The earliest and some of the largest mills in the Upstate SC were Piedmont Manufacturing Company's cotton mill on the Saluda River. Henry P. Hammett organized the company, which was greatly influential, in 1873 and two mills were constructed. Piedmont Mill No. 1 in 1876 and No. 2 in 1892. Both mills had significant additional and modifications done over the 100 years of operation, closing around 1977.

Piedmont Mill No. 1 was registered on the National Historic Register in 1978. Mill No. 2 was not due to great modifications to the building. In 1983 a large fire destroyed the first mill. After the fire both mills were demolished. The town of Piedmont in todays modern world is now in a poor state.

http://www.southernspaces.org/2004/carolina-piedmont