Tuesday, August 27, 2013

Roswell's Mill Legacy


The first cotton mill for the Roswell Manufacturing Company was opened in 1839. Power for the mill was provided by harnessing the water power from Vickery Creek. By the Civil War, two cotton mills and one woolen mill were in full operation.  Top left: Drawing of original mills courtesy of the Georgia Archives. Top right: Machine Shop from the mills in the mid-1970s. Bottom: Walkways in Old Mill Park and the Machine Shop as it looks today.

During the Civil War, the Roswell Mills were leading manufacturers of materials used for the Confederacy.  When Union troops came to Roswell in 1864, their orders were to burn the mills.  The only mill building left standing was the machine shop.  After the war, the mills were rebuilt.  The mill standing today was built in 1882.  It has been restored as offices.  The Pre-Civil war mill ruins are part of Old Mill Park with hiking trails, interpretive signs and a pedestrian bridge that connects the Roswell trails to the Chattahoochee River National Park trail on the other side of Vickery Creek.

To experience the area, today, click on Roswell’s Historic District Walking Tour Map at www.visitroswellga.com/historic-district.html