Vacated Gated by
Ground State Photos, on Flickr
My neighbourhood gang and I used to sneak onto the property of Washington Mills when we were kids
and steal cool-looking chunks of crystals from their various stockpiles. Our favorite was the
hard-as-diamond silicon carbide crystal pile. This stuff!:
It was one of many eye-catching choices. Right from their own website, Washington Mills
is "one of the world’s largest producers of abrasives and fused mineral products, offering
an exceptionally wide line of standard abrasive grain and specialty electro-fused minerals from
its worldwide multi-plant locations."
The Niagara Falls plant did not go belly-up, it just moved locations. Most of the old property was made
into a golf course, and I often wonder if they seized the opportunity to offload land that would have
otherwise been far too expensive to clean environmentally for a residential subdivision.
Strangely, they did not demolish their office building, which has sat out in the middle of nowhere
getting more and more overgrown as the years have gone by. I checked the tightly secured perimeter
many times over the past few seasons, but could always hear the hum of power inside and assumed
it was alarmed. Then suddenly, as these things always do, the door magically opened one
twilight evening.
Sunset Recon by
Ground State Photos, on Flickr
It was getting too dark for photos, so I woke early and returned the next morning, closing the
last half mile with a bike for extra stealth. The factory sits in an industrial park that has shared
security guards patrolling the entire area. I hurried, as Ontario security guards are not allowed
to carry weapons, but if one drove up and shoved his pen in between the spinning spokes of my bike, I
could have been in big trouble!
A New Guard on Duty by
Ground State Photos, on Flickr
All Area Access by
Ground State Photos, on Flickr
Access was as effortless as the night before, and I took a few moments to enjoy the sudden solitude that
only an abandoned, carpeted interior affords. It was nice to know that I had the entire place to myself
with no need to hurry. Indeed, I probably could have squatted in the place for the rest of the summer,
with my happy little mattress stuffed over in a corner surrounded by a fortified wall of Snickers wrappers.
Silent Hall by
Ground State Photos, on Flickr
Hints of Injury by
Ground State Photos, on Flickr
Escape the Machine by
Ground State Photos, on Flickr
Equine Decor by
Ground State Photos, on Flickr
Filed and Forgotten by
Ground State Photos, on Flickr
Insulation Drop by
Ground State Photos, on Flickr
Once Used by
Ground State Photos, on Flickr
Classic Steel by
Ground State Photos, on Flickr
Ok, so I'm not proud of this next moment. I was anxious to explore the basement but the environment changed
drastically down there. Wet rot and the smell of black mold was very prevalent, and there was a disgusting
crypt-like chill in the air. But in my haste to get here, I forgot my damn mask!! And my garlic and
wooden stakes for that matter.
So.... see that roll of toilet paper in the next photo? Laugh if you must, but I unraveled half of it to
get to some fresh plies, and then stuffed twin balled-toilet-paper-packs into my nose. I must have looked
like quite an idiot, but it worked reasonably well. There was just enough air passage so that if I remained
calm and breathed very shallow, I could manage a few minutes down there without gasping for air.
Bathroom Shadows by
Ground State Photos, on Flickr
By time I packed my nose up, I had forgotten which way to go to get down there. Luckily though, some
previous visitor made sure to permanently point the way....
Leading the Way by
Ground State Photos, on Flickr
My P100 Charmin nasal plugs only allowed me to take a few shots before I realized I wasn't getting
enough airflow to remain conscious for long. I hope the following few photographs were worth my
frightening visions of passing out and having my corpse lay there and start sprouting a blanket of
that furry white raccoon-shit mold all over me.
Molding Dungeon Office by
Ground State Photos, on Flickr
Wet Rot Records by
Ground State Photos, on Flickr
Soiled Engineering by
Ground State Photos, on Flickr
The Boardroom by
Ground State Photos, on Flickr
Anna's Office by
Ground State Photos, on Flickr
Broken Main by
Ground State Photos, on Flickr
Dead Tone by
Ground State Photos, on Flickr
All in all, there was nothing classic or ground-breaking here, but as my old mantra goes, everything
needs to be explored. Hope you saw something that interested you.
Empty Stockpile Bays by
Ground State Photos, on Flickr
