FROM COTTON FIELDS TO COBWEBS: A CASE STUDY OF COMMUNITY AND PRESERVATION IN THE TEXTILE INDUSTRY OF BELMONT, NORTH CAROLINA

Search for this publication on Google Scholar
Miller, A. (2016). FROM COTTON FIELDS TO COBWEBS: A CASE STUDY OF COMMUNITY AND PRESERVATION IN THE TEXTILE INDUSTRY OF BELMONT, NORTH CAROLINA. Unc Charlotte Electronic Theses And Dissertations.
Download PDF

Analytics

140 views ◎
109 downloads ⇓


Abstract

The oldest mill in Belmont, North Carolina still stands today. Almost one hundred and fifteen years old, the Chronicle Mill has made a legacy for the small town of Belmont, establishing a sense of community and identity for its people. At one time, the mill was the nexus of life for Belmont, as people migrated from the fields into the factory. However, Belmont’s history, identity and historic landscape face a new challenge in the wake of urban sprawl. As more people move to Belmont, the established sense of identity is re-envisioned. Historic structures, such as the Chronicle, root identity and orient space. Thus, preserving the historic built environment protects our history, memory, and sense of identity. This thesis argues for continued preservation of the Chronicle Mill because of its significance. The Chronicle encompasses the history of the town, connects two commercial districts of Belmont, and serves a repository of memory and sense of place. To allow the Chronicle to fall in disrepair would perpetuate the formation of a "placeless society," one devoid of its history and identity. Informed by the scholarship of preservationist, historians, architects, and philosophers, this thesis expounds upon the study of memory and the preservation of the built environment.

Details
Author

Miller, Allyson

Title

FROM COTTON FIELDS TO COBWEBS: A CASE STUDY OF COMMUNITY AND PRESERVATION IN THE TEXTILE INDUSTRY OF BELMONT, NORTH CAROLINA

Physical Description

1 online resource (60 pages) : PDF

Date

2016

Degree Granting Institution

University of North Carolina at Charlotte

Abstract

The oldest mill in Belmont, North Carolina still stands today. Almost one hundred and fifteen years old, the Chronicle Mill has made a legacy for the small town of Belmont, establishing a sense of community and identity for its people. At one time, the mill was the nexus of life for Belmont, as people migrated from the fields into the factory. However, Belmont’s history, identity and historic landscape face a new challenge in the wake of urban sprawl. As more people move to Belmont, the established sense of identity is re-envisioned. Historic structures, such as the Chronicle, root identity and orient space. Thus, preserving the historic built environment protects our history, memory, and sense of identity. This thesis argues for continued preservation of the Chronicle Mill because of its significance. The Chronicle encompasses the history of the town, connects two commercial districts of Belmont, and serves a repository of memory and sense of place. To allow the Chronicle to fall in disrepair would perpetuate the formation of a "placeless society," one devoid of its history and identity. Informed by the scholarship of preservationist, historians, architects, and philosophers, this thesis expounds upon the study of memory and the preservation of the built environment.

Genre

masters theses

Subjects--Topics

History

Subjects--Places

America

Degree

M.A.

Keywords

Identity
Memory
Preservation
Textile Industry

Subject Area

History

Advisor(s)

Shapiro, Aaron

Committee Members

Pipkin-Anderson, Amanda
Dupre, Daniel

Degree Note

Thesis (M.A.)--University of North Carolina at Charlotte, 2016.

Rights Statement

This Item is protected by copyright and/or related rights. You are free to use this Item in any way that is permitted by the copyright and related rights legislation that applies to your use. For other uses you need to obtain permission from the rights-holder(s). For additional information, see http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/.

Rights Holder Information

Copyright is held by the author unless otherwise indicated.

Identifier

Miller_uncc_0694N_11119

Permalink

http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.13093/etd:856