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Showing posts from June, 2024

Gloversville Continental Mills

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After the Fire: What Remains of Gloversville Continental Mills A Field of Bricks The bricks were everywhere. Not stacked, not standing. Just scattered across the ground like something vast had simply let go. What used to be Mill No. 3 of the former Gloversville-Continental Mills now spread out before me like a field of rubble, stretching from Beaver Street all the way back to the Cayadutta Creek bank. Thousands of bricks, the same ones that had held this building upright through more than a century of American manufacturing history, lay in random heaps with nowhere left to go. In one corner, pressed against a sealed-off wall, sat what remained of steel beams, HVAC machinery, and other miscellaneous load-bearing beams and the remains of 40 historical knitting machines. The fire had taken everything soft about them. What was left were twisted red-brown skeletons of rust and charred metal, piled on top of each other like they had tried to hold on and failed. Standing there in the ...
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Chinatown's Doyers Street 'Rice Terraces' Mural

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  Three years have passed since this street alley, then a vibrant canvas of explosive colors, first dazzled our social media feeds in 2021. At that time, its striking transformation evolved into a visual symphony that captures the essence of urban artistry. As I finally share my photographs and reflections on this phenomenon, it's evident that New York City should embrace more of these expressive and entertaining artistic endeavors. Such projects not only captivate but also inspire countless individuals to witness their splendor firsthand. Art holds an indispensable role in society, particularly in times that call for deeper introspection, love, community, and openness. Amid the backdrop of global upheavals—chaotic uprisings, protests, political coups, inflation, joblessness, xenophobia, mass migration, and endless wars—the need for art becomes even more pronounced. In these turbulent times, we all need a moment to pause, breathe, and internalize the transformative power of art, of...
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Wolff-Alport Chemical Company Demolished For Cleanup

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  It was a quiet afternoon, just over a month ago, when I set out to explore one of New York City's last remaining Superfund sites—a relic from an era when the city played a clandestine role in nuclear weapons production. This long-abandoned facility, hidden within the urban sprawl, had been slated for demolition for years, yet it stood stubbornly untouched until now. My journey took me to the terminus of Irving Avenue, where it meets Moffat Street. Here, amidst a subtle curve, lay a surprisingly tranquil industrial pocket—an urban explorer’s dream. The lack of foot traffic and the general stillness of the area made it an ideal spot for discreet investigation. Standing before the site, I was tempted to scale the tall green barriers that marked its perimeter. These fences, familiar from countless other urban explorations, usually posed little deterrent. But this location was different. The threat here wasn't merely physical; it was radiological. The site was contaminated with ra...
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Location: 11-27 Irving Ave, Flushing, NY 11385, USA
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Former Crown Heights Consumers Park Brewery

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  In the annals of exploration, there are triumphs and then there are the tales that find their place in the losing column, etched as reminders of what might have been. Such is the story of my failed attempts to witness firsthand the historical significance of two cherished hometown landmarks in 2023. Among them stands the Empire State Dairy on Atlantic Avenue, a place steeped in the essence of bygone eras, where my endeavors ended in frustration and missed opportunity. The second of my momentous failures unfolded within the walls of the Empire State Dairy . I hope others managed to breach its confines, while my own infiltration efforts fell short, leaving me estranged from its secrets. I lingered in my absence until news reached me, like an echo of finality, that the property was slated for redevelopment. It was a bitter realization, underscored by the fervent new buildings going up all over New York City like mushrooms. The first of my momentous failures occurred with the last ol...
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Location: 960 Franklin Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11225, USA
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Temco Uniforms Company Facility

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🔥 Update: May 3, 2026 The former Temco Uniforms facility was destroyed by fire on May 3, 2026. What remained of this contaminated industrial site is now gone. Below is the historical record as it stood before the blaze. 📸 View additional interior photos from my 2019 exploration here . In Rockland County, the site of the former Temco Uniforms facility tells a story of industrial ambition and environmental oversight. This 2.6-acre area, framed by Samsondale Avenue and shadowed by an active rail line, has transitioned from a bustling manufacturing hub to a focal point of environmental concern. Originally developed in 1958, this single-story, 32,000-square-foot building was the birthplace of Modern Filters, Inc., a company dedicated to producing vacuum bags, tape, and labels. The industrial prowess of the era was palpable, as these products were essential to a booming post-war economy. By 1985, the building took on a new life with Temco Uniform Company Inc., which transfor...
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Location: 29 Samsondale Ave, West Haverstraw, NY 10993, USA
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Inside the Abandoned Horsman Doll Factory in Trenton

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  You’ve got to move when the chance is right. That’s something I keep telling myself—but just as often, I forget it. Or ignore it. And then I end up learning the same lesson all over again. It happened on a quiet afternoon when I pulled up to the old Horsman Doll factory. The place has long been abandoned, but it still holds stories—ones I try to capture through my lens. The main gate was slightly ajar. Not wide open, but just enough for me to slip through with my gear. It was one of those rare opportunities. But across the street, half-hidden behind a rundown house, a group of men sat drinking and shouting over each other. The kind of scene you don't want to get caught up in—especially alone, carrying expensive camera equipment. I hesitated. I debated. I bailed. My gut told me to walk away, so I did. I figured I could find another way in. I circled the block, hoping for a back entrance or even a broken window low enough to climb through. I found one window that looked possible—bu...
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Former Sonoco Paper Mill

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  Long before Amsterdam, New York, earned its title as the “Carpet City,” its story was written in water. The restless energy of the Chuctanunda Creek, a modest stream tumbling through the Mohawk Valley, was the city’s first engine. By the early 1800s, its currents were powering the fledgling mills, setting the stage for a transformation that would define not just a city, but an entire era of American industry. The real revolution, however, arrived on a man-made river. The opening of the Erie Canal in the mid-19th century, followed by the iron arteries of the railroad, was like a jolt of lightning. Suddenly, this small upstate city was plugged directly into the world. The goods crafted in its workshops, from linseed oil and simple brooms to intricate buttons and ironworks, could be shipped anywhere with astonishing speed and economy. Amsterdam was no longer just a town; it was becoming a hub. Yet, among its many trades, one industry rose to define its identity. The city’s name beca...
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Former East New York 75th Precinct Station (153rd Precinct)

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Station House facing Liberty Avenue & Miller Avenue Historical Completed in 1891, the former Romanesque Revival style with Venetian and Noram Revival ornament structure was created by 'architect' George Ingram, who is cited as the designer of the building. Architect Emile M. Grewe is also credited with having a hand in the collaboration. George Ingram was an assistant engineer in the Department of City Works in 1886, who was not a trained architect by trade. The building accommodated about 80 patrolmen, cells, and a stable via a passageway from the main building. Back then, it was known as the 17th precinct (Originally the 153rd precinct).  Entrance to the horse stable. Opening in 1892, the first detainee was John Pocahontas Smith, who was arrested for public drunkenness. In the 1930s, it was renamed the 75th precinct. In 1973, the precinct moved to the newer 75th precinct holdings on Sutter Ave. It then became the home to People's Baptis...
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The Human Stories of Rockville Mill: Inside an Abandoned Connecticut Textile Factory (Photos)

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    The climb to the old Dart Stone Mill wasn't for the faint of heart. My friend J and I huffed our way up that punishing incline, shirts clinging to our backs, calves screaming in protest. But we'd made this trek before, drawn back time and again to this crumbling monument perched high above Vernon, Connecticut. There's something about abandoned mills that gets under your skin, and this one had its hooks in us deep. When Albert Dart built this place back in 1868, he picked the most dramatic real estate in all of Rockville. The mill sits on a rock ledge at the second millseat below Snipsic Lake, clinging to the cliff face like it grew there naturally. And in a way, it may have. The lake fed water to nearly 39 mills as it descended through the valley, dropping ten inches in elevation along the way. That's a lot of industrial muscle powered by gravity alone. Dart built his mill for spinning silk and producing shoddy, a recycled wool material that was big business back th...
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Bayside Fuel Oil Depot Corporation (Part 2)

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Before the Bayside Company was fully known as the Bayside Fuel Oil Corporation. It was transferred by Standard Oil, its previous owner, in the 1940s. Its primary use before that time was mainly for storage and refinery purposes. Later on, it became a wholesale distributor of heating oil. Founded by Charles Pratt, it was one of about fifty refineries operating in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. During the 19th century, Williamsburg was the center of oil refining along the East River & Newton Creek. Fun facts, "some of the largest industrial firms in the nation were started in this area (inland & along Newtown Creek), including Pfizer Pharmaceutical Corporation (1849); Brooklyn Flint Glass (later Corning Glassware ); and the Havemeyers and Elder Sugar Refinery in Williamsburg (later Amstar and then Domino ), once the largest establishment in the world." In the early 2000s, Bayside Oil was proposed to be demolished by a company called Clean Point En...
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