Jan 29, 2016

Text and photos by Kim Hairston

Afternoon rays stream through broken windows highlighting century old machines, wooden floorboards, peeling paint and thousands of bobbins in a 48,000-square-foot, abandoned factory.

: The Klots Throwing Company Mill, a silk mill in Lonaconing, closed suddenly in 1957. Much of what was inside at the time still remains. Herb Crawford, who has owned the mill for 39 years, has been trying to keep the historic mill intact. The roof is in need of repair, but Crawford can only afford “band-aid” repairs. (Kim Hairston/Baltimore Sun)

: The Klots Throwing Company Mill, a silk mill in Lonaconing, closed suddenly in 1957. Much of what was inside at the time still remains. Herb Crawford, who has owned the mill for 39 years, has been trying to keep the historic mill intact. The roof is in need of repair, but Crawford can only afford “band-aid” repairs. (Kim Hairston/Baltimore Sun)

: The Klots Throwing Company Mill, a silk mill in Lonaconing, closed suddenly in 1957. Much of what was inside at the time still remains. Herb Crawford, who has owned the mill for 39 years, has been trying to keep the historic mill intact. The roof is in need of repair, but Crawford can only afford “band-aid” repairs. (Kim Hairston/Baltimore Sun)

: Antique silk on bobbins loaded on a hand truck in an elevator at the Klots Throwing Company Mill, a silk mill in Lonaconing that closed suddenly in 1957. Much of what was inside at the time still remains. Herb Crawford, who has owned the mill for 39 years, has been trying to keep the historic mill intact. The roof is in need of repair, but Crawford can only afford “band-aid” repairs. (Kim Hairston/Baltimore Sun)

: Bobbins. The Klots Throwing Company Mill, a silk mill in Lonaconing, closed suddenly in 1957. Much of what was inside at the time still remains. Herb Crawford, who has owned the mill for 39 years, has been trying to keep the historic mill intact. The roof is in need of repair, but Crawford can only afford “band-aid” repairs. (Kim Hairston/Baltimore Sun)

: Wooden silk winder. The Klots Throwing Company Mill, a silk mill in Lonaconing that closed suddenly in 1957. Much of what was inside at the time still remains. Herb Crawford, who has owned the mill for 39 years, has been trying to keep the historic mill intact. The roof is in need of repair, but Crawford can only afford “band-aid” repairs. (Kim Hairston/Baltimore Sun)

: A wall calendar reads January 1957, but it was in July of that year that General Textile Mills, which ran the silk mill in Lonaconing, suddenly closed its doors. Built as the Klots Throwing Company Mill in April of 1907, much of what was inside at the time of the closing still remains. (Kim Hairston/Baltimore Sun)

: Peeling paint on a fire bucket inside the Klots Throwing Company Mill, a silk mill in Lonaconing. The factory closed suddenly in 1957. Much of what was inside at the time still remains. Herb Crawford, who has owned the mill for 39 years, has been trying to keep the historic mill intact. The roof is in need of repair, but Crawford can only afford “band-aid” repairs. (Kim Hairston/Baltimore Sun)

: Herb Crawford, who has owned the Klots Throwing Company Mill, a silk mill in Lonaconing, suddenly closed suddenly in 1957. Much of what was inside at the time still remains. Herb Crawford, who has owned the mill for 39 years, has been trying to keep the historic mill intact. The roof is in need of repair, but Crawford can only afford “band-aid” repairs. (Kim Hairston/Baltimore Sun)

: Bottle with label that notes this was a physician’s sample of Rarical Tablets made up of ferrous calcium citrate with tricalcium citrate. The bottle is inside the Klots Throwing Company Mill, a silk mill in Lonaconing, that closed suddenly in 1957. It is the last intact silk mill in the U.S. Much of what was inside at the time still remains. (Kim Hairston/Baltimore Sun)

: Shoes inside the Klots Throwing Company Mill are among the personal items left behind when the factory closed its doors in 1957. It is the last intact silk mill in the U.S. Much of what was inside at the time still remains. (Kim Hairston/Baltimore Sun)

: Broken windows let the elements into the old Klots Throwing Company Mill, a silk mill in Lonaconing that closed suddenly in 1957. Much of what was inside at the time still remains. Herb Crawford, who has owned the mill for 39 years, has been trying to keep the historic mill intact. The roof is in need of repair, but Crawford can only afford “band-aid” repairs. (Kim Hairston/Baltimore Sun)

: The Klots Throwing Company Mill, a silk mill in Lonaconing, closed suddenly in 1957. Much of what was inside at the time still remains. Herb Crawford, who has owned the mill for 39 years, has been trying to keep the historic mill intact. The roof is in need of repair, but Crawford can only afford “band-aid” repairs. (Kim Hairston/Baltimore Sun)

: The Klots Throwing Company Mill, a silk mill in Lonaconing, closed suddenly in 1957. Much of what was inside at the time still remains. Herb Crawford, who has owned the mill for 39 years, has been trying to keep the historic mill intact. The roof is in need of repair, but Crawford can only afford “band-aid” repairs. (Kim Hairston/Baltimore Sun)

: Silk thread on a bobbin at the old Klots Throwing Company Mill, a silk mill in Lonaconing that closed suddenly in 1957. Much of what was inside at the time still remains. Herb Crawford, who has owned the mill for 39 years, has been trying to keep the historic mill intact. The roof is in need of repair, but Crawford can only afford “band-aid” repairs. (Kim Hairston/Baltimore Sun)

: Wooden bobbins in the old Klots Throwing Company Mill, a silk mill in Lonaconing that closed suddenly in 1957. Much of what was inside at the time still remains. Herb Crawford, who has owned the mill for 39 years, has been trying to keep the historic mill intact. The roof is in need of repair, but Crawford can only afford “band-aid” repairs. (Kim Hairston/Baltimore Sun)

: A large apple butter jar is one of the many things left at the silk mill in Lonaconing when it closed suddenly in 1957. Started as the Klots Throwing Company Mill, the building is the last intact silk mill in the U.S. Herb Crawford, who has owned the mill for 39 years, has been trying to preserve the historic building. The roof is in need of repair, but Crawford can only afford “band-aid” repairs. (Kim Hairston/Baltimore Sun)

: The Klots Throwing Company Mill, a silk mill in Lonaconing, suddenly closed suddenly in 1957. Much of what was inside at the time still remains. Herb Crawford, who has owned the mill for 39 years, has been trying to keep the historic mill intact. The roof is in need of repair, but Crawford can only afford “band-aid” repairs. (Kim Hairston/Baltimore Sun)

: The Klots Throwing Company Mill, a silk mill in Lonaconing, suddenly closed suddenly in 1957. Much of what was inside at the time still remains. Herb Crawford, who has owned the mill for 39 years, has been trying to keep the historic mill intact. The roof is in need of repair, but Crawford can only afford “band-aid” repairs. (Kim Hairston/Baltimore Sun)

: Wodden bobbins in side the Klots Throwing Company Mill, a silk mill in Lonaconing that closed suddenly in 1957. Much of what was inside at the time still remains. Herb Crawford, who has owned the mill for 39 years, has been trying to keep the historic mill intact. The roof is in need of repair, but Crawford can only afford “band-aid” repairs. (Kim Hairston/Baltimore Sun)

: Wooden silk winder. The Klots Throwing Company Mill, a silk mill in Lonaconing that closed suddenly in 1957. Much of what was inside at the time still remains. Herb Crawford, who has owned the mill for 39 years, has been trying to keep the historic mill intact. The roof is in need of repair, but Crawford can only afford “band-aid” repairs. (Kim Hairston/Baltimore Sun)

: The Klots Throwing Company Mill, a silk mill in Lonaconing, closed suddenly in 1957. Much of what was inside at the time still remains. Herb Crawford, who has owned the mill for 39 years, has been trying to keep the historic mill intact. The roof is in need of repair, but Crawford can only afford “band-aid” repairs. (Kim Hairston/Baltimore Sun)

: The Klots Throwing Company Mill, a silk mill in Lonaconing, closed suddenly in 1957. Much of what was inside at the time still remains. Herb Crawford, who has owned the mill for 39 years, has been trying to keep the historic mill intact. The roof is in need of repair, but Crawford can only afford “band-aid” repairs. (Kim Hairston/Baltimore Sun)

: The Klots Throwing Company Mill, a silk mill in Lonaconing, closed suddenly in 1957. Much of what was inside at the time still remains. Herb Crawford, who has owned the mill for 39 years, has been trying to keep the historic mill intact. The roof is in need of repair, but Crawford can only afford “band-aid” repairs. (Kim Hairston/Baltimore Sun)

: Antique silk thread on a bobbin.The Klots Throwing Company Mill, a silk mill in Lonaconing, that closed suddenly in 1957. Much of what was inside at the time still remains. Herb Crawford, who has owned the mill for 39 years, has been trying to keep the historic mill intact. The roof is in need of repair, but Crawford can only afford “band-aid” repairs. (Kim Hairston/Baltimore Sun)

: The Klots Throwing Company Mill, a silk mill in Lonaconing, closed suddenly in 1957. Much of what was inside at the time still remains. Herb Crawford, who has owned the mill for 39 years, has been trying to keep the historic mill intact. The roof is in need of repair, but Crawford can only afford “band-aid” repairs. (Kim Hairston/Baltimore Sun)

: Fire buckets hang from pillars in the Klots Throwing Company Mill, an abandoned silk mill in Lonaconing. The factory closed suddenly in 1957. Much of what was inside at the time still remains thanks to Herb Crawford, who has owned the mill for 39 years. Crawford has been trying to get help in preserving the last intact silk mill in the U.S. The roof is in need of repair, but he can only afford “band-aid” repairs. (Kim Hairston/Baltimore Sun)

: Bottle with label that notes this was a physician’s sample of Rarical Tablets made up of ferrous calcium citrate with tricalcium citrate. The bottle is inside the Klots Throwing Company Mill, a silk mill in Lonaconing, that closed suddenly in 1957. It is the last intact silk mill in the U.S. Much of what was inside at the time still remains. (Kim Hairston/Baltimore Sun)

: Peeling paint on a fire bucket inside the Klots Throwing Company Mill, a silk mill in Lonaconing. The factory closed suddenly in 1957. Much of what was inside at the time still remains. Herb Crawford, who has owned the mill for 39 years, has been trying to keep the historic mill intact. The roof is in need of repair, but Crawford can only afford “band-aid” repairs. (Kim Hairston/Baltimore Sun)

: Shoes inside the Klots Throwing Company Mill are among the personal items left behind when the factory closed its doors in 1957. It is the last intact silk mill in the U.S. Much of what was inside at the time still remains. (Kim Hairston/Baltimore Sun)

: The Klots Throwing Company Mill, a silk mill in Lonaconing, closed suddenly in 1957. Much of what was inside at the time still remains. Herb Crawford, who has owned the mill for 39 years, has been trying to keep the historic mill intact. The roof is in need of repair, but Crawford can only afford “band-aid” repairs. (Kim Hairston/Baltimore Sun)

: The Klots Throwing Company Mill, a silk mill in Lonaconing, closed suddenly in 1957. Much of what was inside at the time still remains. Herb Crawford, who has owned the mill for 39 years, has been trying to keep the historic mill intact. The roof is in need of repair, but Crawford can only afford “band-aid” repairs. (Kim Hairston/Baltimore Sun)

: The Klots Throwing Company Mill, a silk mill in Lonaconing, closed suddenly in 1957. Much of what was inside at the time still remains. Herb Crawford, who has owned the mill for 39 years, has been trying to keep the historic mill intact. The roof is in need of repair, but Crawford can only afford “band-aid” repairs. (Kim Hairston/Baltimore Sun)

: The Klots Throwing Company Mill, a silk mill in Lonaconing, closed suddenly in 1957. Much of what was inside at the time still remains. Herb Crawford, who has owned the mill for 39 years, has been trying to keep the historic mill intact. The roof is in need of repair, but Crawford can only afford “band-aid” repairs. (Kim Hairston/Baltimore Sun)

: The Klots Throwing Company Mill, a silk mill in Lonaconing, closed suddenly in 1957. Much of what was inside at the time still remains. Herb Crawford, who has owned the mill for 39 years, has been trying to keep the historic mill intact. The roof is in need of repair, but Crawford can only afford “band-aid” repairs. (Kim Hairston/Baltimore Sun)

Built in the early 1900s, the Klots Throwing Company Mill, also called the Lonaconing Silk Mill, produced silk thread from raw silk. At its peak the company employed over 300 hundred people. Most of them were female and many were children.

When the business closed, it was operated by General Textile Mills. Labor disputes, antiquated machines and the development of synthetic materials led to its demise. Few employees were left and the mill was shuttered on Friday, July 7, 1957. Some of their personal items are still enclosed in the old building.

Herb Crawford, the mill’s caretaker and part owner, is trying to preserve what he believes to be the last existing silk mill in the United States. He bought the abandoned factory 39 years ago when he learned an east coast sewing company wanted to relocate, but nothing came of it. To help with roof repair and the other maintenance costs, Crawford accepts donations for tours and photographs inside the building.

One Comment

Beth Youngblood
Jul 26, 2017 @ 18:49:14

A movie needs to be made about the mill and that time period

Abandoned Lonaconing Silk Mill

One Comment

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