Bibb Company (Columbus Plant), Thirty-eighth Street & First Avenue (Columbus vicinity), Columbus, Muscogee County, GA

Significance: The main building of this operating textile mill extends a remarkable 1010 feet east from a bluff overlooking the Chattahoochee River. Until 1954 an American system of rope drive, turned directly by water turbines, powered portions of the original section of the main mill. Much of the rope drive equipment can still be seen in the pulley house and rope tower. The town of Bibb City, established in 1903, surrounds the mill. The history of the mill and village reflects a strong paternalist management typical of many rural Southern mills.

Survey number: HAER GA-12

Building/structure dates: 1901 Initial Construction

Building/structure dates: 1916 Subsequent Work

Building/structure dates: 1920 Subsequent Work

textile mills wooden buildings manufacturing war world war ii war world war i textile industry strikes textile industry railroad companies electric utilities depressions automobile industry columbus ga bibb bibb company columbus plant columbus plant thirty eighth thirty eighth street first avenue columbus vicinity muscogee muscogee county georgia william d anderson h s colbath hugh m comer j f hanson historic american engineering record g gunby jordan j b karfunkle barbara a kimmelman jet lowe john s lupold r b newton walter rigby david sharpe photo ultra high resolution high resolution manufacturing plants power plants power generation library of congress electric generating plant electric power

1901

Library of Congress

http://www.loc.gov/

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