Over the weekend, I thought I had received an awesome lead on a former hospital. I was so excited that I made plans to ride out the following morning. Upon waking up, I became aware that it was wise to dig a little deeper before the trek. In doing so, I found solid evidence that it had been demolished.
That's when I started feeling the strong urge to find something big. I had gotten all worked up for the trip, my mind and body were in exploration mode, and I needed to get my fix.
That's when this place came to mind. I had passed it many times and been deterred whenever actually considering it. I decided to head out there and go for it. This time around was a total success.
The farm was sort of a brainchild of the son of the patriarch of a nationally known brewing family. While many people liken the family name with their famous brew, farming is an even bigger part of their legacy.
The farm came to be with the son's purchase of land in 1906. Now part of a 1,500 acre development, it was once the stomping grounds for prize-winning Holstein in addition to champion Percheron and Hackney horses. They were also known throughout the country for their top breeding programs.
Nowadays, as I mentioned, the area is being rapidly developed with upscale subdivisions and million dollar homes. It appears that preserving the original farm buildings is a top priority and activity in the area is high. Entry was not necessarily difficult but rather strategic. I saw at least 3 squads roll by while I was inside (and probably more that I didn't see). As soon as I jumped out and dragged my bike from the bushes, another cop pulled up to the intersection and just sat there. I had my camera out and waved. He waved back and moved on but it appears to me that they are certainly patrolling the place.
All in all, I was very happy with this trip. This place turned out to be another true time capsule. I'm also glad that I had my old disconnected cell phone with me. I ended up having to rely on it for a camera. There is much much more to see of this place other than shown here.
Disclaimer-this may not have actually been the main part of the farm. But, according to paper found inside, it had to be part of it. Research on the complex has led to a lot of questions as to what is actually what.
Front. 1.
Side. 2.
Other side. 3.
Back. 4.
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The early stages of nature taking over the building were fascinating to me. 6.
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Something about this room was very calming. It just had such a mellow vibe as if I were frozen in another time. The desk really took my imagination to the daily grind of whoever sat here. 8.
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Clothes still in the locker. 15.
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There was this upper loft-type thing. 21.
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And, going up from the loft-type thing. 25.
There was another loft-type thing. 26.
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This piece of equipment was massive-roughly 7 stories high. It occupied essentially all of the tallest part of the building. 28.
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Just a peek out onto the roof. 31.
And, back downstairs, there was this thing. 32.
And this room. 33.
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I definitely had to stay for 2 on this occasion. 38.
Heading back out. 39.
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