BLEACHERY HERITAGE PLAZA
The Rock Hill Printing and Finishing Company opened in 1929 and became the largest cloth printing and finishing company in the world. Called The Bleachery, because bleaching cloth is the first stage in the printing process, the company employed almost 5,000 people at its height in the late 1950’s. The company was a significant economic, social, and geographic hub for the textile industry. It was often stated that more American flags were printed in Rock Hill than anywhere else.
The Bleachery Heritage Plaza came to fruition through a landscape design and fabrication process led by Studio Dickey in partnership with TG&R Landscape Group. The historic brick archway to the factory’s front door, bearing the name Rock Hill Finishing and Printing Company, announces the entrance to the plaza and large pieces of machinery stand proudly along the walkway while interactive rocking chairs activate the space. Today, the Bleachery Heritage Plaza is the heart of University Center and a modern re-imagining of the historic Bleachery site.
Client: Rock Hill Economic and Urban Development