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Nestled in the southwest corner of downtown Columbia lies the historic Mill District. Originally the home of four different textile mills, the mill district is now a bustling area close to the center of downtown that blends historic charm and modern functionality together to create the perfect place for any young professional or family.

In 1892, W.B. Smith Whaley moved back to Columbia from Charleston where he had lived for several years to establish a cotton mill. Over the next ten years, Whaley designed four cotton mills as well as their surrounding villages. 

The four mills Granby, Olympia, Richland, and Capital City Mills were known as The Whaley Mills and made up Columbia’s main mill village.

The original mill village houses in Granby, built in 1897, were six-room New-England “saltbox” duplexes that had two rooms upstairs and four rooms downstairs.

These houses were followed by three, four, and six-room duplex models in Olympia in 1900. The duplexes in Olympia were painted in various colors to avoid the monotony that was found in other mill villages at the time. 

Whaley’s mill workers were primarily poor farmers who had come into the city looking for work. The workers became known, derogatorily, as “Lintheads” because all the workers would come home each day with massive amounts of lint in their hair and all over their bodies.

The mill workers referred to the village as “a utopia” because of all the amenities that could be found there. Over the years, amenities such as a company store, athletic fields, clinics, churches, a community center, and a kindergarten were added by various mill owners including Whaley. 

The newness of the mill villages and the availability of almost all necessary supplies within walking distance created a powerful sense of loyalty by the workers to the mills in what was known as “mill village culture.” 

The mills went through several owners before officially closing in 1996. After the mill’s closure, various community members joined together to preserve the rich and colorful history of the district. Their efforts included obtaining listings on the National Register of Historic Places and local design protections.

Today, you can still live in an original Granby or Olympia saltbox or you can live in the renovated Granby and Olympia Mills apartments, perfect for young professionals and families.

These houses and apartments are in a perfect location that is close to great restaurants including J’s Corner and Village Idiot Pizza, outdoor areas like Pacific and Granby Parks, and also features nearby access to the Congaree River.

 If you would like to learn more about the history of the mill district, pay a visit to the Olympia Mill Village Museum which is located in the heart of the district.

To see a graphical timeline of the dwelling spaces within The Mill District over the last century, look below –