Pelham Mill Park

Interesting park near a dog park. Trails were full of debris from the flooding but still passable.

A short walking trail leads to a small waterfall on the Enoree River, set among the old Pelham Mill ruins. The site is on the National Register of Historic Places.

I gave this area a review score of 4 due to the need for better maintenance and general upkeep.

There’s also a dog park nearby.

Great park with a beautiful waterfall and a loop trail, good for the dogs and a short hike.

Super cool park! Shaded with lots of trees, the river and dam are really cool to look at. There are also parts of the old mill structures around the park. The trails are short and doable.

Sometimes referred to as Pelham Mill Park, the historical site is grouped with a nice dog park and short walking trail. A stonewall entrance with iron railing begins a short path leading to the rocks below the dam. A simple viewing area is located near the end of the path on the left. It’s a small, stone-walled, cleared circular area that has two benches, a dirt covered-barely legible history marker and an almost completely obstructed view of the falls and mill ruins. Simply clearing the small section of shrubbery directly in front of the plateau would give a good view of the falls and dam. It’s surprisingly beautiful once you’re among the rocks as the Enoree river rushes past. You can also see some of the old mill ruins on the left and view up at the old dam on the right. There’s a short walking trail that’s a bit overgrown, but very shady and kind of fits with the feel of the park. It’s a bit of rough terrain, but another path leads directly to the old mill for a closer look. Built in 1820, the mill is one of Greenville’s oldest landmarks and is believed to be the county’s first ever cotton mill. The mill was originally named The Hutchings Factory after its founder Reverend Thomas Hutchings. It was sold a few times over the decades before being purchased in 1880 giving it the Pelham Mills name. The current dam was completed in 1890. By 1907 there were over 10,000 spindles operated by 300 employes. Mill workers would receive a bill from the mill owners for housing and purchases made at the mill store. If any actual pay was left over, it came in the form of tokens that could be used at the mill store. The factory also employed children during this time, some even under the age of 12. Historians often compare this mill work lifestyle to indentured servitude. The mill had been shut down and vacated by 1943 when a fire destroyed almost the entire mill complex. It was the third fire to destroy a mill on the same property. The few remaining ruins of the mill along with the dam and surrounding area are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.