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 pezking4
       
Location: Raleigh, NC
Gender: Male
 |  | Vanishing NC mills
< on 8/26/2007 2:42 AM >
|  | | | New to the forums and I thought I would post a few recent pictures. I'm just learning right now and still a beginner. I'm using a Minolta Maxxum 5 with stock 28-80 lens
First, McBess mill. Obviously there's not much left of this place. I did find out the original building is from 1809 and was a foundry that went on to produce cannon balls in civil war times. At some point in the 1900's the entire place was converted to a fabric production. I saw an old photograph at the town hall (total of 2 employees) and this remaining building was only about 10% of the whole size and even it will be gone soon.
http://s45.photobu...ng4/high%20shoals/
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Next, NC Finishing. This mill is in the process of deconstruction right now. Workers were on site when I stopped to take pictures so I went right over to talk to some of the guys. I told them about my own job and that I take pictures during my travels for fun. Turns out the foreman had a soft spot for taking pictures of old barns and after finding out I worked in safety said I could walk around the site if I was careful. The whole place is being harvested by the workers. The old steel is being recycled and workers are collecting and chipping away individual bricks for reuse.
http://s45.photobu...g4/nc%20finishing/
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Third, is a place I really want to go back to and quick. A lot of the buildings were fenced off and I was overwhelmed by the size, so I just found an area that was open. The only problem is; by the time I walked down the hill, took a few steps into a building, and actually got one shot off I could hear a truck park at the top of the hill. The guy just sat in the truck and waited to see what my intentions were. I walked right by the truck to show him I was not there to threaten the property and just taking pictures so he did not exit the vehicle or say anything. But I did notice a D. H. Griffin wrecking company sign on the truck. This is the same company that handled the Cannon Mills building in Kannapolis, NC (the 3rd largest building implosion in US history). So I don't know what the fate of this facility is, but I did find out it is actually 8 mills put together with the oldest buildings in use for 105 years and abandoned in 2001. This place is HUGE (I drove probably five or six blocks when driving by, so I only saw a small part so far.
http://s45.photobu...zking4/fieldcrest/
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sorry for the huge post... I couldn't get the gallery feature to work.
[last edit 8/26/2007 4:18 AM by pezking4 - edited 5 times]
I become capability. I become the horror. What we know we can become only in our heart of darkness. It's my gift. It's my curse. |
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natman
Location: North Carolina
Gender: Male
| | Re: Vanishing NC mills
<Reply # 1 on 8/26/2007 4:32 AM >
| | | | Interesting stuff, and welcome to the forums, mills like these are becoming less and less every day. That last spot looks very promising.
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seicer
 
Location: New York
Gender: Male
| |  | Re: Vanishing NC mills
<Reply # 2 on 8/26/2007 4:46 AM >
| | | | Thank you for sharing! When I did a drive through of North Carolina en route to other destinations a while back, I spotted six mills that were worth checking out. The state is just littered with them, a product of our labor and trade agreements with other countries. You might check out the remnants of the state's once famed furniture industry as well.
Abandoned |
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pezking4
Location: Raleigh, NC
Gender: Male
| | Re: Vanishing NC mills
<Reply # 3 on 8/26/2007 4:54 AM >
| | | | I'm glad to be here.
I travel all over the state every week for my job, but after recently stumbling upon UER my sense of exploration has been sparked. I've been taking more small roads and highways over the past few weeks and I am amazed at all the places I have just driven by before.
I noticed Hwy 70 is especially surrounded with mills and other industry worth seeing.
I become capability. I become the horror. What we know we can become only in our heart of darkness. It's my gift. It's my curse. |
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natman
Location: North Carolina
Gender: Male
| | Re: Vanishing NC mills
<Reply # 4 on 8/26/2007 5:07 AM >
| | | | on Highways 64 and 70 there are a lot of mills and factories, most are so beaten up they aren't worth exploring, but there are a few that are rather unique, especially in the piedmont and coastal plains. The state has a lot of fascinating sites, but they kept secret pretty well, but i guess thats a good thing.
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aGlock4u
Location: North Carolina
Gender: Male
Urbexing North Carolina
| |  |  | | Re: Vanishing NC mills
<Reply # 5 on 8/26/2007 11:58 AM >
| | | | What town is the 3rd Mill in? A trip is in order.
Jake
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pezking4
Location: Raleigh, NC
Gender: Male
| | Re: Vanishing NC mills
<Reply # 6 on 8/26/2007 2:31 PM >
| | | | Eden. Not far from you guys at all.
I become capability. I become the horror. What we know we can become only in our heart of darkness. It's my gift. It's my curse. |
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Holy Ginker
This member has been banned. See the banlist for more information.
| | Re: Vanishing NC mills
<Reply # 7 on 8/26/2007 3:05 PM >
| | | | damn incredible what day did you go?
they are probably worried about scrappers...or scrapping themselves...
you all in NC do you ever have meetups etc, or show anybody around from out of town?
Chicken George all Covered in Sores.... |
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pezking4
Location: Raleigh, NC
Gender: Male
| | Re: Vanishing NC mills
<Reply # 8 on 8/26/2007 3:27 PM >
| | | | first location taken 8/23/07
second location taken 8/24/07
third location taken 8/21/07
I become capability. I become the horror. What we know we can become only in our heart of darkness. It's my gift. It's my curse. |
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solstice
Location: Charlotte, NC
Gender: Female
Just assume I have no idea what's going on.
| | Re: Vanishing NC mills
<Reply # 9 on 8/26/2007 5:56 PM >
| | | | Glad to see someone else here knows of McBess--she's close to my heart (and my house, about 5 minutes away!). I, too, am depressed by the state of all the old NC mills in this area; they're either being bulldozed, burned down, or redeveloped. I have a few old, low-quality photos of McBess's former glory, I'll dig them up and post 'em later. Also, if you haven't seen the old Firestone mill in Gastonia, you should go check it out, it's beautiful; don't think you can get in because of security, but it's worth driving around the outside just to see it, it's huge.
I <3 archaic industry. |
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pezking4
Location: Raleigh, NC
Gender: Male
| | Re: Vanishing NC mills
<Reply # 10 on 8/26/2007 6:08 PM >
| | | | Do you know if anything is left inside McBess? I took a look inside but couldn't see more than 10 ft and I did not have a flash light with me at the time.
I become capability. I become the horror. What we know we can become only in our heart of darkness. It's my gift. It's my curse. |
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natman
Location: North Carolina
Gender: Male
| | Re: Vanishing NC mills
<Reply # 11 on 8/26/2007 9:17 PM >
| | | | the third location might make a good meetup, it seems like a lot more NC folks are finally getting on these forums.
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aGlock4u
Location: North Carolina
Gender: Male
Urbexing North Carolina
| | | | | Re: Vanishing NC mills
<Reply # 12 on 8/26/2007 11:55 PM >
| | | | Posted by pezking4
Eden. Not far from you guys at all.
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Really... 10 minutes away.
PM me please.
[last edit 8/26/2007 11:55 PM by aGlock4u - edited 1 times]
Jake
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Holy Ginker
This member has been banned. See the banlist for more information.
| | Re: Vanishing NC mills
<Reply # 13 on 8/27/2007 1:18 AM >
| | | | pm me too I am down with my little crew from TN and SC, we gots some stuff down here if you want to see it....
Chicken George all Covered in Sores.... |
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solstice
Location: Charlotte, NC
Gender: Female
Just assume I have no idea what's going on.
| | Re: Vanishing NC mills
<Reply # 14 on 8/27/2007 4:29 AM >
| | | | Posted by pezking4
Do you know if anything is left inside McBess? I took a look inside but couldn't see more than 10 ft and I did not have a flash light with me at the time.
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Nothing but some shitty graffiti...there used to be chemicals and stuff in that front warehouse, but when they bulldozed the rest of the structure they took it all out. From what I've researched about it, it was a textile mill (as you mentioned) last it was used, then a fire destroyed most of the big mill part. The front buildings and a few in back that were unscathed were used as warehouses after the mill was shut down. About five years ago you could walk around like you owned the place and no cop would say anything to you as long as you stayed out of the front warehouses, but then lots of dumb kids started hanging out there and setting fires. The back buildings burned down, then I guess they decided to up security and finish demolition (though they've stopped again, now a few exterior walls remain and a lot of rubble).
Here are some terrible old photos (I think my cell phone has more megapixels than that camera did) of McBess, back when it was amazing...it was half-demolished from a fire and a little subsequent clearing away when I heard about it, but there was a lot of inside space and a great atmosphere. I don't know, maybe it just holds personal significance to me...
And here it is today:
Oh yeah, and I'm gonna need a PM if any NC meetups are planned! I'll help plan if needed.
I <3 archaic industry. |
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pezking4
Location: Raleigh, NC
Gender: Male
| | Re: Vanishing NC mills
<Reply # 15 on 8/27/2007 4:49 AM >
| | | | I knew it used to be huge after seeing all that debris. Thanks for the older pics.
I also noticed some people out in the water when I was walking around. It looked like they were right on the dam. I think you have to cut through some woods farther downstream, because there was no way to get through the old buildings rubble and to the dam.
Some meets are indeed in order.
I become capability. I become the horror. What we know we can become only in our heart of darkness. It's my gift. It's my curse. |
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natman
Location: North Carolina
Gender: Male
| | Re: Vanishing NC mills
<Reply # 16 on 8/27/2007 12:22 PM >
| | | | pm me as well, its time to get some NC meets
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solstice
Location: Charlotte, NC
Gender: Female
Just assume I have no idea what's going on.
| | Re: Vanishing NC mills
<Reply # 17 on 8/27/2007 2:17 PM >
| | | | Posted by pezking4
I also noticed some people out in the water when I was walking around. It looked like they were right on the dam. I think you have to cut through some woods farther downstream, because there was no way to get through the old buildings rubble and to the dam.
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Yeah, that's what's locally known as "The River" (original, eh?); my friends and I are over there a lot. Even though it's polluted and dangerous, hundreds of people from the area swim and chill out there at this time of year (it used to be quiet, cleaner, and less crowded, but I guess people don't believe in keeping fun places secret anymore). And there are a few ways to get from the mill rubble to the water.
I <3 archaic industry. |
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ActionSatisfaction Esq.
Location: Newark, NJ
Gender: Male
Action always satisfies
| | Re: Vanishing NC mills
<Reply # 18 on 8/27/2007 2:22 PM >
| | | | LOL@ set #1 pic #4
It should just say "seriously guys, no f*cking around"
"The things that will destroy America are prosperity-at-any-price, peace-at-any-price, safety-first instead of duty-first, the love of soft living, and the get-rich-quick theory of life." - T.R. |
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aGlock4u
Location: North Carolina
Gender: Male
Urbexing North Carolina
| | | | | Re: Vanishing NC mills
<Reply # 19 on 8/28/2007 3:40 PM >
| | | | My preliminary report on Fieldcrest-Canon:
On a scale of 1-10 for Awesomeness, Photogenics, and just plain cool, this place gets a 25. It is easily the coolest place I have ever explored and is probably the coolest in North Carolina. Unlike all the rest of the mills, they just walked out and left everything.
I don't want to step on anyone's toes here, but I have an important warning.. It is IMPERATIVE that you watch where you walk and bring the proper equipment (gloves, hardhat, flashlight, etc) if you plan to go here, especially if you plan to leave the ground level.
It's fucking awesome.
Jake
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