One of the oldest and largest textile mills in the state during the antebellum period, the Saluda Factory was built of local granite and completed around 1830. One of the interesting aspects of the mill was that slave labor was used to operate it during this period. During the Civil War, the factory was a large producer of cloth used for Confederate uniforms. Near the mill were other businesses including a general store, gristmill, tavern, and several boarding houses. The Federal troops set fire to the factory and it burned to the ground. The ruins are still visible from the Garden’s Woodland Walk.