Pacolet, South Carolina
I’ve written about this before (In Search of Phantom Stairs, August 24, 2008.) There is something intriguing about old masonry. This is especially true of recognizable structures such as stairs, columns, and walls. While it’s cool to find a pile of rubble or old road bed or foundation in a field, a standing remnant goes beyond that. You can tell that something was here – something with intent and purpose. It’s the discovery of those ruins, as well as the exploration of what had been there that keeps me going on these photo treks For this particular photo trek I headed out across Spartanburg County, and found a wealth of such masonic hints of the past.
I was partly inspired by fellow explorer Mark Elbrecht’s recent trek to the Whitestone community and his explorations of the old Whitestone Springs Resort (Part 1, Part 2.) Mark had done an excellent job covering that area, so I didn’t want to repeat his trip (although I may check those spots out later.) My trek would take me across Spartanburg with a dip into Union and Cherokee Counties. Truth be told, I only had a vague idea where I was headed, and that was a problem. By omitting some additional preliminary research I just missed out on some very cool spots. More on that later, but for now, here’s what I found…