Old Mill festival celebrates volunteers who rebuilt after flood

After months of rebuilding flood-damaged shops in the Old Mill on Lexington’s Main Street, business owners gave thanks to community volunteers with food, music and games Sunday.

About 2,000 volunteers banded together to help with repairs after the flood, according to Kevin Thumpston, pastor of Watershed Fellowship Church at Old Mill.

“We just want to say thank you to everybody that really helped out,” Thumpston said. “I think the whole community wanted to see us rally back and make it.”

Not everything is as it was before the flood, Thumpston said. Rainy Day Pal Books moved from the mill’s lower level to an upstairs spot, and a few businesses decided not to come back at all – but that allowed the church to double its space upon moving back in.

After a church service Sunday morning, festival-goers enjoyed free food, live music, inflatable carnival games and a dunking booth until 4 p.m.

Columbia resident Bill McGuire, 49, brought his 8-year-old twins Beckett and Will out to enjoy the activities.

“We’re out just to see the place back up and running,” he said. “It’s nice to see everybody out. It looks great – we were worried it wouldn’t be open for a long time. We’re happy to see it back.”

The Old Mill was built in the 1890s and was home of the Lexington Manufacturing Company. Repair work started as soon as flood waters receded.

This story was originally published March 6, 2016 at 5:17 PM.