The most extensive digital repository of the Northeast's historic, at-risk, and overlooked structures, infrastructure, New York City streets, and other locations.
Abandoned Cotton Mill
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Rotten out four story mill.
In before the wrecking balls.
This mill surely did not need an interior demolition of its own because inside the wooden floors had already sagged and caved in from years of decay and neglect. The solid stone walls staying true to the craftsmanship and mortar the bricklayers' hundreds of years ago laid down with expertise and solid workmanship.
Now the structure awaits the fateful day when the demolition crew rides in and delivers its final blow into forgotten history. The ground floor was mostly dark and decayed. A plethora of rotting wood littering the ground. The stairs leading to the first floor revealed there won't be no venturing upstairs. The flooring was completely rotten and caved in. From the steps of the staircase, you could look straight up and see the clouds in the sky. There was no way up without falling right back down to the ground floor.
Ground Floor
Interior
Boiler House Smokestacks
Venturing to an open driveway we located the mills two smokestacks. The boiler house has seen better days. Inside the open space, we found three different car manufacturer brands forlornly sitting side by side. A Pontiac, a Chevrolet pickup, and an unknown truck. It is not unusual to find cars stowed in former mills like these throughout the eastern seaboard. I have found my share of cars in mills and former power plants. It's only recently I found three cars at one site. At most I find one car and usually, it's either wrecked or as these cars here still containing most of its parts intact.
Chevrolet pickup
Pontiac Firebird?
Custom License Plate
Interior of Chevy
Next, A and I ventured inside one of the smokestacks and I attempted to climb to the top. It was only until the 13th rung of the pigeon shit encrusted ladder rungs that one bent backward under the weight of my foot and I immediately headed back down defeated. It would have been a great climb to sit atop a smokestack and take in the oncoming sunset in all its glory minus the mother pigeon watching me faithfully from the 2nd rung. A lone solitary egg sat against the cold inner ledge. I don't think I've seen someone climb a smokestack before in the never ending exploration chase going on numerous social media platforms. It would have been a great notch on my risk taking climbs since last year where I climbed a major bridge linking Manhattan and Brooklyn.
The top of a smokestack would have been a hell of a place to get stuck had the ladder collapsed beneath you. But like you said, the opportunity was absolutely worth giving a try. I'm assuming the other smokestack was in even worse condition or you would have tried to climb it too? I'm new to urban exploration so the most interesting thing I've climbed so far was a large water tank at a power plant. Goals! http://brandtwilliamsphotography.weebly.com/blog
We only climbed the second one on the right. I would have loved to get to the top without incident. But getting stuck on top of a smokestack wouldn't have been a good idea. I didn't even check the status of the first smokestack. Perhaps in the future another smokestack would be climbable. I also have climbed oil tanks too. So far not a water tank. I may in the next few weeks. Found two on one site! Hopeful!
For weeks, I had been orbiting the perimeter of the impending demolition of the Church of St. Michael and St. Edward, a once revered church in the heart of Fort Greene, like a moth drawn to a flame. The neighborhood, a patchwork of tight project housing, seemed indifferent to the fate of this historic edifice. The intel I had received suggested that entry was as simple as scaling a wooden fence, yet the timing had never felt right. Until one day, it did. With a mission in New Jersey looming, I knew it was now or never. The demolition was advancing at a startling pace, the church's twin steeples already reduced to rubble. The skeletal remains of timber beams and rusted steel frames peeked out from the ruins, a testament to the relentless march of progress. Summoning a surge of courage, I seized a moment of quiet in the bustling housing project and vaulted over the fence. My heart pounded in my chest as I slipped unnoticed into the church grounds. The once grand entrance now stood as
Not much I can say about this little gem nestled next to a bridge other than it is heavily polluted. A nice little fun exploration. The boiler and electrical rooms were neat little surprises. Sometimes you find various equipment from all over and even in some cases defunct factories or mills where you have already explored products right up in your face. I nearly went in through an open window but decided against it since I saw an opening while walking up the bridge surveying the property for any viable entrances. A full historical writeup when I reveal its true name. Enjoy!
When I first saw this bridge I knew I had to come back and shoot from various angles. I am glad I did because I am very proud of the aerial photo above. A dreamy water background with fall leaves still floating in the water. Giving it an almost star-like appearance against the vertical juxtaposition of the train bridge. A definite top fave for the year!
EOS 600D/T3i synced with a gorgeous orange Yashinon 50mm. Click to enlarge pictures. A power house pairing. No benchwarmer 1:1.4 Yashica and a EOS T3i/600D. A Yashica Yashinon-DS 50mm 1:1.4 paired w/a EOS 600D. It really has a nice orange tint/glow that makes it magical in its appearance. Today, I shot a few indoor raw JPEG shots inside a doll house with Skylanders Spyro's Adventure and Skylanders Giants figurine characters. I shot at around ISO 800, f/16, neutral picture style, white fluorescent light, exposure compensation +1 and without a tripod. I realized today I need to purchase the MeFoto tripod right away. No editing was done to these photos. Straight from the belly of the EOS 600D. Shots wide open on this lens is incredibly sharp and rich in detail. I can't wait to repair the aperture ring and shoot at f/1.4. I can only dream when that heavenly day comes. Will be doing more testing throughout the week. This was only an indoor studio shot in my bas
The Architecture The property in question encompasses 0.72 acres, bordered by Schenck Avenue to the west, residential properties to the south, Barbey Street to the east, and Atlantic Avenue to the north. This site boasts a rich history of diverse commercial and industrial uses. Dating back to the 1890s, it served as a dairy bottling facility before accommodating companies such as the Royal Plastics Corporation and/or Allied Tile Co. After the cessation of dairy operations, businesses that utilized petroleum products, solvents, and hydraulic fluids occupied the site, leading to subsurface contamination over time. The dairy complex has remained vacant since around 2020, and after the owner of Royal Plastics Company passed away in June 2012, the property's future became uncertain. The current redevelopment plan intends to transform the site into affordable housing. The Empire State Diary is a composite of six structures organized into two roughly symmetrical units, which once housed E
The top of a smokestack would have been a hell of a place to get stuck had the ladder collapsed beneath you. But like you said, the opportunity was absolutely worth giving a try. I'm assuming the other smokestack was in even worse condition or you would have tried to climb it too? I'm new to urban exploration so the most interesting thing I've climbed so far was a large water tank at a power plant. Goals!
ReplyDeletehttp://brandtwilliamsphotography.weebly.com/blog
We only climbed the second one on the right. I would have loved to get to the top without incident. But getting stuck on top of a smokestack wouldn't have been a good idea. I didn't even check the status of the first smokestack. Perhaps in the future another smokestack would be climbable. I also have climbed oil tanks too. So far not a water tank. I may in the next few weeks. Found two on one site! Hopeful!
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