Converse is small: a census-designated community of about 534 people in 2020, on 0.7 square miles of eastern Spartanburg County between the city and Cowpens. It is defined by its mill. Clifton Mill No. 3 was built here on the Pacolet River in 1896, destroyed by the 1903 flood, and rebuilt the same year as the four-story brick Converse Mill, named for Dexter Edgar Converse.
The mill stopped running sometime between 1968 and 1973 and sat empty for decades. It was listed on the National Register in 2015 and has since been restored as the Converse Mill Lofts, 173 apartments on Highway 29. Around it is a mix of older mill-era houses and mid-century homes along the highway.
Converse has no town government, so Spartanburg County Building Codes issues permits. Natural gas comes from Piedmont Natural Gas, water from Spartanburg Water, and sewer from the Spartanburg Sanitary Sewer District, which plans around what it calls the Clifton Converse basin. That is a fairly complete set of public utilities for a community this size, and it means most plumbing problems here are on the house side of the meter.
Converse at a glance
- Natural gas
- Piedmont Natural Gas. Piedmont runs mains along the Highway 29 corridor through Converse; homes off the main roads may still be on propane.
- Water
- Spartanburg Water
- Sewer
- Spartanburg Sanitary Sewer District
- Permits
- Spartanburg County Building Codes
- Housing
- Older mill-era houses near the Pacolet River, mid-century homes along Highway 29, and loft apartments in the restored mill.
Plumbing and gas in Converse: what to know
Gas mains along the highway
Piedmont gas mains run along Highway 29 and the roads off it, which is good news if you want a gas range, logs or a tankless water heater. It also means digging near the road needs care. Call SC811 before any digging in the yard; they mark Piedmont's lines up to your meter, and the line from the meter to the house is yours to locate.
Older houses, newer fixes
Mill-era and mid-century houses here have usually been updated in pieces. A common find is copper or PEX in the bathroom that was remodeled, galvanized steel in the walls that were not, and a cast iron drain under the house. Low pressure at one fixture or rust in the first draw of water points to the old galvanized sections.
Sewer laterals near the river
Homes on the slopes down toward the Pacolet River often have long sewer laterals with old clay or cast iron joints. Roots, sagging sections and grease build-up are the usual causes of a main-line backup. If the lowest drain in the house is the one that overflows, the blockage is in the main, not the fixture.
Water heater location in older homes
Older homes often have the water heater in a closet, a crawlspace or an added-on utility room. A replacement has to meet current code where it sits: a drain pan where a leak would cause damage, a relief valve line run to a safe spot, and, for a gas unit, proper venting and enough combustion air.