The Windsor School, located in Cincinnati’s Walnut Hills neighborhood, opened in 1888 but closed in 2004 after years of decline.
Abandoned Posts
Fairview School is located in Cincinnati, Ohio and was constructed from 1888-90 in the Romanesque Revival architectural style. It closed in 2008.
Fairview School is located in Cincinnati, Ohio and was constructed from 1888 to 1890 in the Romanesque Revival architectural style. A three-story addition, designed by local architect Edward J. Schulte, was built in 1957-58. The addition was meant to be expanded once the original structure was razed, but declining enrollment led to those plans never coming to light.
In 1982, Fairview became the Fairview German Bilingual School, which changed to the Fairview German Language School in 1994. It was the second magnet school for the city.
A 1976 report by the Cincinnati school board noted that Fairview should be abandoned or replaced due to unsatisfactory design or structural deterioration. Another proposal from 1999 called for Fairview to be replaced with a new kindergarten-through-8th grade German language magnet school. Fairview eventually closed in June 2008 as part of the Cincinnati Public School’s $1 billion, ten-year construction project to rehabilitate or rebuild nearly every facility within the city.
The complex was auctioned in July 2009 with Five Korners winning with a bid of $430,000. Five Korners was comprised of Mohammed and Rasheed Shamma who converted the 1888 building into luxury residences. In October 2010, both former Fairview school buildings were listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
School had been out for just a few months when this photograph was taken of the former Fairmont School in Cincinnati, Ohio.
Linwood Public School is located in the Linwood neighborhood of Cincinnati, Ohio and was constructed in 1929. It was closed in 2005.
The Ohio State Reformatory, also referred to as the Mansfield Reformatory, is a historic prison located in Mansfield, Ohio. See what it’s like inside.
Dear fellas, I can’t believe how fast things move on the outside. I saw an automobile once when I was a kid, but now they’re everywhere. The world went and got itself in a big damn hurry. The parole board got me into this halfway house called “The Brewer” and a job bagging groceries at the Foodway. It’s hard work and I try to keep up, but my hands hurt most of the time. I don’t think the store manager likes me very much. Sometimes after work, I go to the park and feed the birds. I keep thinking Jake…
The Baber Building, an imposing edifice with barred windows and sturdy brick construction, once formed an integral part of the Longview State Hospital in Cincinnati, Ohio.
The abandoned skeleton of Joseph & Feiss looms over the motorists along Interstate 90 in Cleveland, Ohio, a derelict that has only been a little more than a decade in the making.
On a melancholy February afternoon, I embarked on a sojourn through the knobs of Kentucky, meandering along the back roads that whisper of bygone eras.
The Penn-Lincoln Hotel is an abandoned hotel in Wilkinsburg, Pennsylvania that is scheduled for demolition.
In the face of nature’s relentless fury, humankind has long sought to erect bulwarks against the ravages of floodwaters, a testament to our indomitable spirit and ingenuity. One such endeavor, the Turtle Creek Flood Control Project, stands as a shining example of this ceaseless struggle.
The McGuffey Mall and adjoining Garland Plaza is a former shopping center in Youngstown, Ohio.
Years ago, I often went to the mammoth Huntington Mall in Barboursville, West Virginia. It was the largest shopping center in the largest in the state – and also its busiest. The mall was dated, coated with speckled brown tiles inside, ribbed paneling outside and other trendy lights and accessories that made this center a poster-child for the late 1970’s and early 1980’s.
When I visited an abandoned shopping center in Youngstown, Ohio, I saw much resemblance to the Huntington Mall, with its similar ribbed exterior paneling, light fixtures and even signage. I wondered if the two malls were developed by the same developer, and after some quick searches, my haunches were correct.
McGuffey Mall was constructed in 1954 >and was converted into an indoor center in the 1972, and was one of the first developments of William M. Cafaro, founder of the Cafaro Company, who went on to develop shopping malls across the Midwest, Mid-Atlantic and Pacific Northwest – including the Huntington Mall. The adjoining Garland Plaza was constructed in 1960.
The properties were the home of banks, supermarkets, a bowling alley, a post office. The Mahoning County Department of Job and Family Services rented space at Garland Plaza from 1988 until 2007 when it relocated to Oakhill Renaissance Place. After years of decline, Cafaro decided to sell the two complexes in 2012 but after no bids came through, opted to put them up for auction. Highway Contracting of Boardman was the successful bidder for the McGuffey Mall and Garland Plaza properties for $150,000 in October 25, 2013. The excavating and demolition contractor was the highest of the three bidders. Work on demolition of McGuffey Mall and most of Garland Plaza began in December.
The Cavanaugh Company was a hardware wholesale supply company in Youngstown, Ohio.
The Cavanaugh Company was a hardware wholesale supply company that supplied cast iron pipe, corrugated pipe, road machinery, metallic paints, terra cotta, windows and fireproof doors, among many other items in Youngstown, Ohio.
The Frank Sherman Company was a former scrap metal dealer in Youngstown, Ohio that incorporated in 1947 and closed in 2001 after it was discovered that fraudulent transactions were occurring between the company and a supplier.
The Frank Sherman Company was a former scrap metal dealer in Youngstown, Ohio that incorporated in 1947 and closed in 2001 after it was discovered that fraudulent transactions were occurring between the company and Valley Forge Inc. of Salem. Valley Forge had entered into an agreement to sell scrap metal produced from Valley Forge, which he was part owner, to the Frank Sherman Company for cash payments Swindell did not report as income. The Frank Sherman Company prepared false invoices, which did not bear the name of Swindell from Valley Forge.
Frustrated by years of failed attempts to have the Monsour Medical Center demolished, the city of Jeannette and Westmoreland County have teamed up.
Situated on the outskirts of Middletown, Ohio, the Harding-Jones Paper Company stood as a rare surviving vestige of early Ohio industry. This paper mill, predominantly under the ownership of the Harding and Jones families for generations, held a significant place in the annals of the state’s history. Its strategic location along the Miami-Erie Canal further underscored its importance.
A well known landmark for ruin, the Republic Rubber Company was located in Youngstown, Ohio and manufactured tires and hoses for the automotive and aerospace industries.
A well known landmark for ruin, the Republic Rubber Company was located in Youngstown, Ohio and manufactured tires and hoses for the automotive and aerospace industries. At its peak, Republic employed 2,300 with a payroll of $4 million. The company merged with several companies over the years and nearly came to an end in 1978. Several employees bought out the remains of the business and formed Republic Hose Manufacturing, which lasted until 1989.
Explore the Greenbrier River valley in West Virginia with an overview of Cass and the connecting Chesapeake & Ohio Railroad Greenbrier Division.
Cass, West Virginia is a company town that was constructed by the West Virginia Pulp and Paper Company (WVP&P) in 1901. The operations of Cass was the work of Sam Slaymaker, who had been involved in timbering operations along the Greenbrier River for several years in the late 1800s. After exploring the forests west of the Greenbrier valley at Cheat Mountain, specifically along Shavers Fork of Cheat River, he discovered red spruce, yellow birch and maple.
Slaymaker acquired numerous tracts of land when news came that the Chesapeake & Ohio Railroad (C&O)’s Greenbrier Division, which followed the Greenbrier River north of Whitcomb towards Durbin, was going to be built. Slaymaker envisioned a rail line along Leatherbark Creek to 4,635-feet in elevation and then into the forests at the headwaters of the Cheat and Elk rivers. He secured 173,000 acres and built a construction camp near Cass.
Meanwhile, C&O right-of-way acquisition began in March 1899 and the first construction contract was let in April for five miles from Whitcomb north. The first train arrived in Marlinton on October 26, 1900 with work starting on the C&O north of Marlinton shortly after. By November 6, track had been laid across a temporary bridge over the Greenbrier River at Sharps Tunnel, and by Christmas, Cass had been reached.
Slaymaker graded the line up to the top of Cheat Mountain 1900 and by 1904, tracks were laid to an elevation of 3,853-feet where the town of Spruce and a pulp peeling rossing mill were established. The lumber company employed Shay logging locomotives, which were designed to climb steep grades and sharp curves, and were driven by direct gearing to each wheel.
By 1915, there were 81 miles of mainline, with logging operations extending all over Cheat Mountain. Cut logs were transported into the town where they were processed into pulp or hardwood flooring. The pulp was delivered by rail to its Covington, Virginia mill for processing into paper. The industrial operations consisted of drying kilns, a boiler house, power station and a double-band sawmill. The mill was the largest in the world and could handle 125,000 board feet per 11-hour shift and 35 million feet per year. Some machines were so large that it required 15 employees just to operate them. Over 2,500 were employed in the operations.
Cass consisted of 52 white-faced residences, with the larger houses for the managers residing behind the general store. Other houses were built across the Greenbrier River on privately held land and unlike the company town, “East Cass” allowed alcohol consumption and gambling. The Pocahontas Supply Company store was built in 1902 and provided food, dry goods, furniture and supplies. Two hotels were soon built, along with several restaurants, stores, two schools, three churches, a hospital, clubhouse and baseball field.
The peeling mill at Spruce ceased operations in 1925. By the 1930s, the town became a helper station for the WM but with the introduction of diesel engines, all locomotives that served Cass were transferred to Laurel Bank and Spruce was abandoned. In June 1942, the WVP&P sold its Cass operation to the Edwin Mower of the Mower Lumber Company who began to cut second-growth timber at Cheat Mountain. But lower production volumes meant lower revenues and cutbacks, leading to a reduction of operations to just one shift by 1950. After Mower passed, operations dwindled even further and all loggings operations ceased on July 1, 1960.
Shortly after closing, the railroad and its buildings were sold for scrap. A group of local businessmen, led by railroad enthusiast Russell Baum, convinced the state to make Cass Railroad a state park. Although skeptical at first, the lawmakers were convinced after the Joint Committee on Government and Finance took a trip to Bald Knob via the rails. After years of rehabilitation, Cass Railroad State Park operated its first excursion train from Cass under the Cass Scenic Railroad banner in 1963 with Shays Nos. 1 and 4. In the first year of operation, 23,000 visitors traversed Back Allegheny Mountain on about four miles of track and later to the top at Bald Knob. The state acquired the town of Cass in 1977.
In 1980, the Cass Historic District was listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
As for the C&O Greenbrier Division, it once extended for 101 miles and connected Whitcomb between Lewisburg and White Sulphur Springs northward to Winterburn, east of Durbin. It was one of the C&O’s primary branch lines for timber products and served more lumber companies than any other in the state. But after Cass and other operations began to close up in the middle of the 20th century, the Greenbrier line became expendable and was placed out of service at the end of 1978. Track removal began in July 1979 from North Caldwell to milepost 78 and was completed by mid-1980. The abandoned lines were transferred over to the state for a rail-to-trail on June 20.
Development of the Greenbrier River Trail was slow, and portions of it were damaged in a flood in 1985. Federal Emergency Management funds were awarded only in 1992 to repair the damaged sections, and work was completed two years later.
The Durbin segment is operated by the Durbin & Greenbrier Valley Railroad for scenic passenger excursions.
Wean United was located in Youngstown, Ohio and manufactured equipment that was used to process and finish flat rolled steel.
Wean United was located in Youngstown, Ohio. It was a manufacturer of equipment that was used to process and finish flat rolled steel, steel and iron rolls, iron castings, coupling boxes, annealing bottoms and boxes and steam hydraulic forging presses. It was equipped to produce castings and rolls weighing up to 100 tons.
The lots occupied by Wean United were home to various industries throughout the years. The first was Hamilton Works, a small foundry and machine shop that was begun by Homer Hamilton in 1856. William Tod partnered with Hamilton to form the William Tod & Company in 1878, which constructed stationary steam engines for the iron and steel industry. Its most common models included blowing engines and reversing engines for blast furnaces and steel mills, municipal water-works pumping engines and gas engines from 500 H.P. to 5,000 H.P. In 1901, the William Tod & Company was succeeded by the William Tod Company that was incorporated with William Tod as president. Over time, its size expanded to 8.5 acres in size and grew from several hundred to nearly 600 employees, outputting nearly 7,000 tons of machinery each year.
The United Engineering & Foundry Company was founded as a stove foundry in 1849 under the name of Parmelee & Sawyer and then Ward Kay & Company along Oak Street. It began manufacturing rolling mill equipment, which continued under its successors: Ward, Booth & Miller and Booth, Miller & Company. On March 1, 1888, the Lloyd Booth Company was taken over by a corporation with a capital of $100,000, at which time the works located west of Market Street were begun.
It was followed with the organization of the United Engineering Company on July 1, 1901 with a capital stock of $5.5 million and $7.5 million in 1910. Flush wish cash, United Engineering became the largest manufacturer of rolling mill and steel-works equipment in the United States, and the largest producers of steel, chilled and grey iron rolls in the world. United constructed blooming mills and a rail mill for the Ohio Works of the Carnegie Steel Company, the blooming mill, rail mill and billet mills for the Bessemer department of the Republic Iron & Steel Company, the blooming mills, sheet, bar and billet mills for the new plant of the Youngstown Sheet & Tube Company and a continuous rail mill and five blooming mills for the Bethlehem Steel Company’s plant in Gary, Indiana.
In November 1916, United Engineering & Foundry Company acquired the William Tod Company.
In nearby Warren, the Wean Engineering Company was begun in 1929 by Raymond John Wean. Wean had rented a one-room office in the Second National Bank and began formulating ideas on new approaches to steel production, and soon filled an order of pack heating furnaces for the Empire Steel Corporation in Mansfield. By the end of its first year, Wean Engineering employed seven and expanded throughout the bank building. Wean Engineering later became Wean Manufacturing, Wean Equipment and then Wean Industries.
On December 15, 1971, Wean Industries acquired United Engineering & Foundry and became Wean United. Citing a depressed steel market, Wean United closed its Youngstown plant in 1982 and sold the property in 1985. Wean then sold its United Engineering unit in 1986 to avoid pension liabilities, and the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation (PBGC) took over United’s plan in 1991 when it had $65 million in unfunded liabilities. On July 20, 1993, Wean filed for Chapter 11 federal bankruptcy protection, listing $21.4 million in assets and $43.1 million in liabilities. It sought to sell its 264,000 square-foot Youngstown plant to Danieli & C. SpA of Italy for $12 million with a requirement that the deal be completed by September 30. Danieli, which manufactured arc furnaces, continuous casters and other steel making equipment, intended to continue operating the plant, which employed 275.
In 2005, the complex was acquired by Gearmar Properties who leased out the buildings to various businesses, including Timken and Latrobe Steel. The last tenant, Youngstown Pipe and Supply, relocated to the former Cold Metal Products property in Campbell and Youngstown in 2011.
Armed with a Clean Ohio grant and matching city funds, a portion of Wean United was razed in December 2013. The remainder could be demolished in late 2014 if no tenant is found for the remainder of the complex.
Constructed in 1910, Youngstown, Ohio’s Wick Building was home to the Wick Brothers Trust Company and was the city’s tallest structure. After years of decline, this landmark is being rehabilitated into apartments. Check out its progress.
The Wick Building is located at 34 West Federal Street at North Phelps Street in Youngstown, Ohio. Completed in 1910, the 13-story building was designed by the renowned architect Daniel Burnham into the Chicago School and Romanesque-revival architectural style. It was the city’s tallest building at the time of its erection and was home to the Wick Brothers Trust Company among other Wick family enterprises.
The Wick was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on February 8, 1980.
Work began in 2013 to convert the Wick into 32 market-rate apartments.