There are dozens of old, empty textile mills dotting the South. From the collapse of Reconstruction in the late 19th C through the beginnings of globalization following World War II in the mid 20th C, textile mills and the mill villages that surrounded them were a signature of Southern culture. Many of these massive, solidly built places are being repurposed by developers. Mindful of their heritage and what these old mills mean to the local communities, many builders are being careful in their renovations to preserve the old character even while installing new residential and commercial spaces.

I took these pictures in the more than 100 year-old offices of a former mill that’s been mostly vacant for the past 40 years. They are quiet spaces, nearly empty of activity (preliminary renovation had begun).  Soft natural light drifting in through large windows. An amazing variety of subtle colors wash across the vacant walls. Rooms and alcoves and hallways that have no windows to the outside rest in deep shadows. Here and there reflected light from brighter rooms seeps in. The ghosts of past activity are long gone and a quiet waiting seems to have set in.