108 replies to this topic

[seicer]

This 10,000 acre complex, mothballed in 1992, contains numerous power plants, manufacturing facilities, houses, warehouses and bunkers. Portions are being demolished under controlled fires - 6 per weekend depending on wind conditions - due to explosive residue still remaining in many industrial structures.

This gallery showcases a Cold War era section of the complex. Built between 1976 and 1986, it was mothballed never to be used in full-scale production. Up until 1996, it was tested yearly so that it could be put back into operation at a moment's notice, but now even the electricity has been turned off.

Fire escapes are slides. There are false walls in front of loading bays. The buildings are on reinforced concrete slabs with reinforcements all around. Huge rotating cameras glare over every entrance, every ladder, and every staircase. And no vandalism or age-related damage whatsoever.

Article with many photographs --
http://www.abandoned...x.php?catid=153

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1. "Colored" bathhouse. What formerly was labeled for "colored" people had the sign removed since this portion of the complex is being readapted.


2. "UE"


3.


4. Endless conveyors run all over this complex.


5. Kind of errie...


6. Red dot.


7.


8.


Enjoy this gallery and be sure to read up the history on Abandoned!

[seicer]

February 2007 Updates to Abandoned
Notice: Abandonedonline.com will soon redirect to Abandonedonline.net on February 14. My former host for the domain, Sprintserve, is holding my domain name essentially hostage and is refusing to allow me access to my own domain. The .com will redirect until it expires later this year.

A new gallery containing 18 photographs was added to the Peter's Cartrdige Company - Surrounding Area page. Added by M.C. Flash, it contains photographs from an old ammunitions factory only minutes from King's Island. Also added were 8 new photographs regarding Heritage Park in New York state from Dougtone.

Trying to get over my winter blues, I began adding extensive content and history to several locations. The first update regards Mount Alburn, Cincinnati, Ohio page, also known as "The Hole." Commentary was added, along with additional history. Updates and additional information was added to the Sears Department Store in downtown Ashland, Kentucky, which will soon be undergoing renovations. Similarly, updates were provided to the Carlyle Labold Tile and Brick Company location, which was just recently demolished for an intermodal transfer center, and to the Best Western Gateway Hotel, where extensive history was added. Ditto to the Kyova Mall which went through a makeover. Cleanup work at the Stearns and Foster Company, Hotel West Virginian and Crestview Hills Mall pages brought them to a more readable format.

Enjoy these updates and keep watching! More content additions will be added soon.

[seicer]

Remastered: Waverly Hills Tuberculosis Hospital

The original set of Waverly Hills Tuberculosis Hospital photographs were taken on November 9, 2003 using a Nikon Coolpix 7500. My photography skills were not the greatest, however, I have remastered some of the more noteworthy images, correcting the tilt and doing color adjustments. I tried to salvage as much as I could; all were taken in JPEG originally, but I tried to minimize the artifacts in the images. Here is a batch that were corrected --

Dining Hall



Kitchen


First floor
The following two images were never added, so they are available for the first time



Second floor


Exteriors







Comments welcome! Enjoy, and hopefully soon I can get another batch up!

[rnc]

That is an awesome building and cool pics.  I read a little about that place after seeing the pictures.  Spooky.  I had no idea that was in Louisville.

[seicer]

rnc, on Feb 16 2007, 10:53 AM, said:

That is an awesome building and cool pics.  I read a little about that place after seeing the pictures.  Spooky.  I had no idea that was in Louisville.

Abandoned's entry has some history and future use. It's a really interesting building, and its history after closure is even more bizarre...

[dgreco]

awesome pictures.

[seicer]

Abandoned profiles three hospitals for February 2007!

Abandoned spotlights three significant hospitals in the Mid-Atlantic! The first is Metro General Hospital which formerly served many of the underprivilaged in Nashville, Tennessee, merged with George W. Hubbard Hospital due to a major glut of patient rooms in the region. Today, the former hospital site is undergoing revitalization. While much of the campus was demolished, three primary and historic buildings were spared the wrecking ball and are being gutted for repurposing. The Rolling Hill Mill development, so named for the corn mills that were once located in the area, will convert the former hospital site into a mixed use community on the banks of the Cumberland River. With the land being very close to downtown Nashville, it is hoped that this once landmark institution can continue to serve the city well into the 21st century. Read more about the hospital's history at the Metro General Hospital on Abandoned!

Speaking of repurposing, it seems as if Weston State Hospital is seeing some daylight at the end of its dark and rather stormy past. From a Civil War that held up construction to fires and extreme overcrowding, the once 'remote' asylum for the insane in West Virginia now stands essentially frozen in suspended animation. Recent renovations have stablized the roof and improvements are being considered to restore the large hospital into a 'National Museum of the Civil War', among other uses. You can find out more on the expanded Weston State Hospital page!

And last but not least, the Portland Marine Hospital is undergoing interior renovations in the Portland neighborhood of Louisville, Kentucky. The last of its kind of the nation, it once addressed the health needs of seaman on the Western inland waterways and was a prototype for others across the country. After many decades of disuse, its exterior was renovated to its 1900-era appearance. Work still continues on this grand three-story structure with the hope that it can become a museum and a place of 'medicine and health education'. Find out more on this at the freshened Portland Marine Hospital page!

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Numerous features have been added to Abandoned. Under user profiles, you now have the option of updating your location seperated by city and state. You can also now search for other users with a similar city, state, interest or occupation. Other improvements were implemented as well, including location search by city or state. Keyword tagging will soon be placed on the site, so stay tuned!

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Enjoy!

[suburban george3]

seicer, on Feb 15 2007, 10:50 PM, said:

Remastered: Waverly Hills Tuberculosis Hospital

The original set of Waverly Hills Tuberculosis Hospital photographs were taken on November 9, 2003 using a Nikon Coolpix 7500.

Cool shots!  Wasn't this a location for Ghost Hunters on Sci Fi??

[seicer]

Yes it was, and for MTV's 'Fear' -- although the hospital was renamed for the filming.

[seicer]

Here are additional photographs that were remastered from the original image files taken on November 9, 2003. The photographs, taken with my Nikon Coolpix 4500, were digitally enhanced using Adobe Photoshop CS3 to correct numerous flaws. Enjoy this set of Waverly Hills Tuberculosis Hospital!

Colored Doors


Look down


Going down


This is where the elevator control room was located at.


In the following two photographs, imagine a playground located here at one time, surrounded by a high fence.



Baked


Patient rooms
Patient rooms were on the left. They were wheeled out into the hallway where they would be bathed in sunlight, a 'remedy' in the days before medicinal treatments.


The desolate hallway

[seicer]

Exterior goodness photo gallery
Old Taylor Distillery

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Old Taylor Distillery is located adjacent to the Old Crow Distillery on Glenn's Creek just outside of the capital of Kentucky. Constructed by E.H. Taylor, Jr. in 1887, Taylor was a leader in the whiskey industry in the state. When the Old Taylor Distillery was constructed, it was considered a showcase of bourbon making in the entire state. Pergolas, reflecting pools, stone bridges, gazebos and castle-like buildings adorned with turrets surrounded the property, giving it a charming feeling. The main structure was constructed entirely of limestone. Inside the building were gardens and rooms where Colonel Taylor would entertain guests and important officials from the capital.

Much of the Old Taylor Distillery is still intact today after it closed in the late-1980's. Here are some scenes from the exterior.

1. Established in 1887, Old Taylor was located only minutes from Frankfort via rail.


2.


3. Dead.


See the URL's above for the remainder of the history about Old Taylor and for more photographs! Enjoy this small narrative on this mostly-forgotten relic in central Kentucky.

[seicer]

Exploring rural West Virginia

Along the one-lane Lansing-Edmond road, which parallels the New River Gorge in Fayette County, is this quaint two family house. Unsure if it is actually abandoned, it features newer porch posts and deck and furniture on the inside. The yard is certainly unkempt, however, along with the falling-apart barn, roof and drive.




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Lansing, West Virginia once boasted a gas station and general store, but all that is left is a scattering of homes and ruins.



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Fayette, located along the banks of the New River in the shadow of the New River Gorge Bridge (US 19), there is nothing more than ruins today.

This coal loading tower is pretty much all that is left of Fayette. A mine was located above the tower on the hillside, and pulverized coal was loaded onto the spur in the background. A water tower was located behind the coal loading tower, although it is gone today.





Prince today is home to an art-deco train station, but in its more vibrant past, it hosted company stores, a freight depot and dozens of residences. Opened on June 26, 1946, this art-deco train depot still serves the Amtrak Cardinal line several days a week. The overhang of the waiting platform was designed to be oriented in reference to the meridional position of the sun. During the summer, the station provides relief to the passengers who wait for the train, but during the winter, it provides bountiful sun rays.



These non-functional lights were even designed in the art-deco sense.



See the following URLs for more information --
Coal camp towns of Fayette County, West Virginia
Rural houses of West Virginia

More extensive writeups on each town will be coming soon, along with more photographs! Stay tuned.

[seicer]

Hayswood Hospital at Maysville

Hayswood Hospital, located in Maysville, Kentucky, overlooks the central business district and the Ohio River. Picturesque views are afforded from all three sides, from the historic row houses to the looming churches, the patients had scenes that were unmatched.

It was constructed in the 1800s originally as the Wilson Infirmary, operated by May Peale Wilson, until 1908 (2). Soon after May Wilson's death in 1908, the Infirmary closed and was subsequently demolished. Construction began on the new Hayswood Hospital in 1915; two additions in 1925 and 1971 expanded the operations along the hillside. The landlocked and geographically-challenged hospital closed in 1983 after Meadowview Regional Medical Center opened on the outskirts of the city.

Currently, the city of Maysville is exploring the possibility of converting the structurally-sound multi-story building into apartments that would compliment the surrounding neighborhoods. Currently owned by Ester Johnson, it was acquired in 1994 at public auction; subsequently, Classic Properties was established to oversee the building. In 1999, Johnson announced plans for renovations through Classic Properties, although financing troubles kept any renovation project at bay. During this time, another Classic Property, the former Maysville High School, was renovated into apartments. The former school is often cited as a model for what the former hospital could be.

Be sure to check out the Hayswood Hospital page at Abandoned for more updates, and for more photographs! Here are a few that I would like to share --

"Extended stay"



Doesn't this remind you of an insane asylum, with its hospital green colors?

"The long road"



Straight from the X-Files!

"Lobby"


Enjoy this set!

[tombarnes]

Absolutely incredible shots.  Thanks for your documentation.  I have been trying to research the history of a West Virginia coal town called Kayford in Kanawha County.  Have you heard of it?  Sadly, I don't think that there in much left of this town except for Larry Gibson's cabin and the cemetery on Kayford Mountain.  I recall a bittersweet story on CBS News years ago about the town's decline.  That is why I had done a little research.  Unfortunately, I think that most of the town  simply fell down or burned due to underground coal fires.  I've even corresponded with a few former residents of the town, thinking of doing a freelance article.  I haven't had the time or the ability to get out there.  Just wondering if you had heard of the place.  Its history seems to encapsulate the tragedy of West Virginia coal mining very neatly.

[tombarnes]

I've also been through Prince on the Cardinal and remember wondering what on Earth an Art Deco station was doing in the middle of West Virginia.  I hope it survives (and the Cardinal too!).

[seicer]

I couldn't find any in the books that I have about the coal towns of West Virginia. Do you know where it is on a topo map service, like Acme Mapper?

As for the depot, it is in line for renovations thankfully. Hopefully the lights can be replaced with replicas as the current stock are non-functional and rusting.

[dgreco]

Alcatraz Island.  Was an interesting trip inside ... definately one of the coolest things, I have done.

[dgreco]

[seicer]

Parker Tobacco Company

What was once a small tobacco redrying and threshing plant, soon became a large tobacco leaf purchasing, processing, marketing and commercial storage operation. In the 1970s, it expanded with operations in Brazil. It later became incorporated as an international company, exporting tobacco to much of Europe, Asia, Africa and South America. It's downfall began in the early 1990s with the development of financial issues, that was later compounded with the burley cooperative refused to participate with Parker Tobacco due to quality issues. It processed little to no tobacco in 1995 and 1996, and was forced into Chapter 11 in 1997. The facilities were auctioned one year later.

Conveyor


Warp back in time!


This photograph brought to you by...


I went apecrap with the macro...


Laboratory


This thing is just to awesome to not use!


With the closure of the Parker Tobacco Company, over one-dozen warehouses now sit idle and decaying. Downtown business has pretty much dried up, evident from the many empty storefronts or the "Going out of business!" sales. Downtown streetscape renovations can only help out so much, but with little industry left, the city needs to focus its efforts into attracting a big tenant.

Edited by seicer, 02 April 2007 - 07:25 PM.

[dgreco]

awesome pictures seicer, the macro keys picture is cool.