The historic town of Camden is undergoing a major loss.

The DeRoyal Textile Mill, formerly the Hermitage Cotton Mill, burned nearly to the ground around 11 p.m. on Sept. 20. The mill was built in the 1890s at 125 York St. by three local businessmen and transitioned into new ownership in the late 1990s.

The former mill had been vacant for several years. No one was in the building during the time of the fire.

Camden Fire Chief Eddie Gardner said first responders reacted quickly and worked all night to contain the fire. Firefighters from several surrounding cities came to help as well.

“The most encouraging thing from the fire was seeing the outpouring support for our firefighters,” said Camden mayor Vincent Sheheen.

The building was divided into the A, B, C, and D sections. The C and D section of the building suffered the most damage.

“This is the biggest fire I’ve seen here at Camden for 35 years,” Gardner said.

“We knew that the building was in pretty bad shape so we couldn’t do an interior or offensive attack,” Gardner said, “… We had to put up master streams from our ladder trucks and put water on the building from above.”

The former mill was not insured, and members of the community have been questioning the routine maintenance of the building.

The building was discussed before the fire as the home to apartments or condos.

“I have always looked at it as kind of a historic monument, but also an opportunity for the future,” the mayor said. “… So I was really devastated.”

“The past reflects on what’s going on today, and I believe that the loss of the mill is a great loss to Camden,” said Jimmy Garner, an electrical employee of the cotton mill during the ’70s. 

The community came together with food and moral support as members grieve memories of the mill.

The South Carolina Law Enforcement Division said it is still investigating the cause of the fire.

The building’s future remains up in the air.

“My job as the mayor is to try to help chart a vision for these important parts of our community,” Sheheen said. “So that’s what I’ll be doing from here on out.”