Lonaconing Silk Mill, MD Sept '14

mookster · Oct 31, 2014

First off for avoidance of any doubt I will say this was a permission visit, as are all visits to Lonaconing Silk Mill. The cost of the visit contributes to the never-ending battle of trying to keep this amazing place in one piece, the roof is getting very bad in places and without people's contributions one more harsh winter will spell the end for this place - as Herb, the owner, told us 'as soon as the roof falls in I sell the place'.

A brief history -

The Lonaconing Silk Mill is nestled in the western tail of Maryland in Allegany County. The mills construction began in 1905 and the processing of silk imported from China and Japan began in 1907. Initially, over 300 people were employed by the mill, but numbers were cut to less than 200 in the 50Ã¢â‚¬â„¢s due to competition with the larger and more modernized mills. The antiquated machines could not keep up with the times. On a cold Friday in September of 1957 the mills doors were closed and sealed. The companies machines, dyes, bobbins, employees records, and even their personal effects were all frozen in an industrial revolution time capsule.

This is the last intact silk mill in the entire United States, it's the most incredible industrial time capsule I have ever seen and one of the most amazing locations I have ever photographed. If you ever find yourself in America, GO HERE. It sat in my top three 'most wanted' sites for years, and hopefully you will be able to see why.