Abandoned Places

49+

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Territory occupied by russian "peacekeepers" and abkhazian separatists in Republic Of Georgia more than 16 years ago .
Since than almost no changes .




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Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario.

There's ruins of an abandoned house on Sycolin Road that I've been exploring ever since I moved to Leesburg (VA) in 2001. It was built before World War II and apparently used to be a dairy farm. There was a fire at one point, but I don't know if that was before or after the house was abandoned.

It's not much to look at, but it was always a novelty to have this little ruin a cat's throw away from my home. Recently, I noticed there's a lot of construction activity on the property, so I thought it would be a good idea to get a few pictures before it all gets developed.



( One last look around... )

The Bennett School For Girls








Built in 1890 as a resort, this building was quickly changed to the
"Bennett Finishing School For Young Women" in 1900.
Constructed primarily in wood and stone, the structure has an elegant Victorian style.
Ornate wood still adorns the corners and peaks,
reminding passers by that it once stood with dignity upon it's hilltop.







The Bennett School specialized in the teachings of fine arts
and language for young women, most of which were the daughters of industrialists,
bank presidents, and other "well-to-do" people of the time.
The kind of school that had afternoon tea...











In the 1950's the school expanded from a 2-year, to a 4-year university.
These additions and expanded curriculum only delayed the inevitable,
and Bennett closed it's doors for good in 1977.
A victim of the times perhaps, and thus a victim of itself.







*The following photos were taken during both summer and autumn*







( Still much to learn... )

Hello,

I have been following this community for awhile and finally made a LiveJournal account today, I am looking to finding more places to explore. I have found some remains of multiple ghost towns up by Big Bear and Lytle Creek area. Following local legends, mining claims, treasure legends really helps me. If anyone knows of any places in the High Desert (Victor Valley) Area I'd love to hear about them.

I enjoy exploring abandoned places for three reasons, one is history. Going to a place where people once were, where memories happened, where there are stories to be told.

The second is treasure hunting, I metal detect around the properties I find (with permission, if applicable) digging up history is something I thoroughly enjoy, holding something someone else held 50-100 years ago, wondering how it came to be buried in the ground and why its there is something I like. it could be anything from a cash box with the name Miss Minnie Blessie engraved on it with a can of Prince Alberts Tobacco with pennies and arrowheads in it, old bottles, silverware I love finding all of it.

The 3rd and final is research, mapping out what was where, finding the little bits of information, legends, historical figures, compiling stories from people that lived there. All the research to me is just as much fun as the hunt its self. Every place has a story to tell, and I enjoy the hunt. >:)


Here are some of my nicer finds over the years:



Starting at the upper left, California Gold Rush era miners gold scale with tin and weights. Found about 6 inches down in the right corner of a foundation of a miners shack in Lytle Creek. Post WWII Belt Mounted Money Changer found in a drive in theater in outer LA county. One of a about 50 something skeleton keys. One of the nicer WWII enbloc clips for an M1 Garand rifle found out in the desert at site of where Camp Young used to be. An FDR Campaign pin made with enamel and brass (one of my favorites) found in the back yard of a house built in 1941. Green Glass bottle found in a out house dump in Big Bear. Coins ranging from 1843 to 1935. Seated Liberty Half Dime (lower left hand corner) the 1849 large cent ( the large copper coin nearest to the green bottle) were found wrapped in wax paper in the foundation of what research says was a bawdy house in Mariposa, CA. These are my favorite most memorable coins, I have a a something like 450 more in albums. All modern money I find I roll and take to the bank. And the 2 disks in the lower right corner are WWI and WWII Uniform Collar insignia.



Miss Minnie Blessies Cash box, dug up in my Aunts back yard. Found by me by accident when I was 8-9.




Rather large and heavy penny collection in a candy, found in 2007 under a tree about 9 inches deep in the back yard of an abandoned house in Orange, CA. Full of wheat pennies of all years over 200 coins in all!

Built in 1914, the Albuquerque shops serviced steam locomotives operating on the Santa Fe Railroad. Structures long abandoned stand today, occasionally getting used in movies such as Transformers, Game, Terminator4...



( lots of current photos )

I was browsing though my old UE folder on my hard drive, and came across this old set from 2007. This was from the March Toronto UE meet, at the time I was still fairly new with the dSLR (D70s), and just had a kit lens (Nikon 18-70mm f/3.5-4.5 DX) and a couple primes available to me. So I sat down and re-editing some of them with new skills I've picked up.

This former foundry building was in the process of being converted into Condos when a small group of us managed to find a way into the construction site. By this point they're probably completed and lived in. I'll have to go back next time I'm in the city and find out.



( The Foundries )

 

( more.... )

 

Update!

Yesterday while coming home I noticed a handyman's van parked in the grounds of the building so being the new local busybody I went looking for him to get some more info.

I told him what happened with the police and the council and the police must have got onto it.The handyman said he wasn't the owner but had just landed the contract to completely renovate and restore the entire building!! It was happening soon but in the meantime he had to just maintain the security of the building, and move the fireplaces which had been dragged about the building back to the rooms they had been pulled out of! I got his number to alert him in future to any break-ins or vandalism.

However, the building being restored "Soon" could be anyime considering it's been boarded up for three years. With the local paper coming to do a story on it today that might shed some more light.