Piedmont: Textile History and the Saluda River

When planning your trip to Piedmont, you can focus on local textile history or the river landscape. Historic points of interest include Piedmont Mill Village and the Piedmont Mill Stores Building; along the Saluda River, the Saluda River Blueway and Piedmont Riverfront Park take center stage. These two focuses also differ in what guides your travel planning: company history and historic resources, or a river connection, a park, and a paddling trip.

Textile History and Historic Points of Interest

When Hammett died in 1891, the Piedmont Manufacturing Company was among the largest textile mills in the world. Piedmont Number One was designated a National Historic Landmark on June 2, 1978. The dates refer to different historical points: 1891 marks the company’s standing at the time of Hammett’s death, while 1978 is the date Piedmont Number One was designated. This distinction helps avoid confusing the company’s history with the later Landmark designation date.

Piedmont Mill Village includes a historic water tower and a collection of the city’s memorial monuments. Most of the documented historic resources are privately owned; take this into account when planning your visit. The Piedmont Mill Stores Building is located at 2–8 Main Street in Piedmont. Mill Village thus represents several resources, while the Stores Building is a single structure with a specific address.

Riverside Scenery Along the Saluda River

The Saluda River Blueway is 48 miles long in total. Coverage of its opening in 2026 described Section One as complete. The section connects Dolly Cooper Park with Piedmont Riverfront Park via ADA access points along the Saluda River; its corridor is 9 miles long. These figures distinguish the total route from the section: 48 miles refers to the Blueway as a whole, and 9 miles to the Section One corridor.

Piedmont Riverfront Park is an ecotourism destination covering 21 acres along the Saluda River, situated at the scenic confluence of the Saluda River and Big Brushy Creek. The confluence is where the two named waterways meet, further specifying the park’s scenic location. The acreage and the confluence answer different questions: one describes the size of the park destination, the other its setting where two waterways meet.

A 2026 report also describes a scenic paddling trip on the Saluda River: it covers 9 miles to Piedmont Riverfront Park and takes three hours. The two 9-mile figures refer to different things: the Section One corridor and the paddling trip. The three-hour duration applies to the paddling trip, while a length is given for the Blueway corridor. If you plan to include the paddling trip as a specific activity, check the latest participation information in advance.

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