The South Carolina Heritage Corridor extends for 240 miles from the Blue Ridge Mountains to the Lowcountry in Charleston. Established by Congress in 1996, the corridor features entire communities where individuals, businesses and local governments have come together to preserve their special landscapes and natural heritage. Along this route sightseers may discover a variety of the state's historic sites and the natural beauty of the land.
   With development of the cotton gin in 1793 and the South's one-crop economy solidified, Cyrus McCormick saw the advantage of a thriving cotton industry. One of the most familiar names in early farm implements, Cyrus McCormick placed the town of McCormick on the map in 1880. McCormick enticed railroad owners to join the Greenwood and Augusta Railroad and the Savannah Valley Railroad in McCormick, while selling off parcels of land that was once a bonanza for Gold Mine "Billy" Dorn. A steam-powered mill was developed along the tracks to speed up cotton production and distribution. The Dorn Lumber Mill provided sawdust and shavings to feed the steam boilers. By 1883, the town's 200 residents witnessed a highly engineered milling process requiring only two employees to run the plant. At first the cotton seed was a by-product of cotton ginning, but by the 1880s the cotton seed oil industry took hold. The seeds were processed as stock feed, fertilizer, and refined into edible oil. Seed hulls were also used to stuff mattresses and pillows. It took another 40 years and massive cotton crop failures before the South became diversified in its agriculture. By 1920, the Dorn Mill began to grind corn and mill flour, continuing operations into the 40s.
   Today you’ll find the restored Dorn Mill Center with its original machinery and open for tours during the week. Placed on the National Register of Historic Places, the mill center is one of the most complete historic industrial complexes in the state.

     Area Map