Pelzer’s history is
mostly unwritten
The public archives hold only 3 old photos of Pelzer. The rest are in attics, shoeboxes and the historical society. Help start the collection.
The story
from WikipediaRead it all ↗Pelzer was founded in the 19th century as a mill town around several mill sites on the Saluda River developed by the Pelzer Manufacturing Company. The first (lower) mill was completed in 1882; two additional expansions were referred to as mills 2 and 3, with construction of the 4th mill (the upper mill) starting in 1896. Pelzer Manufacturing drew power from two dams built along the Saluda River, which generated power with the help of the first generators ever sold by General Electric. The factory was the first in the country to use incandescent lighting.
Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Timeline
built from the dates on the items belowStart Pelzer’s collection
The first neighbors to add old photos shape how Pelzer’s history is told.
2 of 10 decades since 1900 have photos 🔁Retake an old viewPelzer - Cotton Mill No. Four, c. 1908: stand where they stood+15 📦Share a family photoSign in to add one+10Pelzer, decade by decade
1990s
3 historic places in Pelzer
Pelzer has 3 listings on the National Register, and they protect 97 historic buildings, because Pelzer Manufacturing Company and Mill Village Historic District alone counts 95.
Where they are
When they were listed
Then & now
No then-and-now pairs yet. Take a photo from the same spot as Pelzer - Cotton Mill No. Four (c. 1908) and it appears here side by side.
🔁 Retake this view · +15Stories next door
nearby towns’ historyFrom Wikimedia Commons (6). Images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.