West Point Rice Mill
The West Point Rice Mill is a former mill on Lockwood Drive in Charleston, South Carolina. She was one of three mills for rice Charleston in the 19th century. The mill was built in 1861 to replace a previously burnt in construction. It was registered on 20 January 1995 in the National Register of Historic Places
History
Jonathan Lucas III. Built in 1840, a four-story brick building, a steam-powered rice mill on the Ashley River. It was this mill, which burned down on 20 November 1860.
The construction of the new mill began rapidly; even though the building has been hampered by the naval blockade of the Southern States from the Union, the mill was fully operational by late 1863. After the occupation of Charleston by troops of the Union Army in 1865, the mill was used for food distribution.
After the Civil War, the mill started operations again and boosted production. Due to the Charleston earthquake of 1886, the mill was affected. It has been damaged and the gable collapsed. Sometime before the 1920s, the roof was replaced, with only the roof pillars and roof beams were preserved.
The three mills grind Charleston in 1890 more than 97,000 barrels of rice. The competition of rice farmers in the west and a series of hurricanes led to rice production declined in South Carolina. The West Point Mill Company acquired in 1888 a share of Chisolm 's Mill, 1894, West Point Mill and Bennett 's Mill joined together and then bought Chisolm 's Mill The West Point Mill was closed in 1920 and the company sold the assets of the mill. Around 1925 the steam engine of the mill was sold to the Henry Ford Museum. The mill was sold in 1926 to the City of Charleston.
The U.S. Postal Service planned in 1932, set up a seaplane base at the site of the former mill. This plan was not realized, but the idea of a seaplane base continued tight. The Civil Works Administration began in 1933 with the construction of an urban marina. The former mill building was leased to the American Bagging Company, which used it as a storehouse for jute, imported the company for its production in the Meeting Street.
The city government continued its efforts to use the building as a seaplane terminal. In the spring of 1937 flights have been proposed by Germany to Charleston. The Works Progress Administration began reconstruction work in the was named after James F. Byrnes airport building. Pan American World Airways commissioned the New York architects Delano and Aldrich planning for passenger handling.
The renovations were carried out in the lowest two storeys and on the outside. As in Europe began the Second World War, the transatlantic flights was adjusted. The city sought a base for naval aviation, but this was set up in Jacksonville, Florida. In the building of the competent for the District Charleston Division of the Civilian Conservation Corps was housed. 1941, the building was taken of the sixth district of Marine managing the Charleston Area Inshore Patrol in 1946, it became the headquarters of the Sixth Naval District Minecraft base. It was also used in the 1950s by the United States Navy, and finally transferred to the United States Army Corps of Engineers. From 1966 to around 1986, the Trident Chamber of Commerce and some commercial tenants were housed in the building. After that, the building was vacant again.
In autumn 1989, the house was pulled by a fire affected, later Hurricane Hugo damaged the roof. After the repair, it was leased to the Bennett Hofford Company. The company invested three million dollars in the renovation of the building before it was entered in the National Register of Historic Places. Since then it has been used for office buildings and restaurants.
Architecture
The building was originally 43.3 m long, 12.8 m wide and had a gabled roof. Although it was the largest rice mill in Charleston, lacked the architectural details of the other two buildings. The brick in the Flemish federation brick building has above the bottom three full floors and a mezzanine. Eleven yokes are the long side of the building. The three middle side of the Ashley River facing west side jump slightly protruding. In the Palladian style with Doric pilasters made of stucco designed facade will mark the three bays of the main portico. One pair of pilasters are at the end of the northern and southern facade. Two-story wing extending from the outer yokes of the east facade. They have a length of 11 m and 8 m. The mill had two octagonal chimneys on the east side.
After the earthquake of 1886 built masonry anchors are still on the building and the side wings visible. The renovations of 1937 were on the facade relatively minor, inside the building was changed more.
The chimneys were removed and on the east façade, a new entrance was built. The ground floor has recently focused on a concrete slab. The masonry of the gable has been restored, but poorly put together. Gypsum stone window sills were installed on the windows on the first floor.
An entrance lobby in 1946 grown on the middle yokes of the west side. On the roof of which was a balcony with iron railings. After the fire in 1989, the railing was removed. An elevator system was installed in 1960 at the entrance on the west side.
After the damage caused by Hurricane Hugo, the tile roof was replaced with a copper roof. Four dormers were added on the west side of the roof.