Now first off I hope no one will have a problem with me mentioning the name of this place, it's in the final days of abandonment is due to start heavy construction and renovation by the end of the month.



The Bailey's Power Plant is the last building from the tobacco era of Winston Salem to start renovation and is one of the most iconic buildings of the downtown area of my city. The plant was constructed by R. J. Reynolds Tobacco Co. on the site of a former competitor, the Bailey Brother's Tobacco Co. which was established in 1880. In 1924 the Bailey Brother's Company was purchased by RJR and in 1925 the first building of the plant was constructed.

The first building I explored was a RJR factory located across a street which sparked my interest. This power plant was the first location I put on my bucket list. However due to the fact that this building is right next to the police station I had given up all hope of ever trying to get in. Recently though while walking around downtown with UEMEZ we walked by the gate and it sat wide open while the construction company associated with the project was across the street working on some new thing.


Wide Open by enirus

This opportunity was just too easy to ignore, so to test the waters we just walked a couple feet in and took some external pictures, workers were unfazed and we assumed they weren't paid enough to give a shit, however the security company is and we knew that we wouldn't be able to get inside with all the eyes on us.


Boiler Building

As UEMEZ had already been in multiple times (and has much better pictures) he decided to go across the street and sit on a nearby rooftop to tell me when it would be clear. I decided to hide under a railway trestle behind a pillar to wait.


Hiding

UEMEZ's view:


After waiting for a little under an hour to just before the sun started to go down the construction crew finally packed up and left, shortly after I decided to try and get in. After moving a massive wooden platform blocking a window with a loud ass bang, I was in. I stumbled up a staircase panicking that I would hear sirens any second, I came up to this room.


Boiler Room 1


Boiler Room 3

This was the building that originated in 1925 and was the first built, a catwalk connected it to the 7 story high building that housed the main part of the plant which was constructed in the 1940s.

Shortly after UEMEZ called me and assured me that no one was around to hear the bang and that I was all good. So I went and walked around the building, later left over a brick wall right as a security van drove by, and the exploration was done.





Full album can be found here: https://www.flickr.../72157665709884896

Thanks to UEMEZ for helping me get in.
His pictures can be found here: http://imgur.com/a/7BoBI

Sorry that this post is more text than images but I figured putting effort into writing down a story of what happened would make posts more entertaining.

Bonus Pic, another abandoned building in Winston Salem demolished: