Upstream: Ogle Mill

77-6 Columbia Manf (Ramseur)

Downstream: Brooklyn Avenue Bridge

Joseph and Janet Scott sold this site to William Allen in 1770 (Fox 1979) and he apparently developed a mill sometime thereafter. Hezekiah Allen and Henry Kivett partnered in 1840 to build a saw mill here and began calling the settlement Allens Falls (Blair 1890). The wooden dam had to be rebuilt several times and was eventually replaced with a 12-foot high stone dam in 1848 (Dunaway 2009). In 1850 the site was converted to a cotton mill by the Columbia Manufacturing Company and the town became known as Columbia (Asheboro Courier 1-18-1918). William Watkins purchased the cotton mill in 1879 and renovated it, renaming the town Ramseur (Blair 1890).

The 1848 stone dam is largely the same dam that stands in Ramseur today, although the sluice gates have been left open and the dam does not impound a large pool now. Apparently new sluices were added sometime in the early 20th century.

A copy of the Interstate Commerce Commission's map of Ramseur can be found here:

http://southern-railway.railfan.net/ay/towns/cr020_ramseur/map_v27b-05_ramseur_bw.jpg

Areas for Research

William Least Heat Moon visited here as described in Blue Highways

Next to the Ramseur Public Library is a local history museum.