| The oldest mill in Belmont, North Carolina still stands today. Almost one hundred and fifteen years old, the Chronicle Mill has made a legacy for the small town of Belmont, establishing a sense of community and identity for its people. At one time, the mill was the nexus of life for Belmont, as people migrated from the fields into the factory. However, Belmont's history, identity and historic landscape face a new challenge in the wake of urban sprawl. As more people move to Belmont, the established sense of identity is re-envisioned. Historic structures, such as the Chronicle, root identity and orient space. Thus, preserving the historic built environment protects our history, memory, and sense of identity. This thesis argues for continued preservation of the Chronicle Mill because of its significance. The Chronicle encompasses the history of the town, connects two commercial districts of Belmont, and serves a repository of memory and sense of place. To allow the Chronicle to fall in disrepair would perpetuate the formation of a "placeless society," one devoid of its history and identity. Informed by the scholarship of preservationist, historians, architects, and philosophers, this thesis expounds upon the study of memory and the preservation of the built environment. |
