Opened in 1945 and closed in the fall of 2000, there are no plans to re-fire this coal fired power plant. The 4 large boilers stand silent, their companion turbines removed over a decade ago. Older power power plants have been idled over the years, due to the air pollution they generated, many have been torn down, while others wait quietly, likely facing the same fate.
As part of the once bustling industry in the Northeast, there was heavy industry. Specialty metals go in to many products, and they need to be made at factories which focus on these metals. This plant was one of those. Formally a superfund site, it now sits in ruins. Perhaps the most unique sites I’ve visited. There are cavernous empty buildings, abutted to small shops and offices. The offices and shops have tools, papers and catalogs left behind. It is eeire to stand in a room where the lights were turned off and everyone walked out. This facility was demolished in 2022.
In a small town, a block from the river sits an unassuming wooden structure, which time has forgotten. Built in 1913, a flour mill stands as a monument to how things were done a century ago. This electric powered mill replaced the water powered one, which burnt the year before. Unable to meet increasingly stringent food safety standards, flour production ceased in the late 1950s, while the animal feed operation continued for about another decade. Miraculously, the the mill is almost completely intact, as though it could operate again tomorrow.
Founded in 1890, Scranton Lace was the largest manufacturer of Nottingham Lace in the United States for nearly a century. The factory closed in 2002. In the fall of 2018, several sections were demolished as part of a redevelopment effort. Images presented here were captured in the fall of 2017.
Built in 1916 buy the Leigh Valley Railroad, this roundhouse complex hasn’t seen a train in over 50 years. The site has been cleared so soil testing can be completed to facilitate redevelopment for future use.
The Colonie Shops, near Albany, NY, were once one of the largest repair facilities on the Delaware and Hudson Railroad. After the D&H filed for bankruptcy the shops sat mostly unused, and over the years suffered from vandalism and arson. Only a few buildings remain from a once bustling operation. Photographed in June of 2018. As of 2021 the site is being redeveloped, some of the buildings are being repaired for reuse.
The Fisher Body plant is an abandoned automotive factory in Detroit. Sadly, our visit here was short and access to the upper floors was not possible. The first floor was remarkably clean of debris, save the unusual round sinks in the bathrooms and the broken piano. Curiously, broken pianos seem to be common in abandoned buildings. Photographed in June of 2018.
Cape Ann Tool was a foundry in Rockport, Massachusetts. It has been abandoned for over 20 years, and partially demolished as redevelopment plans have stopped and started over the years. Photographed June 2018.
Spanning over 4 million square feet upon completion in 1911, the Packard Plant was notable for its concrete architecture and its size. Its remains now stand as reminder of Detroit’s once-proud past. The complex is slowly under going restoration for reuse, a process that may take a decade or more. These images were captured in June of 2018.
The Fownes Mill in Amsterdam, NY was built in 1926 as a glove manufacturing facility. As with most mills, production moved out of the country, and building fell into disuse. The main mill is mostly empty, however, the Power House is largely intact. A throwback 30 years or more to large bustling facility.
