Continuing my plan to walk Atlanta’s neighborhoods, in January, my randomizer chose NPU D, which is in northwest Atlanta near the Chattahoochee River. After doing some scouting along Google Street View, I chose Whittier Mill Village.
Whittier Mill Village was established to house workers of the Whittier Textile Mill. In 1895, Whittier Cotton Mills of Lowell, Massachusetts expanded operations to the South. Choosing Atlanta, mill houses were constructed that workers could rent for $1 per week. The village expanded in the 1920s.
Like so much manufacturing in the United States, the mill closed in the 1970s. the area gradually fell into decline. Most of the mill buildings were demolished in 1988 after arson attempts. The remains of the carpenters’ shop and the mill tower still stand, so if you are looking for brick ruins, head here.
