Summerton in Clarendon County, South Carolina — The American South (South Atlantic)

Senn's Mill

Photographed by Mike Stroud, 2009

1. Senn's Mill Marker

Inscription.
This complex, featuring a blacksmith shop (ca. 1903), grist mill (ca. 1905), and bottling plant (ca. 1921), was operated for many years by John G. Senn (1851-1942) and his son-in-law Frank W. Josey (1872-1959). Senn's grandson Walter B. Senn, Jr. (1917-1999) then ran the mill for almost fifty years. A significant example of a type of commercial complex once common in the towns of the rural South, it was listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 2000.

Erected 2001 by South Carolina Department of Archives and History; sponsored by the Town of Summerton. (Marker Number 14-15.)

Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Industry & Commerce • Notable Buildings. A significant historical year for this entry is 2000.

Location. 33° 36.542′ N, 80° 21.08′ W. Marker is in Summerton, South Carolina, in Clarendon County. It is on North Cantey Street, on the right when traveling south. Located between Main Street (US 301) and Ridgeway Street. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Summerton SC 29148, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in the Pee Dee

and in Santee Cooper Country.

It is also in the American South

and specifically in the Deep South.

Globally, it is in North America,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once the territory of the Mississippian Culture,

one of the original Thirteen Colonies,

one of the Confederate States of America,

and the Antebellum South.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Wagon Travel (about 500 feet away, measured in a direct line); Patriot Departs to Ride with Marion (about 500 feet away); St. Mary Catholic Church (about 500 feet away); Elusive Francis Marion, 1780-1781

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(about 600 feet away); Siege of Fort Watson, April 16-23, 1781 (about 600 feet away); The Patriot and the Redcoat (about 700 feet away); Veterans Memorial (about 700 feet away); St. Mark A.M.E. (approx. 0.2 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Summerton.

Another marker is no longer nearby. Siege of Fort Watson (was about 600 feet away but has been replaced with another marker now near it).

Regarding Senn's Mill. Senn’s Grist Mill, Blacksmith Shop, and Orange Crush Bottling Plant is a small commercial complex comprised by three interconnected early twentieth-century buildings of similar size and construction that retains its historical appearance and character. Commercial activity at 3 Cantey Street began about 1903, when John G. Senn opened Senn’s Blacksmith Shop for business. Senn’s Grist Mill, Blacksmith Shop, and Orange Crush Bottling Plant played a role in the commercial development of Summerton, South Carolina, during the early twentieth century. The grist mill, ca. 1905, the most significant enterprise at the site, recently closed its doors after nearly a century of continuous operation. It is

Senn's Mill Marker, eastside view image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Mike Stroud, October 23, 2009

2. Senn's Mill Marker, eastside view

National Register of Historic Places : • Senn's Grist Mill--Blacksmith Shop--Orange Crush Bottling Plant (added 2000 - Building - #00000290) • 3 Cantey St., Summerton • Historic Significance: Event • Area of Significance: Commerce • Period of Significance: 1900-1924, 1925-1949 • Owner: Private • Historic Function: Agriculture/Subsistence, Commerce/Trade, Industry/Processing/Extraction • Historic Sub-function: Manufacturing Facility, Processing, Specialty Store • Current Function: Agriculture/Subsistence • Current Sub-function: Processing •

an outstanding example of the small independent grist mills that were commonplace in rural communities across the South in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. The blacksmith shop and bottling plant, ca. 1921, are typical of early twentieth-century light industrial buildings. Senn’s Grist Mill, Blacksmith Shop, and Orange Crush Bottling Plant occupies an important place in Summerton’s civic memory. In supplying the local agricultural sector with essential goods and services for nearly a century, each of the three enterprises at the site made significant contributions to the economic and social development of Summerton.

Senn's Mill southside view image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Mike Stroud, October 23, 2009

3. Senn's Mill southside view

Senn's Mill Marker, front view along North Cantey Street image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Mike Stroud, October 23, 2009

4. Senn's Mill Marker, front view along North Cantey Street

Senn's Mill, northside view image. Click for full size.

South Carolina Department of Archives and History, circa 2000

5. Senn's Mill, northside view

Senn's Grist Mill, Blacksmith Shop, and Orange Crush Bottling Plant, Right Elevation-Grist Mill

Senn's Grist Mill, Blacksmith Shop, and Orange Crush Bottling Plant, Facade Detail-Grist Mill image. Click for full size.

South Carolina Department of Archives and History, circa 2000

6. Senn's Grist Mill, Blacksmith Shop, and Orange Crush Bottling Plant, Facade Detail-Grist Mill

Credits. This page was last revised on May 28, 2026. It was originally submitted on November 19, 2009, by Mike Stroud of Bluffton, South Carolina. This page has been viewed 1,593 times since then and 47 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6. submitted on November 19, 2009, by Mike Stroud of Bluffton, South Carolina. • Syd Whittle was the editor who published this page.