Abandoned Places- The Old Snuff Mill

One could drive through Yorklyn and not even know that you've passed through-- other than a few houses, and an old-fashioned non-descript post office, the most noticeable thing about Yorklyn is the abandoned NVF plant and the broken down red brick buildings of what once was Garrett Snuff Mills.

What is a snuff mill? According to online resources, snuff is a pulverized tobacco product that is inhaled through one of the nostrils so as to get a swift kick of nicotine. Use of snuff dates back to Europe where in the 1500's it came into use and was hailed as having medicinal properties. The word snuff comes from the Dutch word "snuif" (oh how proud I am of my landsmen!). Snuff was widely used in Europe by the aristocracy and came to America by way of John Rolfe (husband of Pocahontas). Snuff mills were a lucrative business back in the day.. but now, they represent a time gone by and are mostly abandoned places...

Abandoned Places- NVF Plant in Yorklyn

Abandoned places usually have a mysterious story. They can look ugly or menacing, or, as in the case of the abandoned NVF plant in Yorklyn, it can look oddly artistic in the midst of a bucolic setting.

While manufacturing created the American middle class, what's left behind when plants shut down is another story entirely. In the case of this site, it's slowly being demolished under a superfund order. 

Part of this site sits on a historic area that was once known as the Garrett Snuff Mill. 

Makes me wonder to what extent leaving behind toxic chemicals is this plant's legacy...