Ruins of Callawassie sugar mill recognized as historic site

Via The Island Packet 

The ruins of a tabby sugar mill on Callawassie Island have been added to the National Register of Historic Places, the island announced Wednesday.

The Callawassie Sugar Works, constructed as early as 1815, gained designation as a site of statewide interest in June. Although only the foundations of the sugar mill and boiling house remain, the ruins shed light on what likely was the only operation of its kind in South Carolina.

According to the Library of Congress, the ruins are the only known example of a sugar-processing facility built from tabby in South Carolina.

Unlike cotton, indigo and rice operations on the island, the sugar mill was not a successful venture, according to research by tabby expert Colin Brooker, compiled for the register application by Callawassie resident Francesca Denton.

The sugar mill joins 101 other island sites on the National Register of Historic Places. "Callawassie Island has a very long-standing and interesting history," Estes said. "This is just one piece of it."