{"id":7077,"date":"2023-11-29T14:00:28","date_gmt":"2023-11-29T19:00:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/metroconnects.org\/?p=7077"},"modified":"2023-11-29T14:00:28","modified_gmt":"2023-11-29T19:00:28","slug":"union-bleachery","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/metroconnects.org\/union-bleachery\/","title":{"rendered":"The Textile Crescent and the Making of Greenville Part 4: Union Bleachery, a Small but Mighty Presence"},"content":{"rendered":"
<\/a><\/p>\n Grenville’s Union Bleachery, located at 3335 Old Buncombe Rd., was one of the Upstate’s smallest mills during the heyday of the textile boom in Greenville County. But it packed a mighty punch. Originally called the “Union Bleaching and Finishing Company,\u201d this second-oldest mill in the area was slow to take hold when brothers J.B. Duke and B.N. Duke opened it in 1902. When John Arrington took over leadership two years later, however, he quickly turned it into one of the most successful and productive mills in the area, spinning up to 100,000 yards of cotton per day.<\/p>\n The success of the mill is largely credited to Arrington’s dedication to keeping the mill workers comfortable, happy, and well cared for. According to the Greenville Textile Heritage Society<\/a><\/span>, ensuring the safety of employees was a priority. The accident frequency was below the average for the state of South Carolina, and the plant provided provisions for workplace injuries long before workman’s compensation was required by law. <\/a><\/p>\n Moreover, the Mill Village community, which housed more than 125 employees, is said to have been one of the most pleasant to live in, with its schools, churches, community building, playground, water fountains, duck pond, and nine-hole golf course. According to Brandon Inabinet of PocketSights<\/a><\/span>, the community was one where neighbors came together frequently for holiday parties, barbeques, sports activities, and other gatherings. Lois Rogers, who grew up in the village, said that Arrington, who eventually took over ownership of the Mill, knew all of his employees\u2019 names and helped them when they were sick or in need, according to Inabinet.<\/p>\n In the days of rampant discrimination and enforcement of segregation, where “separate but equal” usually equated to separate but inadequate facilities for African Americans, Arrington also provided a community for African-American workers. The community was separate from the Mill Village, but it did include at least some of the accommodations offered in the white community, such as a school, a church, and a sports field. It is even said that African-American children and white children frequently played together in these communities.<\/p>\nGrowing Success<\/h4>\n
Building Community<\/h4>\n