Susan Orlean, of the New Yorker, once said that living in a rural region exposes the body and mind to marvelous things: the natural world, the “particular texture” of small-town life, and the “exhilarating experience” of open space. It’s not difficult to argue that. Located in a remote town in the hills of eastern Kentucky, Hazel Green Academy, set among the hardwoods and abutting flowing pastures, opened to students in 1880. The private school offered a good education to the under-served and boasted low tuition rates and a stepping stone to college and “a higher sphere in life.” The school’s curriculum consisted mostly of college preparatory courses, and students were expected to participate in religious activities—not at all surprising as it was operated in part by the Christian Woman’s Board of Mission of Kentucky and then the United Christian Missionary Society, a branch of the Disciples of Christ Christian Church. Time marched on. By the mid-1920s, the Academy boasted a 212-acre farm, a used clothing store, a small hospital, and a kindergarten, along with a gymnasium, administration building, classrooms, and an arts and crafts complex. But free public education began sweeping through the state throughout the early 20th century, and by 1929, Hazel Green only offered courses for middle and high school students. In 1965, grades 7 and 8 were dropped because of low demand. Hazel Green Academy became an independent institution affiliated with the Christian Church in 1971 and began a major push to strengthen its fundraising and recruitment efforts.…
Abandoned Posts
While the demise of rural life in many areas is overstated, there are many areas that are in long-term decline, brought about by sustained job losses and single-focus economies. In Cannel City, Kentucky’s case, it was coal and timber.
The 20th anniversary of Shawshank Redemption is celebrated at the historic Ohio State Reformatory in Mansfield, Ohio this weekend!
The Old Louis Hunter Distillery in Harrison County, Kentucky closed in 1974. After 40 years of abandonment, it’s still wonderfully intact.
A minor fire in at the Waldo Hotel in Clarksburg, West Virginia yesterday evening did no damage to the historic building.
Exploring a disused military ammunition depot brings back thoughts of the Walking Dead.
Exploring a disused military ammunition depot brings back thoughts of the Walking Dead. Perhaps it is because I have been binge watching the post-apocalyptic horror series on television, or rather that I have a fascination with post-human interactions. And because of that, I went through my archives and found some great images that I have never shared that evokes that resemblance.
Several years ago, I ventured to the Indiana Army Ammunition Plant (IAAP) to explore its auxiliary structures outside of the propellent and explosives region. Much of this complex has remained closed to the public since the 1940’s, although portions of the over-10,000 acres has been redeveloped into industrial or commercial uses in the past decade. The holdout is the propellent and explosives area where munition was manufactured. It’s demolition has been ongoing at a glacial pace for well over a decade.
I began on some just-opened roads into the Explosive and Storage Area.
Tucked away is an old water treatment plant, building No. 6017. It had partially collapsed, although it was still very photogenic inside. Machine remnants were still visible, some still tagged with lockout dates from 1989.
Driving through other areas, I spotted defunct guardhouses, which during World War II, Korean War and Vietnam War, were all well staffed. I eventually came to Building No. 228-1, the central laboratory, and building No. 229-27, a shipping house.
I also came upon a nice surprise that is unknown to most outsiders due to its isolated location. Located within the ammunition plant on the nay-marked Water Line Road was Union Cemetery. Although it is still being maintained with graves added yearly, the cemetery was a holdout during the facility’s construction from 1940 to 1945. Unlike the countless homesteads and churches that were demolished or moved for the IAAP, the cemetery was never relocated.
Explore more of the United State’s largest abandonment at Indiana Army Ammunition Plant (IAAP) »
Much thanks to everyone who came out to Old Crow Distillery along Glenns Creek in Kentucky! The weather was perfect – partly cloudy skies and mild temperatures provided the perfect exploring experience.
Memorial Hall in Ironton, Ohio, originally constructed in 1892 to honor Civil War veterans, is undergoing partial demolition.
In the 16th installment of Tom Explores Los Angeles, Tom ventures inside the abandoned Hawthorne Plaza mall in Hawthorne, California.
Revisiting an old friend at a whiskey bar, I was reminded of a Mark Twain quote. Just like the old friend, I repaid another visit to Old Crow Distillery.
Down many miles of winding, two-lane roads lies the community of Gest, Kentucky, and the Kentucky River Lock and Dam No. 3.
Champion Paper was a paper mill in Hamilton, Ohio that once employed 5,000 and boasted the largest facilities in the nation.
Champion Paper, which later became Champion International Paper, International Paper and then SMART Papers, was a paper mill in Hamilton, Ohio. Once employing 5,000 and boasting the largest facilities in the nation, the factory was the bread-and-butter of the working-class city.
At its height, Champion Paper was part of “The Paper Valley,” aptly named due to the concentration of paper mills along the Great Miami River and the Miami & Erie Canal. Mills existed at Crescentville, Port Union, Rialto, Hamilton, Woodsdale, Rockdale, Excello, Middletown, Franklin, Miamisburg, West Carrollton and Dayton. There were thirty separate mills that operated generally between 1890 and 1930, dipping to the low 20′s during the 1960′s and only a handful by the 21st century.
And Champion Paper, after a merger with International Paper and economic decline, has ceased to exist and has now joined the ranks of the dead mills that litter “The Paper Valley.”
Click through to discover more of the history of this now-demolished factory »
In the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains in Kentucky, there is a small community called Peyton’s Store. At the center of this rural area stands a truly unique house.
The Holy Trinity Roman Catholic Church is located near Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and was host to a Slovak Catholic congregation. Designed by F.W. Wilson of McKeesport in the Gothic Revival architectural style, the building’s stance on the side of a hi
The Holy Trinity Roman Catholic Church is located near Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and was host to a Slovak Catholic congregation. Designed by F.W. Wilson of McKeesport in the Gothic Revival architectural style, the building’s stance on the side of a hill, with its 150-foot tower, was to evoke a commanding presence over the Monongahela River valley.
The church was abandoned in 1970 when a new facility was built on the outskirts of the city. The building today is in severe disrepair and there have been discussions to raze it due to its failing condition.
For decades, the Old Taylor Distillery near Frankfort has endured a precipitous decline from its halcyon days as a jewel of the Commonwealth’s bourbon industry.