Construction
The Augusta Canal was greatly enlarged in 1875 in order to promote industrial development (Cashin, 136-144). After the successful opening of the Enterprise Mill in 1878, the Sibley Manufacturing Company was chartered in 1880. Jones S. Davis, the superintendent and architect of the Enterprise, was hired to organize the new mill. He soon produced drawings of a , three-story, 24,000-spindle factory with highly ornamental architecture. Funding was raised from investors in Augusta, Savannah, Charleston, New York, and Cincinnati, Ohio (HAER, 2). Named after the cotton broker, businessman, and civic leaderArchitecture
The elaborately decorated exterior of the four story building has been described as 'eclectic' and 'neo-gothic'. Two towers, one containing the bell and the other a water tank, form the central feature. The center of each wing is ornamented by a colorful cast iron coat of arms of the Sibley Family which includes the saying, ''Esse quam videri'', meaning "To be, rather than just seem" (Sibley 1908, 33). Tall iron finials crown each of these features. The entire roof line is attractively crenelated, as is the office building in front. The tall chimney in front is a relic of the Confederate Powderworks and has no manufacturing function. It is not known why so much effort was put into appearance, and the King Mill which followed shortly is quite austere. The interior is typical of any other textile mill of the period (HAER, 8).Business History
The mill opened with disappointing results in a time of overcapacity, nevertheless in 1884 additional machinery was purchased to bring the complement to 35,136 spindles and 672 looms. Automatic sprinklers were installed after a fire and consequent two-month shutdown to repair damage. More machinery and higher demand increased the mill's cotton consumption from in 1883 to in 1894. In 1895, machinery was further increased to 40,250 spindles and 1,109 looms. The mill came to be regarded as a well managed and profitable operation, and its reputation was enhanced by its physical appearance (HAER, 5). The mill's sound management broke down after the retirement of William C. Sibley in 1896. Sales fell below capacity in 1911. An attempt to recruit immigrant labor from the north failed, as most of these workers left after only a few days. In 1914 the mill was criticised for lack of reinvestment in new machinery. The mill's status in the community declined as the city tried to reposition its image from "the Lowell of the South" to "the Garden City of the South" in order to attract northern winter tourists (HAER, 10). In 1921 controlling interest was sold to theClosure
When observed in 1977, the mill manufactured denim for Levi-Strauss, using 32,700 spindles and 634 looms to produce 22 million pounds of product per year (HAER, 11). In 1999, carding and spinning operations were discontinued (The Augusta Chronicle, 3 September 1999). Denim finishing continued until 2006, when the mill shuttered completely and all processing equipment was removed. Pressure from foreign competition was cited as a cause, as well as the 2005 Graniteville train derailment disaster which damaged upstream processing in Aiken County, South Carolina (Augusta Chronicle, 30 June 2006).New Purpose
In 2010 the idle Sibley Mill was purchased by the Augusta Canal Authority, which continued to operate the hydropower unit (Augusta Chronicle, 31 August 2010). The Authority marketed the site for redevelopment, and in conjunction with environmental testing and remediation of the grounds, obtained approval for the site under the Brownfield Program pursuant to Georgia's Hazardous Site Reuse and Redevelopment Act (The Augusta Chronicle, 10 September 2010 and 23 February 2010). In 2011 a Kroc Center was completed directly across the Augusta Canal, with architectural elements complementing the Sibley Mill (Augusta Kroc Center web site ... About Us). On May 4, 2016 The Augusta Canal Authority announced a 75-year lease of Sibley Mill to Cape Augusta, LLC. Cape Augusta is in the process of developing a commercial and residential mixed-use development. Current tenants include Cape Augusta, LLC, Corsica Technologies, Cyberworks Academy, and M Communications. Planned future development of a hotel at Sibley Mill is currently under consideration. In 2018 Cape Augusta expanded its development project with the purchase of the adjacent King Mill. Cape Augusta has announced an apartment development of over 250 units to begin at King Mill in 2020. The Canal Authority will continue to own and operate the hydropower plants at both King and Sibley Mills, providing Cape Augusta with electricity and water to power and cool electronic equipment.References
* * Includes reprints of HAER documentation. * * * * * * *External links
* {{Augusta, Georgia Augusta Canal National Heritage Area Buildings and structures in Augusta, Georgia Cotton mills in the United States Historic American Engineering Record in Georgia (U.S. state) History of Augusta, Georgia