In this episode I talk to Scott Withrow, who co-taught a course on Lost Communities with me at Furman University. Scott lends his expertise on the ghost town of Willington.

Leegstadt Scale for Ghost Towns, developed by Dave Baker

• Type A: A completely barren site with no remnants remaining to suggest a town, community, or village of any type ever existed here.
• Type B: A site of rubble and roofless buildings remaining with no obvious population or a location marked with only a sign noting that something once existed.
• Type C: A Cemetery (may or may not have a sign, and may or may not share the same name of the community), church, creamery, bridge, mill, fort or other civic indicator remains to mark where a town, or village existed. These can be representative of a township so long as it is no further than one mile from the site.
• Type D: A semi-abandoned community. Site may have a few residences but all commercial and industrial buildings are abandoned.
• Type E: A historic Community. Site may have some residences and fewer than ten commercial and industrial buildings that are in use.
• Type F: A restored, fabricated, or semi-dilapidated community maintained as an attraction or within a park.
• Type G: Integrated Community: The site was either annexed into a neighboring community or is presently a location where new homes or buildings occupy the site of a former town.

In addition to these types, Baker further defines a ghost town as to whether or not it was ever incorporated as an actual town.

• Group 1: A formerly platted and incorporated city or town
• Group 2: A formerly platted unincorporated city or town
• Group 3: A formerly non-platted community of industrial or commercial significance (usually related to coal mining or quarries, but there are several towns in the Carolinas centered around other industries such as textiles and logging.)
• Group 4: An informal community, non-platted which surrounded around a central location or locations, examples of these include a school, church, creamery, or railroad station
• Group 5: An informal community created on or centered around private land. May or may not have been subdivided into lots.
• Group 6: A pioneer village having been established within ten years of statehood with no formal recognition otherwise

Resources:

• Midwest Ghost Towns with Dan Cline
• Willington on the Way

Photos:

Sara Jungst in the bookstore with friends

Old Store display in history center

Cowan Family Band

Cowan Instruments

History Center diorama

Old Willington Post Office

Willington Academy Location and Cemetery