Thomaston in Upson County, Georgia — The American South (South Atlantic)
Silvertown Historic Mill Village
Photographed by Mark Parker, January 7, 2025
1. Silvertown Historic Mill Village Marker
Inscription.
Silvertown Historic Mill Village. . In 1926, R.E. Hightower, Sr., of Thomaston Cotton Mills, helped secure a new mill to manufacture cotton tire cord for B.F. Goodrich Company (BFG). Named after Hightower's wife, Martha Mills solidified Thomaston's role in West Georgia's thriving textile industry. In 1929, BFG purchased Martha Mills and engaged renowned landscape architect and city planner Earle Sumner Draper and architectural and engineering firm Robert and Company to design a community for Martha Mills' employees. Named Silvertown after a line of BFG tires, Draper's design protected natural resources, created abundant open space, and incorporated plans for houses, schools, a community center, and churches. During World War II, Martha Mills produced much-needed materials for the war effort. In 1958 Silvertown was annexed into Thomaston. The Silvertown Historic District is listed in the National Register of Historic Places.
In 1926, R.E. Hightower, Sr., of Thomaston Cotton Mills, helped secure a new mill to
manufacture cotton tire cord for B.F. Goodrich Company (BFG). Named after Hightower's wife, Martha Mills solidified Thomaston's role in West Georgia's thriving textile industry. In 1929, BFG purchased Martha Mills and engaged renowned landscape architect and city planner Earle Sumner Draper and architectural and engineering firm Robert and Company to design a community for Martha Mills' employees. Named Silvertown after a line of BFG tires, Draper's design protected natural resources, created abundant open space, and incorporated plans for houses, schools, a community center, and churches. During World War II, Martha Mills produced much-needed materials for the war effort. In 1958 Silvertown was annexed into Thomaston. The Silvertown Historic District is listed in the National Register of Historic Places.
Erected 2021 by Georgia Historical Society, Thomaston-Upston Archives, Upson Historical Society, and Thomaston Upson Landmark Legacy (TULL). (Marker Number 145-1.)
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists:
Location. 32° 54.166′ N, 84° 19.778′ W. Marker is in Thomaston, Georgia, in Upson County. It is at the intersection of North Church Street (U.S. 19) and West Goodrich Avenue, on the right when traveling south on North Church Street. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 708 N Church St, Thomaston GA 30286, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in Georgia’s Piedmont. 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.
Credits. This page was last revised on January 10, 2025. It was originally submitted on January 9, 2025, by Mark Parker of Hickory, North Carolina. This page has been viewed 366 times since then and 46 times this year. Photos:1, 2, 3. submitted on January 9, 2025, by Mark Parker of Hickory, North Carolina. • Bernard Fisher was the editor who published this page.
