A tragic loss

By Staff Reports

Enquirer Herald

York has always been proud of its rich heritage.

But a piece of that history went up in flames on April 17 when the century-old Lockmore Mill was engulfed in a fire.

Like the rest of the community, we're saddened by this loss. We also hope someone will pay severely for this tragedy if foul-play was involved.

The fire started abruptly and spread fast. About 50 brave firefighters from York, Clover and Newport tried to save the old cotton mill, but it wasn't enough. Knowing it was a lost cause, we applaud the fire chief's smart thinking to conserve water in this time of drought and let the fire die out on its own.

But last week, the initial shock of the fire turned to anger for many after Fire Chief Domenic Manera declared the fire suspicious. He said the pieces just didn't fall into place, and there are some inconsistencies that don't normally occur with accidental fires.

Who, we ask, would do such a thing? And why?

The red brick mill, which started in 1903, had long been a landmark for the Hunter Street community. It was an economic anchor that became the center of life for those who built a community of modest homes around the mill.

Each mill village -- there were four in York -- had their own store. Families gathered on each other's front porches in the evenings and children grew up walking to school together. They had one thing in common, according to Harmon Merritt: "Mill people never had nothing but love and food."

To make matters worse, the mill, which had been out of operation since the 1960s, was in the midst of a multi-million dollar renovation project when it caught fire. A developer was planning to convert the building into 40 senior apartments. Builders say they'll continue with the project, but it's obvious it won't be the same, and the delay will be costly. Plus, the company was going to fund part of the project with historic property tax credit, but now with the mill lost, it's uncertain if they'll be eligible for the credit.

Perhaps all's not lost with Lockmore. A production crew from the upcoming movie "Gospel Hill" spent two days in York last summer filming on the Lockmore site. The water tower and mill entrance was renamed, "Eastern Carolina Textiles" for the flick starring Danny Glover and Angela Bassett. Hopefully Lockmore's scenes will make the final cut and be preserved on the silver screen.

Meanwhile, authorities are asking anyone with information to call an arson hotline at 1-800-92-ARSON or York Police at 684-4141.