Glendale Mill goes up in Flames

[Spartan]

This event was particularly personal to me because I live very near this mill and I drive by it nearly everyday while I'm at home. I live a good ways away from the mill but i could see flames from my house... this was a massive fire. I went to the mill at 4AM and watched it burn for a bit. I have some pictures on my cell phone and as soon as I figure out how to get them off onto my computer I will share them.

It is also unfortunate because the Mill was about to be redeveloped into condominums, and becuase yet another historic mill is destroyed.

These historic mills in the Upstate are being destroyed all over the place. Many of them could be saved and redeveloped. Most are destroyed because its more cost effective to destroyit and reuse the land than to keep up the current structure.

Unfortunately I can't post pictures on here for some reason... something about dynamic photos, but I highly reccomend going to the link below and looking at some.

Look at the Herald-Journal's pics as well as the ones that were submitted.

The Herald-Journal

Submitted Photos

The only thing not covered by the article is the cause... and it is unknown.

SLED is investigating.

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Mill goes up in flames

By Susan Orr | And JANET S. SPENCER

GLENDALE -- Fourteen-year-old Zach Ivey knelt in the street and put the palms of his hands down, leveling his back Saturday afternoon so his friend, Dustin Roberts, could use it as a platform to photograph the still-smoldering Glendale Mill.

Roberts, 15, snapped a few shots as thick smoke continued to roll from the ruins 15 hours after a fire left only the brick wall outline of the 137-year-old, five-story structure.

"This place is historical," Ivey said when Roberts jumped from his back. "We studied about it in school."

Working their way back up the street, the teens pulled a shiny, red Radio Flyer wagon they had hoped to use for a better vantage point. But when the authorities would not let them take it in, Ivey gave Roberts the boost he needed for the photography session.

"We've been around here watching since 3 a.m.," said Roberts, a student at Broome High School. "At first, we thought it was our friend's

house. We came running down here to be sure he was alright."

The teens were wide-eyed asthey talked about the blaze that gutted the mill, which closed 43 years ago.

"It was terrible. Those flames were just so high," Ivey said, throwing his head back and looking into the sky.

They stood in front of a house facing the mill that was the only other structure damaged by the roaring early morning blaze that sent red and yellow flames high into the air, said Glendale Assistant Fire Chief Eric Alley.

Alley said he was on duty at the station just down the street when the call to 911 came in at 2:26 a.m. Saturday.

In addition to numerous rows of houses, which had to be protected from the heat and blaze, the Post Office is adjacent to the property and its operation was shut down for the day.

Also within a half-mile radius of the mill are the Spartanburg County District 3 school administrative offices and at least five churches.

More than 80 firefighters from the Glendale, Pacolet, Converse and Drayton departments responded and rotated working throughout the day trying to extinguish the blaze and prevent it from spreading.

A crew of firefighters was assigned to remain overnight to keep the blaze from rekindling. Agents with the State Law Enforcement Division called to the scene to determine the cause waited for what was left to cool so they could begin their work.

"When I pulled in, the back part of the mill

[Spartan]

This is just a follow up to the previous article.

Cicora (the site owner) just says that redevelopment is likely and will incoporate the towers which still remain.

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Mill's owner still sees a future in property

By Dudley Brown | Staff Writer

Mike Cicora said he'd have to go back and add up how much money was spent on renovating Glendale Mill, but he wouldn't be surprised if the figure is in six digits.

There, however, is no price tag that could be placed on the labor and sweat equity invested in the property, said Cicora, president of the Anderson-based Glendale Development Corp., which owns the 20 acres of land that includes the 137-year-old mill's ruins.

The mill is only left with a brick outline, but Cicora said it's not completely lost.

Cicora said the excitement and peacefulness provided by Lawson's Fork Creek is still there and he continues to see potential for the property.

"It's still sort of an idealistic place," said a weary Cicora Sunday night after being interviewed about 20 times. "Because of that, it's not over. Because it's been hurt doesn't mean it's dead. It's taken a blow, but I don't think it's a lethal blow."

Cicora said before the fire there were plans of eventually using the mill for loft-style apartments. He still sees that as a possibility for the site.

He said he would like to use as much of the brickwork as possible in the future. He also would like to keep the towers, which still stand. He said that for the past nine months work had been done to the mill's roof and lots of cleanup had been accomplished.

Cicora said he plans to clean the site and have any walls that could fall and pose a danger torn down.

He still aches while preparing for the mill's future.

"I'm sort of hysterical about the whole thing," Cicora said.

"There's a lot of things lost. Not only is it a magnificent spot on the water, but there's a lot of history that's dear to everyone's heart."

[Allan]

It's too bad that it burned. Those old mills catch fire very quickly. At least there are still development plans for the site. A community near me just lost an entire block of 19th century buildings to a large fire...unfortunately none of it is salvageable. At least here they will be able to reuse parts of it.

[Spartan]

Thats true. At least it will be somewhat salvageable.

Its horrible to loose historic buildings, but especially when they are such an imporant part of a community.

[monsoon]

[Spartan]

Technically no, but Glendale is in Spartanburg County and is more or less a suburb of Spartanburg. It isn't technically an incorporated town or census area so it doesn't show up on the map like Converse, Boiling Springs, etc.

Glendale is approximately to the top right of the US176 emblem to the SE of Spartanburg.