nature and Wildlife.

    South Carolina Picture Project © 2023 · All Rights Reserved