Judson

Judson. . In early 1910, J. Irving Westervelt (1862-1939) was chosen by a northern textile machinery coalition to manager their new southern textile mill venture. Lockwood, Greene, and Company was chosen to design the village and mill. Gallivan Construction of Greenville would be the contractor. The mill’s original capitalization was 10,000 shares valued at $100 per shares - $1,000,000. The mill opened in March, 1912, with a two story 56,000 spindle spinning room and a one story 1,200 loom weave room. 200 employees and families, living in 75 houses, produced fine quality lawn handkerchief material. Bennette E. Geer, a Furman University English professor, was named mill president in 1912. He urged the mill name to be changed to Judson Mill, honoring his long time Furman mentor and friend, the late Charles Judson, university treasurer and mathematics professor. By 1917 Judson was expanding to produce a blend of Japanese silk with long staple cotton. In 1924 a small building was purchased and homes built across from the mill and became known as Judson Silk Mill or Judson No. 2, producing pure rayon and silk products. As the 1930s Depression was approaching, Judson prided its school which had over 600 students enrolled. The 1934 Strike divided employees so severely that the Baptist church was closed for a period of time. By 1939, Judson had three churches, a school, a Community building and baseball field…all located around the famous “Judson Crossing” and intersection between Judson and Brandon. Prior to World War II, under new owner, Deering-Milliken, Judson was the first Greenville textile community to start selling off their homes. The closed mill and village were placed on the National Historic Registry in 2018.