Paul Leavy | The Valdosta Daily Times The owners of the historic Remerton Mill are looking to demolish the buildings on the property, leaving a smoke stack as a reminder of the former mill.

The owners of the historic Strickland Cotton Mill, which birthed the village of workers that would eventually become the city of Remerton, have requested clearance from the city council to demolish the mill and are awaiting the outcome of their June 11 vote.

The mill’s current ownership group, Remerton Mills LLC, submitted an official request to city council in order to gain clearance for the demolition of the mill site. The request was reviewed during the council’s work session this week and the item will be voted on Monday at their regular meeting.

“The slum and blight and the deplorable conditions of the buildings located at the mill site on West Gordon Street and Baytree Road are an eyesore to the Remerton community and threaten the safety of the public,” stated the demolition request to the city. “These conditions can only be eliminated by allowing Remerton Mills, LLC to demolish all of the structures located on the mill site.”

Plans to cultivate the complex of buildings and their 6.77 acre lot haven’t materialized in recent years. The site has been empty since Fred Wilkinson Associates Incorporated sold the complex and moved their textile operations south of town, to the Gil Harbin industrial park. The textile company had been operating inside the complex since the mid 1980’s, according to Fred Wilkinson.

In the demolition request, the Remerton group said denial of the demolition request would impose economic hardship on the owners. They cited pervious attempts to cultivate the property and reference overgrown areas of the site’s structures that have “fallen into a complete state of disrepair.”

“[Denial] would be inexplicable, given the extraordinary efforts made by the owners over seven years to maintain some portion of the mill,” according to the request.

The complex was sold for $1.5 million to Remerton Mills LLC, a group of private partners, in April of 2005. The group also purchased the mill’s auxiliary buildings for a price tag of $500,000, which were then sold to other buyers. The additions were constructed around the late 1940’s and effectively doubled the size of the mill, according to Remerton’s website.

The state Historic Preservation society evaluated the Strickland Cotton Mill in 2005 for inclusion in the National Register of Historic Places.

Inclusion in the National Register would have enabled the mill’s ownership group to apply for federal tax credits and garnered the mill national attention for its cultural significance, according to a 2005 newsletter published by the-then South Georgia Regional Development Commission.

 The evaluation occurred around the time the Remerton Mills LLC group was finalizing the purchase of the complex from Fred Wilkinson Associates, but currently, none of the buildings in the complex were listed on the national registry.

“The 1899 mill building, the 1947 additions to the mill building, brick smokestack, and metal water tower are all eligible to be listed on the National Register of Historic Places,” said Emily Foster, the historic preservation planner for Valdosta’s Zoning and Planning Division.

Foster went on so say that the mill’s additions, as well as its original Commissary building, are considered “noncontributing” to the complex’s historical significance and aren’t eligible for inclusion in the national registry. The 1899 commissary building has undergone too many changes to be listed in the registry.

“What we’re recommending is tearing down the non-essential buildings that were added in the 50’s and 60’s,” said Foster. “It would cut down on maintenance and showcase the mill’s primary buildings.”

Remerton Mayor Cornelious Holsendolph said that the city had attempted to purchase the mill site over the course of several years, but struggled with the feasibility of purchasing the very structure that’s featured on the city’s seal.

“Over the last six years, we’ve been wrestling back and forth with the owners about the purchase of the mill,” said Holsendolph. “We just didn’t have the money, and we couldn’t apply for federal funding unless we owned the mill beforehand.”

Remerton’s Downtown Development Authority had mulled purchasing the mill from current ownership to develop the property into a mixed-zone site that would house government buildings, businesses and private residences, but the plans never materialized.

The Strickland Cotton mill was built next to the South Georgia Railroad line in 1899. It generated enough revenue to pay its employees well and it provided its workers with rental housing right down the street from the mill, according to Remerton’s website.

The enclave of homes and government buildings that grew out from the mill officially became the city of Remerton in 1951, according to the site.

“The mill is integral to the existence of Remerton,” said Foster. “Without it, Remerton would have never been born and Valdosta wouldn’t be where it is today. It’s one of the few vital community landmarks in Valdosta.”

The city council meeting starts at 5:30 p.m. on June 11. Citizens are invited to voice their opinions to the council on the mill’s demolition, before the item is brought up for vote during the meeting.