Tag: Church

July 29, 2024 / Appalachia
June 26, 2024 / Appalachia
April 15, 2024 / Explorations
January 28, 2024 / Explorations
November 27, 2023 / Appalachia
April 17, 2023 / Explorations
April 4, 2023 / Appalachia
April 2, 2023 / Explorations
November 19, 2022 / Explorations
November 8, 2022 / Explorations

Autumn swiftly descended upon the South Fork South Branch Potomac River valley in West Virginia’s Potomac Highlands. The season transformed the landscape into a stunning scene, with sprawling family farms, charming country churches, and idyllic homes set against a vibrant backdrop.

March 11, 2022 / Appalachia
December 6, 2021 / Appalachia

The Irish Corner district of Greenbrier County, West Virginia is dominated by large family farms, the remains of early mills and industries, country churches, and stately residences. Initially isolated by rough terrain and a lack of good roads, the rural setting is seeing an uptick in residential development that could potentially change the character of the region. Many years ago, I visited the Irish Corner region and documented some of the churches and houses I came across while randomly driving down the back roads. More recently, I trekked through the area with my girlfriend to see what’s changed. We started…

April 22, 2021 / Appalachia

Mining in the Winding Gulf coalfield of West Virginia began in the early 1900s, producing low-volatile smokeless coal, including metallurgical coal suitable for use in steel making. Mining was centered on the thick Beckley seam until it was economically exhausted by the 1950s, and the Pocahontas seam until the late 1980s.

But after the coal seams were exhausted, these coal camps were all but abandoned and today, only a few reminders of this booming era remain.

I was pretty excited to come across two notable churches in the Winding Gulf that are still extant.

November 16, 2020 / News
September 20, 2019 / Explorations
November 12, 2018 / Appalachia

The Rust Belt defines a vast declining industrial corridor of the United States roughly between Chicago and Albany, New York, and dominating many of those once-bustling communities are churches. Many were built as domestic steel mills were being constructed across the country in the early 20th century, and many were closed with the collapse of the steel industry.

August 15, 2017 / Explorations

Towering over the modest residences in its vicinity, the soaring blue limestone and Ohio sandstone faced Roman Catholic church is one of the most recognizable symbols of Albany, New York’s rich history. It’s also one of the most endangered.

February 17, 2016 / Explorations
May 4, 2015 / Explorations

Western Pennsylvania is the industrial heart of the Rust Belt, as once-mighty steel mills, coke plants, and machine shops scattered alongside railroads, rivers, and highways have downsized and closed. A globalized economy and increased automation led to many jobs overseas; what remained was a shell, unable to be self-sustaining without government intervention.

April 21, 2015 / Explorations

From the window of my hotel room in Beckley, I could see the leaves billowing down the street among a fine rain punctuated by dark, gloomy skies. It was perfect road trip weather,