Poe Mill Thriving_Part 1: Fall 2023 Fluid/International Studio
POE MILL THRIVING
RESILIENT NEIGHBORHOOD DEVELOPMENT WITHIN GREENVILLE’S TEXTILE CRESCENT FALL 2023 FLUID STUDIO | CLEMSON UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF ARCHITECTURE + TECHNISCHE
CONTENTS
SECTION 1| Overview + Research pp 4-93
STUDIO AND PROJECT OVERVIEW 4-23
GREENVILLE’S TEXTILE CRESCENT - FIVE COMMUNITY CASE-STUDIES 24-39
LEARNING FROM POE MILL - RESEARCH & ANALYSIS 40-93
The Upstate of South Carolina was once the center of the nation’s textile industry. In 1930, Greenville was home to 16 cotton mills and two bleacheries, all within three miles of the town’s center. This string of sites came to be known as the “Textile Crescent”. The majority of these plants closed their doors during the last fifty years, leaving behind a network of mill villages without their economic engines. More recently, several of the sites have been redeveloped into popular residential, retail and entertainment centers. Currently, the Poe Mill neighborhood stands as an exception to this trend, but profiteering development, gentrification and displacement are threats which require careful and creative planning.
This studio examined alternative forms of redevelopment and reinvestment within former textile communities through the lens of Poe Mill. The studio began by researching five former mill neighborhoods from across Greenville’s textile crescent before applying these tools of analysis and interpretation to Poe Mill. Drawing from contemporary readings and case-studies relating to anti-displacement strategies, as well as site visits and conversations with neighborhood leaders and stakeholders, students worked in teams to develop phased master plans and programming concepts to address overarching themes of: Identity; Community Health and Well-being; Social Equity; Education; Economic Opportunity; Affordable
and Sustainable Housing; Community Resilience; and more. Working from the master plans, students divided up to design specific buildings and sites across the range of proposed programs and locations within the Poe Mill neighborhood.
Additionally, throughout the semester, the studio formed a unique collaboration with architecture students and faculty in the “international studio” at the Augsburg Technical University of Applied Sciences in Augsburg, Germany, which is, itself, a former textile capital in Europe.
In all of this, we learned much about the Poe Mill neighborhood of Greenville, its unique qualities and opportunities, and also its similarities to the other former mill villages that comprise the “Textile Crescent” of Greenville County. We studied with a critical eye the development pressures that these neighborhoods are facing, and thought with optimism about revitalization strategies, programming and infrastructure (physical and social) that may present holistic and lasting value to the Poe Mill community and communities like it.
Continued are the more detailed assignments for each of the stepped phases of our study.
1.1 TEXTILE CRESCENT RESEARCH – FIVE MILL COMMUNITIES (08.25.23 – 08.30.23)
Let us begin with a broader study of Greenville County’s “Textile Crescent”, the related history of textile mills and mill villages in the region, and the evolution of these communities during and since the operation of the mills themselves. As vehicles for this study, we will select and closely examine five specific mill communities from among those that comprised the Textile Crescent. They are: Brandon Mill; Dunean Mill; Judson Mill; Mills Mill; and Monaghan Mill.
Through these specific lenses we will work learn about the founding of the mills and the construction and composition of the mill “villages.” Who were the mill workers? What sorts of buildings and uses characterized the mill villages? What were the typical features of the houses? What were the positives and negatives of this paternalistic arrangement?
We will learn about how these communities evolved through the mid20th century and, then, how they lived on following the closure of the mills in the 1970’s, 80’s and 90’s. Finally, we will look at the current state
of affairs, the demographics, the institutional and social fabric, outside development pressures, property values, and the threats of gentrification and displacement.
For this phase, the studio will be divided into five teams of three students each in order to study each of the five representative mill communities.
Some key Readings and Resources for Phase 1.1 include:
• Jamieson, Claire E. Change in the Textile Mill Villages of South Carolina’s Upstate During the Modern South Era. University of Tennessee Thesis, 2010.
• Real Property Services, Greenville County, SC. https://www.greenvillecounty.org/appsas400/RealProperty/
• 2020 U.S. Census. https://www.census.gov/data.html
1.2 POE MILL ANALYSIS (08.30.23 –
09.15.23)*
*INCLUDED FIRST SITE VISIT TO POE MILL ON 09/01/23
Using our methods and tools of analysis, as leveraged in our previous study of five neighboring communities from around Greenville’s Textile Crescent, we will now turn our focus onto Poe Mill. This will help prepare us for our first site visit and equip us to interpret what we see and hear, to make connections, and to draw distinctions. We want to do our best to get to know the place through research, as well as through the personal impressions and interactions we will have. For this phase, we will work together as an entire group (15 students).
Below is a (partial) list of suggested research topics to help frame our Poe Mill site and context analysis. Broadly speaking, this research and analysis will help lay the groundwork for interpreting and addressing the overarching themes of: Identity; Community Health and Well-Being; Social Equity; Education; Economic Opportunity; Affordable and Sustainable Housing; Community Resilience; and more.
∙ Poe Mill History
∙ Poe Mill Residents (incl. Demographics; Voices and Stories from the Neighborhood)
∙ Physical Features (incl. Figure Ground / Village Layout Then and Now; Building Types / Uses; Housing Types, Styles & Conditions; Open Spaces & Conditions; Colors, Materials, Textures; Vegetation; Topography)
∙ Climate / Environment
∙ Immediate and Surrounding Context (incl. Boundary Conditions; Goods & Services; Cultural / Recreational Amenities; Key Institutions and Non-Profit Organizations; Nearby Schools and Related School Zoning; Industry / Employment Opportunities; Mobility; Zoning Overlay
∙ Documented Development Pressures
In conjunction with this research and our upcoming site visit, we will want to think about the STRENGTHS, WEAKNESSES, OPPORTUNITIES and THREATS (S.W.O.T.) present or pending for the Poe Mill community.
Key Readings and Resources for Phase 1.2 include:
• Jeffers, Rashida. Poe Mill Housing Revitalization Strategy Greenville County, SC. Clemson University Thesis, 2009.
• Real Property Services, Greenville County, SC. https://www.greenvillecounty.org/appsas400/RealProperty/
• 2020 U.S. Census. https://www.census.gov/data.html
Building upon the research captured in Parts 1.1 (Textile Crescent Analysis) and 1.2 (Poe Mill Analysis), as well as our knowledge of Rashida Jeffers’ Poe Mill neighborhood study and other supportive literature on antidisplacement strategies, we will turn our attention to programming concepts and master planning for the Poe Mill neighborhood. For this phase, we will work in teams of 4-6 students to prepare three master plans. These master plans will then serve as foundations for building concepts and designs in the upcoming stages.
Each team’s master plan must:
∙ include a sub-master plan for the site of the former Poe Mill
∙ include concepts for infill housing (drawing upon the literature related to “middle housing”)
∙ reference and build upon Rashida Jeffers’ 2009 study
∙ critically and thoughtfully address the topics of social, economic and environmental sustainability and resiliency
As a framework for these next steps, refer to the list of potential program areas (shown below) which we have discussed as a Studio. This range of programs stemmed from our background research, related case studies and other readings, and we feel that they can leveraged to address our overarching themes of: Identity; Community Health and Well-Being; Social Equity; Education; Economic Opportunity; Affordable and Sustainable Housing; Community Resilience; and more.
∙new infill housing addressing needs for density and affordability
(could be single-family detached, single-family attached, cohousing, clustered housing, or other)
∙new multi-family housing addressing needs for density and affordability (could involve mixed-use programming)
∙ Commercial
∙live / work concepts
∙small businesses (whether in existing structures or in new structures; whether for established renters or as incubator)
∙ Job Training and Job Creation
∙potential synergies in the areas of construction, manufacturing, clean/renewable energy (with applications in Poe Mill, other mill communities, and beyond)
∙potential for new industry
∙potential partnerships with educational institutions (Greenville Tech, for example) and/or other non-profits
∙ Community Programs / Public Services
∙notion of a community resource center
∙job center
∙food market / grocery
∙community kitchen
∙recreation
∙parks + green spaces
∙gardens + urban farming
∙child care / education
∙community “tool shed”
∙ Green mobility infrastructure
Some key Readings and Resources for Phase 2 include:
• Jeffers, Rashida. Poe Mill Housing Revitalization Strategy Greenville County, SC. Clemson University Thesis, 2009.
• GVL 2040: Comprehensive Plan for Greenville, SC. 2020.
• Dorazio, Justin. Localized Anti-Displacement Policies: Ways to Combat Gentrification and the Lack of Affordable Housing. Center for American Progress. 2022.
Tour of Clemson’s Andy Quattlebaum Outdoor Education Center (example of contemporary mass timber construction)
3 CONCEPTUAL + SCHEMATIC DESIGN OF SELECT BUILDINGS FROM THE PRECEDING POE MILL MASTER PLANS
(10.06.23 – 11.10.23)*
*INCLUDED AUGSBURG GROUP VISIT (10.25.23 – 11.03.23) AND SECOND SITE VISIT TO POE MILL (10.28.23)
Working from the neighborhood master plans proposed in phase 2, students will now select individual buildings (and their programs) suggested by their respective master plans, and develop architectural and site designs for those specific buildings. Students will work individually or in pairs from this point forward, but they will also maintain coordination and cohesion with the other buildings / programs being developed across their larger master plan teams. Students will gather and work in reference to relevant precedent studies, while thinking about program fluidity / hybridity and adaptability. Careful consideration should be given to sustainable and resilient design throughout, helping to reduce energy consumption and related costs while promoting health and ecological mindfulness.
It is during this phase that we will welcome the visiting graduate students and faculty from the Augsburg Technical University of Applied Sciences. We will first introduce them to the Poe Mill neighborhood by presenting (via teleconference) our Phase 2 research and related analyses. Following this introduction, the Augsburg studio will begin examining their own city’s textile history and heritage. They will present these findings to us during their two-week visit to Greenville / Clemson. Subsequently, they will visit the Poe Mill neighborhood with us and begin to formulate their own sub-master plans and related designs, focusing on the mill site itself and the adjacent properties.
4 DESIGN DEVELOPMENT – EMPHASIZING SUSTAINABLE WOOD AND TIMBER
CONSTRUCTION SYSTEMS (11.13.23 – 12.08.23)*
*INCLUDED FINAL STUDIO PRESENTATIONS ON 12.08.23
Phase 4 entails further development of the designs for individual buildings within the group master plans. This will include structural and tectonic resolution, and special emphasis will be directed toward the use of wood and timber systems. The choice to utilize timber reflects a commitment to building with renewable, low-carbon materials which are locally / regionally-sourced and deeply engrained in our state’s past and its economic present and future. It also invites thinking about construction technologies, prefabricated assemblies, and potential programmatic synergies in the areas of skill-building and workforce development.
Students will present their final design proposals on Friday, December 8th.
PROJECT SUPPORTERS FROM THE POE MILL COMMUNITY
Poe Mill Neighborhood Association President
Resident and Author of 2009 Poe Mill Revitalization Plan
KWADJO CAMPBELL
MITCH MILLER Pastor of Griggs Church
RASHIDA JEFFERS-CAMPBELL
COLLABORATING ARCHITECTURE FACULTY FROM THE AUGSBURG TECHNICAL UNIVERISTY OF APPLIED SCIENCES
Prof. Dipl.-Ing.
Prof. Dipl.-Ing.
SUSANNE GAMPFER
WOLFGANG HUSS
SNAPSHOTS FROM THE SEMESTER
STORIES FROM THE POE MILL NEIGHBORHOOD
First meeting with Pastor Mitch Miller at Griggs Church | 09.01.23
MILL NEIGHBORHOOD DIY Skatepark on the former mill site
POE
POE MILL Historic Marker
POE MILL NEIGHBORHOOD
Scenes from the neighborhood
A. Historic Poe Mill Structure (formerly the mill store and offices)
B. Neighborhood Houses (single story saltbox)
C. Neighborhood House
D. Neighborhood Houses (two-story saltbox)
E. Vacant Commercial Building
F. Siddhi Food Mart (corner of Hammett St. and Goldsmith St.)
G. Ministry Park (River of Life Church, 3rd Ave.)
H. Mountain Goat Coffee (Shaw St.)
I. Soteria Community Development (Shaw St. | Mural by Adam Schrimmer)
MASTERPLAN CHARRETTE
With Mitch Miller and Kwadjo Campbell | 10.27.2023
AUGSBURG STUDENTS AT WORK IN LEE HALL III Initial Master Plan Studies | 10.26.23
STUDENT PRESENTATIONS
Augsburg Students in Clemson | 10.30.2023
Clemson + Augsburg Students
TOUR OF LEE HALL III GREEN ROOF
Lee Hall +Zoom | 12.08.23
INTRODUCTION TO THE TEXTILE CRESCENT
Greenville’s Textile Crescent developed in response to a range of forces, including industry, culture and climate. These influences were regional and global, and before zooming into the specifics of Upstate, South Carolina, it is important to think further back and recognize that the cotton grown and harvested in the southeast came at hands of enslaved and exploited laborers and also carried profoundly harmful ecological impacts.
ALABAMA
APPALACHIAN MOUNTAINS
VIRGINIA
NORTH CAROLINA
LOWCOUNTRY
GEORGIA
ATLANTA
BRANDON MILL MONAGHAN MILL
CENTRAL BUSINESS DISTRICT
JUDSON MILL
GREENVILLE ZOO UNITY PARK
FALLS PARK
RUNAWAY PARK
PHASE 1.1 - FIVE MILL COMMUNITIES
CASE STUDIES FROM THE TEXTILE CRESCENT
To begin the work with a thorough understanding of architectural, historical, and economic themes affecting mill communities, the studio selected five mill communities across the Upstate as lenses for initial research and analysis.
BRANDON MILL
SUMMARY
Brandon Mill, now the West Village Lofts, is a historic textile mill complex just west of Greenville, South Carolina. The mill is a large, commercial-style brick building with hundreds of windows dominates the 9.5 acre site. The GCCA inside Brandon Mills is the central hub supporting many of the surrounding residents and other local studios in the Greenville area today. It has been exciting to see how much art has played such a pivotal role in revitalizing the Greenville context as it continues to grow. There are still current struggles in the Brandon Mill area, such as rising property values that can have both negative and positive outcomes, and how mental healthcare access, particularly among uninsured and low-income residents, is still a priority, as it has been in the past.
$76,300 MEDIAN VALUE OF OWNER OCCUPIED HOMES
$40,268 MEDIAN HOUSEHOLD INCOME
MILL CUT HOURS AND CONTINUE TO PAY WORKERS DURING THE US TEXTILE WORKER’S STRIKE OF 1934 MILL CLOSES IN 1977
BRANDON MILL
THE MILL TODAY
The Brandon Mill, a historic textile mill located in Greenville, has been transformed into the West Village Lofts. Originally constructed in the late 19th century, the Brandon Mill played a significant role in Greenville's textile industry history. Now, it has been repurposed into loft-style apartments, preserving the building's industrial heritage while offering modern amenities for its residents.
These loft-style apartments typically feature high ceilings, exposed brick walls, large windows, and open floor plans, which are characteristic of repurposed industrial buildings. This blend of historical architecture with contemporary living spaces has been a popular trend in many cities, including Greenville, as it preserves the character of the past while meeting the housing needs of the present.
# 186 APARTMENTS
S $1,885-$3,735 AVERAGE APARTMENT RENT
DUNEAN MILL
SUMMARY
Established in 1912, Dunean Mill is located between Mills Avenue and Highway 81, along Hutchins Street. The Mill Village extends from Brushy Creek down to West Faris Road. This mill and it’s village flourished together from it’s establishment until the 1950’s when the mill and village started to operate independently. Unlike many of the other mills established around this time, Dunean mill is still operating today. The neighborhood has still seen a strong sense of community since it’s separation from the mill, and has also seen a relatively stable economic status.
$117,200 MEDIAN VALUE OF OWNER OCCUPIED HOMES
EXPANSION IN 1920 TO INCLUDE STORE, SCHOOL, AND CHURCHES
1950’S MILL AND VILLAGE START TO OPERATE INDEPENDENTLY
$38,074 MEDIAN HOUSEHOLD INCOME
DUNEAN
DUNEAN MILL
THE MILL TODAY
Dunean mill still operates in it’s original location, but is fully autonomous from the community. The mill has been home to Safety Components Manufacturing facility since 1997. Safety Components Manufacturing produces textiles for military, first responder, and outdoor use. The company’s mission is to create innovative textiles that are strong and of high quality.
800,000 SQUARE FOOT FACILITY
1997 SAFETY COMPONENTS OCCUPIES DUNEAN MILL
MILL RENAMED IN 1913 TO JUDSON MILL AND LATER BECAME A DIVISION OF MILLIKEN & COMPANY IN 1960
JUDSON MILL
SUMMARY
Westervelt Mills opened in 1912 with 75 electrified homes. It was later renamed Judson Mill in 1913 after a Furman Professor. The Mill Community grew to have its own schools, churches, social clubs and more. While Judson Mill was a tight knit community, there may have been paternalistic treatment by owners. During WWI, strikes broke out, leading many to be fired. Even still, Judson went on to be the 1st southern mill to produce rayon fabric and grew to be one of the largest mills in the county. Even with its successes, the 565 properties were sold by Milliken in 1939. By 1960, Judson became a division of Milliken & Company and by 2015 the mill closed.
$73,400 MEDIAN VALUE OF OWNER OCCUPIED HOMES
$35,972 MEDIAN HOUSEHOLD INCOME
JUDSON MILL LOFTS EST. 2023
EST. 1912 BY WESTERVELT
JUDSON MILL
THE MILL TODAY
The Judson Mill has been renovated into many uses. These include The Judson Loft apartments, event spaces named ‘The Annex’ and ‘The Smokestack’, and a rentable office space in the space that previously held the Spinning Jennys / Cotton Jens. The Warehouse was transformed into BlocHaven Climbing and the Westervelt Wing is currently being turned into a storefront for shops and restaurants. Nearby is the Hollis Academy and YMCA Community Center. Hollis focuses on getting students literate at an early age, and early intervention for children who are falling behind. The YMCA Community Center is a combination of regular YMCA programming (classes, a gym room, and pool) as well as housing community resources such as childcare.
204 APARTMENTS
S $1,825 AVERAGE APARTMENT RENT
MILLS MILL
THE MILL TODAY
The location of the Mill adjacent to Interstate 185 and Greenville Memorial Hospital made it a valuable landmark. In 1982, the mill was listed on the National Register and from 1979 to 1996 the mill was used as a YMCA.
In 2004 the mill was converted to 108 living spaces. The loft boasts about their 16 foot ceilings, 9 foot windows, original brick walls, and other original mill equipment that remains in the building.
In addition, the mill offers gated parking, an indoor workout room, a community pool, a rooftop deck, and a dog park. The lofts typically range from $235,000 to $500,000 and consist of 1 bedroom and 1 bathroom to 2 bedroom and 2 bathrooms. The size of the lofts range from 700sqft to 1,600sqft.
108 CONDOS
S $454,000 AVERAGE COST OF CONDO
MONAGHAN MILL
SUMMARY
Monaghan Mill and village were established in 1900 by cousins Lewis Parker and Thomas Parker. Located on 325 acres along the Reedy River, the mill was designed by the firm of Lockwood, Greene, and Co with the help of landscape architect Harlan Kelsey. From the beginning, the Parker’s goal was to make Monaghan a model of “enlightened paternalism and self-sufficiency” providing water, electricity, schools, a medical clinic, boarding house, and the first industrial YMCA in the south. The mill eventually closed in 2001, reaching its 100th anniversary and was then redeveloped into upscale apartments in 2004, now known as the Lofts of Greenville.
$51,422 MEDIAN VALUE OF OWNER OCCUPIED HOMES
$36,136 MEDIAN HOUSEHOLD INCOME
CREATION OF SCHOOLS & RECREATIONAL FACILITIES IN 1915
EST. 1900 BY LEWIS & THOMAS PARKER
1.2 - LEARNING FROM POE MILL RESEARCH AND COMMUNITY CONTEXT
The following section contains a comprehensive presentation of the site and context analysis that the studio completed while research the Poe Mill Neighborhood itself.
POE MILL THRIVING
APPALACHIAN MOUNTAINS
Uniquely, South Carolina was the only colony of the original 13 to practice a planterʼs economy beginning. The majority of enslaved Africans in America passed through Charleston in the Lowcountry of South Carolina
After the invention of the cotton gin in 1793, cotton plantations became more common throughout South Carolina to support the growing mill industry. Because mills relied on steam power and infrastructure to transport textiles, mills were established in the Upstate, recruiting workers from the region of Appalachia
“The practices pushed Black residents into neighborhoods that as a rule enjoyed far less public investment and became hotbeds for unfavorable development, such as landfills, industrial sites and railroad tracks. They also had less access to jobs, healthcare and transportation. As a result, property values in those communities declined, creating a cycle of blight and poverty at a time when the average values of homes across the country consistently increased.“
DE JURE SEGREGATION
“in practice” segregation that becomes embedded in social customs and institutions
“by law” segregation that is licensed by law
GUIDING RESEARCH
Community Development Planner
Rashida Jeffers Campbell
“
Some of our longest members used to live in Poe Mill. So we have members who have been here for like 45 years. Now they live in Easley and drive in for church to where they always went as a kid, at our church.
-
Pastor Mitch Miller
“
A LIVING HISTORY
HISTORIES STITCHED
HISTORIES STITCHED
WHITE MILL VILLAGES
• Segregated towns
• Industry vs craft
• Erasure
• Towns founded by slaves
• Paternalism
• Displacement
• Supremacy
• Community Centers TRENDS
HISTORIES STITCHED
JUDSON MILL x STERLING
HISTORIES STITCHED
JUDSON MILL
THE STERLING COMMUNITY
x The son of former slaves, and born into slavery Reverend Minus was supported by philanthropist Mrs. E.R. Sterling, for whom the school and later the neighborhood were named. Sterling High School was ultimately adopted by the public school system, a new and prominent building was built, and it became a center of educational, social, and spiritual life in the community and neighborhood.
In modern years, public art has given the community resources to rally around. Partnering with the Upstate Heritage Quilt Trail program, the Clemson Landscape Architecture Program used the inspiration of several historic quilts from community residents that were reproduced as durable, oversized panels that are permanently affixed to the Sterling Community Center building
Daniele Melton Minus establishes Sterling High
Benjamin Bruton, a mulatto freedman, bought 1.75 acres here in 1874. He built a house and blacksmith shop, labeled "Bruton's Shop" on Kyser's 1882 map of Greenville County. Other blacks, a few of them tradesmen like Bruton but most tenant farmers, soon moved to this area. By 1880 sixty African-American families lived here. Bruton’s Shop, a blacksmith forge, was a landmark at the time and popular destination for this then rural community. ERASURE OF BLACKSMITH HISTORY
HISTORIES STITCHED
JUDSON MILL DEED
JUDSON MILL COMMUNITY 1912
JUDSON MILL COMMUNITY POST WWII
JUDSON MILL DEED
JUDSON MILL COMMUNITY 1912
JUDSON MILL COMMUNITY POST WWII
JUDSON MILL DEED
JUDSON MILL COMMUNITY 1912
JUDSON MILL COMMUNITY POST WWII
time
JOSEPH SIRRINE THE MILL AND VILLAGE WERE LAID OUT BY J.E. SIRRINE ON HIS FIRST ASSIGNMENT OF LOCKWOOD, GREENE, AND COMPANY.
1820
Pelham Mill is the first textile mill in the Greenville area.
1896
community foundation
THE GREAT DEPRESSION MILLS AROUND GREENVILLE ADAPTED MORE INDUSTRIALIZED TEXTILE PRODUCTION PROCESSES AND CUT WORKER HOURS.
1901
Electric track trolley links Poe Mill Village to Main St.
1902
1907
1920s
Edwards and Walter of Columbia leading school architects in the state built a graded school and a “union” church
Francis W. Poe establisheds F.W. Poe Manufacturing and Poe Mill begins Production capacities expand to 61,312 Spindles and 1,520 Looms. A society hall ins
Poe Mill has a full-time athletic director and a baseball field. There was a community swimming pool and
1929 Production “stretch-out” causes unrest among mill workers and strikes.
THE NEIGHBORHOOD ELY & WALKER AIMED TO GET RID OF THE UPKEEP, STREET REPAIR, SECURITY, AND RECREATION OF THE POE MILL NEIGHBORHOOD.
2003 FIRE THE MILL'S LINSEED OILSATURATED WOOD MEANT THE FIRE SPREAD QUICKLY.
community decentralization
1934
National Guard troops and machine guns stationed at Poe Mill during the General Textile Strike.
1941-45
Poe Mill produces duck cloth for the armed forces during the war. Profits increase.
Poe Mill and its 238 houses were sold in 1947, to Ely & Walker Company.
1950
Ely & Walker sell the mill village homes, allowing workers to be home owners.
The Mill was sold again in 1954 by Ely & Walker Company to Burlington Industries.
Poe Mill is closed.
The mill deteriorated after it was abandoned, with squatters littering the grounds with broken beer bottles and setting fires inside to keep themselves warm.
1990
American Spinning Company closes. Poe Mill is tagged by the Greenville County Redevelopment Authority for major improvements.
Poe Mill burns.
POE MILL HISTORY
THE SKATE PARK THE SKATE PARK HAS NOT BEEN ABLE TO RECIEVE THE PROPER FUNDS FROM GCRA IN ORDER TO ESTABLISH AN OFFICIAL PARK, BUT RECIEVES PERMISSION TO CONTINUE USE OF THE SITE.
2004
As early as 2004, the site of the old mill building becomes the site of a makeshift skate park.
2009
Rashida Jeffers publishes the Poe Mill Revitalization Strategy as part of her Master of City and Regional Planning thesis from Clemson University.
2010
Greenville County Redevelopment Authority purchases the Poe Mill Site. Clemson LARC students plan a proposal for a public park.
KWADJO CAMPBELL AS PRESIDENT OF THE POE MILL NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION, CAMPBELL HAS EMPHASIZED EQUITY AND ACTIVISM.
community reinvention
2015
Griggs Church revitalizes. Named in the 90s after David Griggs who was a beloved member of the church and community.
2019 2021
Contour Companies acquires the American Spinning Company building.
2023
Contour Companies acquires the site of the old Poe Mill building. Plans are established to transform the site into "The Village at Poe Mill."
2024
Poe Mill housing fair through partnership with Poe Mill Neighborhood association and Griggs Church.
United Housing Connections to break ground on $9.9 million Church Street Place at Poe Mill.
POE MILL HISTORY
Kwadjo Campbell President of the Poe Mill Neighborhood Association
Community Development Planner
DEMOGRAPHICS
98% OF FOREIGN BORN POPULATION IS FROM LATIN AMERICA
DEMOGRAPHICS
HOUSING DATA
$69,500 MEDIAN PROPERTY VALUE IN 2021 65% OF OWNER OCCUPIED UNITS ARE VALUED UNDER $100K 36% OF OWNER OCCUPIED UNITS ARE VALUED BETWEEN $100K-$200K 78% OF OCCUPANTS REMAINED IN THE SAME HOUSE AS THE PREVIOUS YEAR
POE MILL OPENS
AGRIBUSINESS
DISTRIBUTION & LOGISTICS
Success of MIlls in the upstate relied on two pieces of infrastructure: proximity to moving water for steam power and proximity to railroads for distribution.
In 2003 Poe Mill Burns down preventing interventions for adaptive reuse interventions.
MILLS & MANUFACTURING AGRICULTURAL BIOTECHNOLOGY
Cotton, cultivated through the labor of enslaved Africans and later and by the 1900s sharecroppers, was processed in the Upstate of South Carolina to later be shipped to the New England and England for textile manufacturing.
CORPORATE OFFICES
HIGH-TECH MANUFACTURING LOGISTICS
When the mill closed, not only did the
With the establishment of Poe Mill came other community resources like housing and a general store
NORTH MAIN
MILL
CENTRAL BUSINESS DISTRICT
ZOO
RUNAWAY PARK
THE QUESTION OF REDEVELOPMENT
Greenville and the surrounding areas have undergone rapid development in the last 20 years. Due to the mill building burning down in 2003, Poe Mill has not been a subject of redevelopment until recent years.
GREENVILLE
TIMMONS PARK
NICHOLTOWN
LEGACY PARK
BRANDON MILL
MONAGHAN
JUDSON MILL
DUNEAN MILL
PROPOSED DEVELOPMENT
HAMPTON
Formerly Monaghan Mill
HAMPTON STATION
“ “ Park Place was right outside of Poe Mill. These days, most people just call the whole thing Poe Mill. That’s what we do. I’m pretty sure official maps wouldn’t, but we do. So it’s all Poe Mill now technically.
- Pastor Mitch Miller
EXISTING CONDITIONS
Sunrise: 7:42am Sunset: 8:07pm UV is highest from 1-3pm
The best times of year to visit Greenville for general outdoor tourist activities are from early May to early June and from late August to mid October, with a peak score in the third week of September. Best Time to Visit
IMPACT
Greenville has major risk from heat. This is due to 100% of homes in Greenville have a Major Heat Factor.
INTERVENTIONS
Post-Impact: Create new urban greenspaces, replacing asphalt with less absorbent materials, and funding cool roof initiatives
In-situ: Setting up cooling centers, protecting energy systems, and checking on vulnerable residents
Average maximum wind speeds in Greenville are higher now than they were 30 years ago, and 100% of homes in Greenville have at least some risk. This risk however is still very low
Flooding can also cut off access to utilities, emergency services, transportation, and may impact the overall economic well-being of an area. Overall, Greenville has a moderate risk of flooding over the next 30 years, which means flooding is likely to impact day-to-day life within the community.
Pre-Impact: Planting trees and building wind barriers can help reduce wind speed and force and improving building design can help reduce damage.
Post-Impact: Building back damaged or destroyed buildings and infrastructure with higher codes can help prepare for future events.
Resilience Strategies: Resilience measures are community-wide, non-structural strategies that help people bounce back more quickly after floods.
AST. 1STAVE2NDAVE3RDAVE4THAVE5THAVE6THST.
Solar Panels
Grid lines fixated South West for the majority of sunlight to pass and hit the side of the facade. Only two homes in the neighborhood showcase the use of solar panels. Solar panels are a great way to reduce electricity costs while benefiting the environment. However, another primary benefit of installing solar panels on your property is their ability to increase the home’s overall value. Various factors, such as the propertyʼs location, energy savings and the general appeal of solar energy to potential buyers, can influence the extent of this value increase.
1 Address: 503 4th Avenue 2 Address: 215 A Street
Road Scale: 2 Lane Roads
Boundaries
(F)- Fluid boundaries imply that these borders are not fixed or rigid but can change, expand, or contract over time, often in response to evolving circumstances, needs, or external influences
(S)- Soft boundaries describe communities with less rigid, more fluid, and permeable borders. These communities often exhibit a degree of flexibility in membership and may allow for greater interaction with external groups.
(H)- Hard boundaries refer to communities with clearly defined, rigid, and distinct borders. These borders are typically physical, legal, or cultural in nature and serve to demarcate the community from its surroundings.
POINSETT
TALLEY ST HAMMETT ST
Looking towards American Spinning Mill
SITE BOUNDARIES
When a small community experiences a major circulation cutoff due to barriers created by neighboring development, such as the American Spinning Mill project, it can lead to several specific issues, including:
Limited Access
Economic Impact
Traffic Congestion
Business Disruption
Emergency Response Delays
SHAW ST
Community Cohesion
Public Services
Long-Term Planning
Looking towards Hammett St.
Poe Mill Neighborhood Sectional Profile
The topography of Poe Mill varies between 1018 feet and 950 feet above sea level.
Areas at risk for flooding are localized around the creek behind the previous mill site. The landscape spikes briefly where the railway parrallels the creek, creating a potential barrier from the creek flooding.
Flooding : At Risk Areas
Conclusion : Analysis & Mitigations
Flood resistant plantings such as native wild grasses can minimize flooding impact
The Church At the highest elevation on site, the Poe Baptist Church sits atop a gradual hill extending to the previous mill site.
Mill Vegetation & Landscape
Landscaping: Existing and Suggested Plans
The existing skatepark is surrounded by vegetated overgrown land of the previous mill site. Previous suggestions (Rashida Jeffers Campbell) proposed this land (Zone 1) being transformed into an official public skatepark/community garden space for the neighborhood.
Skatepark & Zone 1 Church Garden & Zone 2
the two major churches in Poe Mill contains a small community
public park, the only park in Poe Mill. Many other properties within the community are open unused greenspaces that have the potential for landscape/community space developement (Zone 2).
Sidewalk Conditions
After digging into Rashida Jeffersʼ Thesis, it became clear that although the proximity of public transit is convenient, practical usage of sidewalks in the neighborhood is not ideal. Since 2009, even more sidewalks have needed significant repair, or have become overgrown and are no longer available for residents. POOR
2009 SIDEWALK CONDITIONS POOR
UNAVAILABLE
2023 SIDEWALK CONDITIONS
UNAVAILABLE
RESTORED
Poe Mill Skatepark
Sidewalk Conditions
Here you can see in plan and section a simpler diagram of the areas that need improved accessibility and areas that haven been recently repaving. I find it interesting that the areas closest to the mill site need the most attention, versus the areas closest to the highway. Even the newest sidewalks are realistically too narrow for more than one person to comfortable walk side-by-side.
Future Sidewalk Conditions
AREAS TO REMAIN AREAS TO IMPROVE
Although these are major roads, it would be beneficial to ADD SIDEWALKS, improving ACCESSIBILITY FOR RESIDENTS who need to use the nearby bus system parallel to Conyers St.
Almost 20% of the population in Poe Mill are RETIREMENT AGE or OLDER - which is a significant number considering the poor conditions of the sidewalks in the area and distance to the bus stop.
Typical Street Condition
BOUNDARY: GREENVILLE COUNTY & CITY OF GREENVILLE
PoeMillBoundary
“Mixed-Residential”
CityofGreenville
Greenville County
GVL2040 Greenville Comprehensive Plan
Re-zone from R-7.5 to RH Districts “House Scale”
Greenville County
14YRIMPROVEMENT OWNERSHIP
COMMON TRAITS
Mill homes are typically stick framed construction. The saltbox style was brought down from northern mill towns to no inherent benefit, but southern porches were added on. Also common in southern mill houses were brick walled crawl spaces, elevating the home and separating the floor from the moisture of the earth.
HOUSING STYLE
ANALYSIS
As seen in other mill villages, new construction drives up property values, walkability is poor in most home locations, and most housing improvements or repairs occurred with ownership. Poe Mill is susceptible to gentrification, in need of updated infrastructure, and its residents and leaders care about improving their homes and community.
POTENTIAL
Poe Mill’s approach to housing rehabilitation and creation is paramount to its revitalization, and should be intentional and inclusive. The existing architectural language should be the starting point of future designs here, and is formally simplistic enough to employ common digital fabrication techniques across multiple projects. The mill site should incorporate in its program a hands-on materials lab that gives interested Poe Mill community members the tools they need to get involved in a streamlined construction process to improve their homes when needed. Further, new housing should be designed to be modular or scalable in order to adapt this construction process to both the large mill site and smaller properties alike.
HOUSING ANALYSIS
1. 249 A St
- Single Family Residential
2. 218A St
- Single Family
Residential
- $160,000 - .96 Acres, can be divided
3. 1130 B St
- Single Family
Residential
- $169,000 - .98 Acres, can be divided 4 5 6 7 9 8
6. 1240 1st Ave - Single FamilY Residential - $ 7,100 - .11 Acres
7. 178 D St - Single Family Residential - $27,550 - .11 Acres
- $150,000 - .84 Acres, can be divided
4. 1236 1st Ave
- Single Family
Residential
- $19,000 - .34 Acres
5. 1238 1st Ave
- Single Family
Residential - $9,5000 - .17 Acres
8. 305 D St - Single Family Residential - $7,100 - .14 acres
9. 301 D St - Single Family Residential - $7,100 - .21 acres 1 2 3
“ “
We need to make it so that they do have a job if they wanna work at that store. We do need to make it nice. Nobody wants it to not be nice, but it does also need to be accessible, and that’s the hard balance because whoever’s doing this typically, unless it’s a church setting or non-profit setting, is trying to make some sort of profit off of it.
- Pastor Mitch Miller
ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS
School Information:
Summit Drive Elementary Subject Proficiency
CHERRYDALE
SUMMIT DRIVE
Cherrydale Elementary Subject Proficiency
Other School Opportunities:
Legacy Early College: Free public Charter school offering K4-12th grade.
- 94% graduation rate - 1:1 technology/scholars ratio
- graduates receive a $1,000 for college
Milton Academy Home School Resource Center
- courses taught from a biblical view
STONE ACADEMY
Poe Mill Neighborhood: Elementary Schools
Title I Elementary Schools in Greenville Area
The above highlighted areas are the districts of Title I Elementary Schools in the Greenville area.
School Information:
MIDDLE SCHOOLS
Communities in Schools: South Carolina
Behavioral support through one-on-one relationships
Schoolwork help through tutors and study groups
Parental
Graduation success and preparation through career fairs and college visits to show students the endless possibilities
LEAGUE ACADEMY LAKEVIEW
School Information:
Greenville High Subject Proficiency
HIGH SCHOOLS
Other School Opportunities:
Lifelong Learning
- Adult education center offering classes to prep for the GED
- Largest adult education program in SC
- Provided testing for 10,000 users since 2010
- Have college and career navigators to help users plan for the future and receive professional help (resumes, cover letters)
Berea High Subject Proficiency
GREENVILLE HIGH BEREA
Poe Mill Neighborhood: High Schools
Zoning Attendance Teacher/Student Ratio Graduation Rate
A Brief History: Parker High School
Named after Monaghan Mill owner, Thomas Parker, Parker High School opened in 1923. the School District served 14 communities, most of which were mill villages. Parker High School had a reputation for rigorous academic standards and was named a Top 10 School in the Nation by the National Education Association 5 times. It served students only until all schools in South Carolina desegregated in 1971.
CHURCHES
Greenville Community Church:
CHURCHES
- formerly David Street Baptist Church that was founded in 1841
- GCC and David Street Baptist merged in 2018 into one church
- MISSION: to lead people toward an authentic pursuit of Christ in community
Grace and Peace Presbyterian Church
- church plant of Downtown Presbyterian Church
- held first worship service in 2016 and became a “particular church” in 2018
- MISSION: to glorify God in Greenville by proclaiming & embodying the gospel of Jesus
- through worship, welcome, and wonder
Park Place Church of God
- founded in 1933
- have several ways for people to get involved in the church: Women of Purpose,
- Worship Ministry, Student Ministries, Media Ministries
Poe Baptist Church
- Pastor Sam Lawrence was baptized at the church 40 years prior
- Average attendance in 1977 was about 275, now it is around 40
Griggs Church
- originally, founded in 1936, new ministry named after aspiring member of the community, - David Griggs
- Current goal is to revitalize their church and the Poe Mill community
SUPPORTED MINISTRIES:
Piedmont Women’s Center
- offer women reproductive health care services such as:
▪ free pregnancy tests
▪ free pregnancy consultations
▪ free OB ultrasounds
Miracle Hill
- ministry dedicated to showing Christʼs love to those experiencing
- homelessness
▪ help with foster care
▪ help with addiction recovery through transitional housing
COMINGSOON
The purpose of this resource guide is to expand the range of outlets to support the needs and demands of the Poe Mill community. The guide includes resources relating to housing, food, shelter, after-school programs, job trainings, care facilities, rent assistance, discipleship, and many more. This guide hopes to provide opportunities, support, stability, trust, and peace, to create a stronger, and more resilient Poe Mill community.
The goal of this plan is to provide a framework for improving quality of life, real estate values via physical asset improvement and creating community-based institutions focused on reducing the economic and social isolation of Poe Mill residents.
- Rashida Jeffers Campbell
The objectives of this strategy for development are:
1. To provide guidance and steps that motivated residents of Poe Mill can take to address neighborhood issues.
2. To promote the development of market-rate housing as well as affordable rental and homeownership opportunities.
3. To strengthen the aesthetic quality of the neighborhood boundary so that it is easily distinguished from the surrounding area.
4. To improve existing owner-occupied dwellings via rehabilitation.
5. To reuse the Poe Mill site as a tool for creating neighborhood amenities such as skateboard/community garden park and market rate housing.
6. To provide data that can be used to apply for the designation of Poe Mill as a Neighborhood Revitalization Strategy Area (NRSA).
THANK YOU
DUSTIN ALBRIGHT Associate Professor | Assistant Director School of Architecture
