Klotz Throwing Company teaser.
Category: Explorations
The Tennessee State Penitentiary, colloquially known as the Tennessee State Prison, presents an imposing sight mere minutes from downtown Nashville. The Gothic-inspired administration building and guard shacks were constructed to instill trepidation in the incarcerated population. The layout bore a striking resemblance to a fortification, with thick, stone masonry walls intended to preclude escapes into the neighboring community.
Few relics encapsulate the essence of Kentucky’s storied bourbon tradition quite like the Old Taylor Distillery in the annals of its distinguished heritage.
Closed since July 2010, St. Mark Catholic Church in Cincinnati, Ohio is an endangered gem, along with St. Andrew and countless other churches within the Queen City.
The coalfields of southern West Virginia, once teeming with life and industry, now stand as somber reminders of a bygone era. My recent journey through McDowell County, deep within the heart of the state’s coal country, unveiled a landscape etched with the remnants of a once-thriving mining empire, now grappling with the harsh realities of economic decline and depopulation.
Deep within the once coal-rich veins of Buchanan County, Virginia, remnants of a bygone era of prosperity linger. This southwestern county, bordered by the coal-abundant Pike County, Kentucky, to the north and McDowell County, West Virginia, to the northeast – known for its billion-dollar coalfield – bears witness to a transformation.
We have all been there. A ominous derelict is on the horizon – this one being a hospital in Man, West Virginia.
Mother Nature wasn’t kind in some respects on the drive down into Wyoming County to visit the coal camp of Glen Rogers, West Virginia.
Opened in 1988 as Forest Fair Mall, Cincinnati Mall in Forest Park, Ohio, was once the region’s largest retail complex. Developed during the height of suburban expansion, the 1.5-million-square-foot center cycled through bankruptcies, rebrandings, and multimillion-dollar renovations under successive owners. Despite periods of renewed occupancy, structural vacancy persisted. By the late 2000s, ambitious redevelopment proposals—including a hotel, ice arena, and indoor water park—failed to secure financing. The mall’s trajectory reflects broader patterns of suburban retail instability in the late twentieth and early twenty-first centuries.
The Kentucky & Indiana Terminal Bridge is a railroad bridge connecting Louisville, Kentucky and New Albany, Indiana and features two abandoned auto lanes!
Weekend outings, particularly for photographing old abandoned sites, offer a refreshing break from the routine of weekday work life. There’s a unique satisfaction in encountering the distinct scent of abandonment and capturing the scenes that unfold. It’s even more enjoyable when sharing the exploration experience with someone eager to embrace the thrill of venturing into derelict places.
The finale in a five-part summer excursion includes a visit to several abandoned schools and the infamous Sweet Springs Resort!
Clarksburg, West Virginia, can be aptly described as a city that arose around the glass and coal industries, having been an essential stop along the Northwestern Turnpike, now known as U.S. Route 50.
Wheeling, once a prominent city in Virginia and later West Virginia, now faces enduring challenges. Despite landmarks like Centre Market, West Virginia Independence Hall, and the Wheeling Suspension Bridge, there’s a sense of something missing.