Members of the public had the chance to tour the ruins of Canton’s out-of-commission paper mill last week for the first time since it shut down in 2023.
The tour was organized by Haywood County Commission candidate Vicki Hyatt as part of a series of community events highlighting local points of interest. She advertised the tours in her newsletter and on social media and coordinated the mill tour with leadership from Two Banks Development, LLC, a subsidiary of Spirtas International, the company that purchased the property for $3.36 million.
The mill had operated from 1908 until the final whistle in June 2023. It employed generations of Western North Carolinians, providing thousands of families a decent living, but it was also the subject of numerous environmental concerns regarding both air and water quality.
