Graniteville

Here, in Horse Creek Valley, William Gregg began the first large-scale cotton mill in the South in 1845.The original Graniteville Mill. built in 1846, survived Sherman's march through the South during the Civil War and is still producing yarn and cloth today.

Located on the Graniteville Canal and the early Charleston-Hamburg rail line, near what is now North Augusta, Graniteville had easy access to one of the South's major cotton routes. It has remained a textile town into the 1990s. The town has many landmarks, including 27 mill houses, called Blue Row.

 The mill and town, built by William Gregg, initially included 90 homes, two churches, a school, several boarding houses, and six stores. Most buildings were constructed of blue granite, giving the town its name. Several examples of the blue row homes are still found in Graniteville. Gregg's caring ways resulted in employee loyalty. One employee holds the world's record for continuous employment with one firm -- 89 years.

St. John's Methodist Church (1840) at 18 Gregg Avenue and originally called Graniteville Methodist, is considered to be the oldest church in a southern mill community. This Gothic Revival church was built as an imitation (on a smaller scale) of Westminster Abbey.

Vaucluse Mill and dam was built in 1832 by General James Jones and later acquired by William Gregg, founder of Graniteville Manufacturing Company.