Tallassee Mills

The Milford Textile Mill, also tied to the historic Mount Vernon Mills complex, stands abandoned on the east bank of the Tallapoosa River in Tallassee, just off Lower Tuskegee Road. The mill site is one of the oldest textile operations in the country, with roots in the 1840s Tallassee Falls Manufacturing Company that produced cloth and Confederate war goods during the Civil War, and ran continuously until 2005. A major fire in 2016 and later demolition took down much of the complex, but many concrete mill buildings still stand today looking weathered and overgrown along the riverbank. This set of industrial ruins make a fun abandoned photography adventure. The standout is the tall blocky concrete mill building with its rows of broken windows, best shot from County Road 51 / Lower Tuskegee Road where you can frame the full height against the sky, ideally with low side light across the stained concrete. The river and the nearby railroad bridge give wider views, with overcast or golden light both suiting the decayed mood. Important cautions: this is fenced private property in a partly demolished and unstable state, so shoot from the public road, follow posted signage, and watch your footing near the fence line and brush. Site conditions may change if cleanup and redevelopment resume, so the scene to differ from older photos. (Tallassee, Alabama, United States)