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Greenville in Greenville County, South Carolina — The American South (South Atlantic)
 

Piedmont

 
 
Piedmont Marker image. Click for full size.
Photographed By Tom Bosse, May 14, 2022
1. Piedmont Marker
Inscription. When Henry Pinckney Hammett (1822-1891), bought the property for his cotton mill, the area was named Piedmont, “Foot of the Mountains”. On April 30, 1873, subscribers met at Greenville to organize the Piedmont Manufacturing Company. Hammett was elected president of the new firm, which would incorporate a year later with $200,000 in capital stock. Hammett was one of the first postwar mill presidents in South Carolina to adopt the large-scale New England model of factory production. A charter was obtained. Construction on mill No. 1 was finished and operations began in March, 1876, with 5,000 spindles and 112 looms. Under Hammett’s leadership, a second mill was added in 1878, then a third in 1890. By 1892 the Piedmont Manufacturing Company operated 47,000 spindles and 1,300 looms with a mill village population of three thousand. China represented an important market for the company’s cloth sheeting from the late 1880s through the 1930s. In addition to factory work, Hammett presided over a substantial mill village community including a school, town hall, churches, and a hotel. As did most mill executives, Hammett opposed any unionization efforts. When the Knights of Labor began to organize at Piedmont in 1886, he ordered the mill superintendent to fire any worker who joined the union. He also joined other mill presidents in resisting child
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labor legislation in 1890. After his death the Beattie family from Greenville took over operations and ran the mills until 1946 when J.P. Stevens and Co. Inc. took over. The Piedmont Plants operated continuously until 1964, when Stevens built the modern Estes Plant about two miles away. Mr. Hammett’s original building burned in 1983 and the Anderson County plant was completely torn down by 1995.
 
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Industry & Commerce. In addition, it is included in the Greenville Textile Heritage series list. A significant historical month for this entry is March 1876.
 
Location. 34° 52.066′ N, 82° 25.629′ W. Marker is in Greenville, South Carolina, in Greenville County. Marker is on Ravenel Street west of Smythe Street, on the right when traveling west. Marker located in Greenville Textile Heritage Park. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Greenville SC 29611, United States of America. Touch for directions.
 
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. Poe Mill (a few steps from this marker); Mills Mill (a few steps from this marker); Monaghan (a few steps from this marker); Poinsett (a few steps from this marker); Brandon Mill (within shouting distance of this marker); Slater (within shouting distance of this marker); Parker High School
Piedmont Marker image. Click for full size.
Photographed By Tom Bosse, May 14, 2022
2. Piedmont Marker
Marker second from right. Monaghan Mill can be seen in the background.
(within shouting distance of this marker); Dunean (within shouting distance of this marker). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Greenville.
 
Also see . . .  Greenville Textile Heritage Park. (Submitted on May 30, 2022.)
 
Greenville Textile Heritage Park image. Click for full size.
Photographed By Tom Bosse, May 14, 2022
3. Greenville Textile Heritage Park
 
 
Credits. This page was last revised on May 30, 2022. It was originally submitted on May 29, 2022, by Tom Bosse of Jefferson City, Tennessee. This page has been viewed 117 times since then and 9 times this year. Photos:   1, 2, 3. submitted on May 29, 2022, by Tom Bosse of Jefferson City, Tennessee. • Bernard Fisher was the editor who published this page.

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Mar. 29, 2024