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Report (Permission Visit) - Lonaconing Silk Mill, USA Sept 2014 | European and International Sites | 28DaysLater.co.uk

Report (Permission Visit) Lonaconing Silk Mill, USA Sept 2014

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mookster

grumpy sod
Regular User
Everyone has bucket list locations - those incredible places that you go your whole life wanting to be able to shoot. For me, the Klotz Throwing Company, more popularly known as simply Lonaconing Silk Mill in Maryland's western spur was one of them. When I first decided to embark upon my - at the time - one and only trip over there, this location was wayyy high up there on my 'to do' list. So I set aside a couple of days to stay with a contact I had made in Baltimore and suggested we head across the state to the small town of Lonaconing. The only way to do this mill is with permission, which we knew beforehand, and I had the phone number to call so all was good. For a certain amount of money you are allowed a few hours inside, and the money raised goes directly to helping the owner shore up the building and provide desperately needed roofing repairs.

The silk mill in Lonaconing was opened in 1907 and operated as both Klotz and General Textile Mills companies through it's short life. Workers went on strike in June 1957 after being refused a pay rise, and the company chose to close the mill in June 1957. By the beginning of July, with only five employees left on the payroll, it closed for good. The current owner, Herb, bought the mill with the intention of reopening it in 1978 but nothing came of it and still it sits unused as it has done for the past sixty years. It's one of the last fully intact silk mills in the entire United States, with all machinery present and literally everything else left as it was after closure. It's the single most incredible time capsule location I have ever seen, and one of my favourite locations in the whole world.

The lighting inside wasn't too favourable and I was way too distracted by everything to focus on taking properly decent photos but there we go.

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Thanks for looking :)
 

Yorrick

A fellow of infinite jest
28DL Full Member
That is simply incredible for a 1957 closure! It’s obviously well looked after.

Do you know what “Textile Mill Crayons” are for? I’ve Googled it, but only get more images (a lot of the same or similar boxes) and no explanations.
 

host

28DL Full Member
28DL Full Member
I’ve seen this before it’s simply stunning. Lucky you getting to see it as a lover of Mills this is right up there As a must see.
 

mookster

grumpy sod
Regular User
Cheers guys. If any of you get the chance to visit the USA for any reason, try and go here. It's even more incredible in person.

That is simply incredible for a 1957 closure! It’s obviously well looked after.

Do you know what “Textile Mill Crayons” are for? I’ve Googled it, but only get more images (a lot of the same or similar boxes) and no explanations.

The owner lives practically on top of the place, literally right next door. When we turned up he had a basement door open into the underside of the mill and I managed to catch a glimpse of some classic American cars he was storing under there! He's a lovely guy, really friendly and enthusiastic about the mill and passionate about saving it - the money from photographers is only a fraction of what it costs him each year and the roof has been in a bad way for a while now. He said to me that the day the roof falls in is the day he sells the place, he refused a $100,000 offer for all the machinery about a decade or so ago.

I can only hope that when he passes on, there is some sort of trust in place to care for the building as it is a place that desperately needs to be saved for future generations.

As for textile mill crayons, your guess is as good as mine! I'm guessing they may have been something used to mark the fabric during production or something like that.
 

xante8088

28DL Full Member
28DL Full Member
As for textile mill crayons, your guess is as good as mine! I'm guessing they may have been something used to mark the fabric during production or something like that.

More than likely to mark the fabric is correct. I would imagine this was used for marking fabric with yardage or lot numbers.

We use Stabilo 8052 pencils and Sharpie® Peel-Off China Marker - White. We have some tailor's chalk as well. We use it for marking seams, outlines for recuts of material, and marking defects.
 

Yorrick

A fellow of infinite jest
28DL Full Member
More than likely to mark the fabric is correct. I would imagine this was used for marking fabric with yardage or lot numbers.

We use Stabilo 8052 pencils and Sharpie® Peel-Off China Marker - White. We have some tailor's chalk as well. We use it for marking seams, outlines for recuts of material, and marking defects.

Thanks for that and yeah it makes sense. I only use tailor's chalk myself, marking out curtains, shop canopies etc.
 

mookster

grumpy sod
Regular User
Know it's an old one but that is one cracking looking mill

It's totally one of a kind, simply incredible. I still can't believe I finally saw it in person after wanting to for so many years.

As a sad update, Herb the owner unfortunately passed away a couple of years ago. I'm not sure on the fate of the building since then, although I believe his relatives may have taken on the care and maintenance.
 
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