COLUMBIA – The Palmetto Trust for Historic Preservation announced Tuesday that it has sold the historic Senn Blacksmith Shop and Grist Mill located at 3 Cantey St. in Summerton.
The new owners are Ken Wells and Marion D. Jenkinson IV, who intend to use the mill for their pecan business and to sell pecans in the shop, according to Katie Alice Walker with KAW Communications.
The property, which is more than 100 years old, last operated as a blacksmith shop in 1940. The grist mill operated until 1999, and the property was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2000. The Senn family donated the property to The Palmetto Trust for Historic Preservation, who handled the sale.
“Our family’s property is not just a part of my family history, but also of the history of Clarendon County,” said Jenny Senn Blackmon. “We just didn’t want to see it go to ruin or sell it to someone who would tear it down, and we’re thankful that Palmetto Trust helped find a buyer with interest in preserving it.”
Palmetto Trust Executive Director Michael Bedenbaugh said the organization “likes to match these historic properties with buyers who not only see the value of the real estate, but actually see the property as a business opportunity and will be able to reestablish industry in the property.”
“We are grateful to the Senn Family for entrusting the blacksmith shop and mill to the Palmetto Trust for Historic Preservation and allowing us the opportunity for this special place to once again contribute to the local economy,” Bedenbaugh said. “As we launch our 5 for the Future campaign, where donors can easily contribute $5 per month, to benefit Palmetto Trust, this is exactly the kind of work we want to be doing in giving historic structures new life.”
