Happy 7 years to Rock Hill's historic Pump House
Congrats on 7 years to The Pump House, an iconic riverfront restaurant towering five stories above the banks of the Catawba River!
HISTORY OF THE PUMP HOUSE
What now is a white tablecloth destination restaurant used to be owned by the Celanese Corporation. They picked the Catawba River specifically for its third cellulose acetate plant, Celanese Celriver Plant, that manufactured synthetic fibers that could be made into silk-like fabric for clothing.
The plant opened in 1948, bringing thousands of jobs to the area in a post World War ll landscape. It pumped water 24/7 to power and cool the operation. It's five pumps funneled water to the filtering facility on the property, which was not only used in their cafeteria and wastewater operations, but it also fueled their private power station to make steam that generated electricity to run the plant.
Sixty years later, Celriver closed in 2005. The main buildings were demolished but the pump house remained. After being sold with the land that would soon become Riverwalk Carolinas, partners Colby Mosier and Elliott Close purchased the building in 2014. Following extensive renovations and restoration, they partnered with Charlotte restauranteurs Jeff and Paula Conway to make The Pump House the one-of-a-kind restaurant that it is today.
The original structure doubled in size to house the state-of-the-art kitchen and dining rooms. The bow-shaped western wall remains as a safety nod in response to the devastating 1916 flood. In addition to modern upgrades, they salvaged original heart pine from Greenville's Monaghan Mill cotton warehouse for the interior and display Catawba Native American pottery to recognize region's historic craftsmanship.
In the main dining area you'll find a custom 987-bottle wine cooler made by European woodworker Viorel Teodorovici. Climb to the fourth floor private dining space that overlooks the main dining room and Catawba River, and even higher to the rooftop for a bar, fire place, and indoor and outdoor seating so you can catch a breeze along with stunning river views.
575 Herrons Ferry Road
Rock Hill, SC 29730
(803) 329-8888
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References:
The Rock Hill Pump House, https://rockhillpumphouse.com, and "Celriver: The Knowledge Park of its day," Don Worthington, The Herald, September 2005.
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