Published: July 16, 2008 12:24 pm         

Silk mill

It stands abandoned, but far from forgotten

When Allegany High School history students published their marvelous book about the former Lonaconing Silk Mill 11 years ago, we hoped it would stir interest in what truly is a time capsule left from a vanished industrial age.

Like the legendary sailing ship, "Mary Celeste," which was found abandoned with food on still on the dinner plates of its passengers and crew, the mill still shows signs that those who once worked there simply dropped what they were doing and left more than half a century ago.

Its owners have tried in vain to attract the attention of those who might restore it, but time is running out. They may soon sell it to the highest salvage builder. That would be a shame, although we can't say that we blame them. One can lose money out of sentiment for only so long.

The Lonaconing silk mill is the last one standing in the United States. The sawtooth building attached to the Footer Dye Works in Cumberland is in far worse shape than the silk mill, but has drawn far more attention..

That could change, because visitors from Japan - which has a tradition with the silk industry that's older than the United States itself - visited the Lonaconing mill and were astonished by it. Our silk mill may once have had a business partnership with a historic silk mill in Japan. Efforts are being made to verify that link, which could lead to the mill's receiving world heritage status and eligibility for international funding.

All this is still a big "maybe," and nothing may come of it. But we also watched for decades while the grand old Bedford Springs Resort in nearby Pennsylvania fell further into ruin. Now, it has been restored to its former magnificence.

There's still time and hope for the Lonaconing Silk Mill. Let's not give up on it yet.