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 YoelT
      
Location: Viet Nam
Gender: Male
 |  |  | Mysterious Peck & Mills Building infiltration
< on 5/31/2010 2:23 AM >
|  | | | The Peck & Mills building (actually hispelled by one letter to keep name on the downlow.) is not particularly epic, but it's unique tiled roof and Spanish Colonial Revival (?) architecture in the midst of southside's bland square commercial buildings make it stand out. It always draws my attention every time I drive by. From the first time I saw it, I have always wondered about the story behind the building and what it looked like inside. During the short time I have been in the city and aware of the building, Peck & Mills has always been vacant but always maintained in pristine condition. Any historical information on the building remains elusive. The internet has few references to the building. It's just there.
I did not have any exterior shots, so did a drive by shooting yesterday morning on my way out of town. I didn't realize the shots were overexposed so sorry for the high contrast. (You can see a better picture (c.2006) from a Flickr user here:
http://www.flickr....gusfoto/131333293/)
This all happened earlier in the year. Through my extensive intelligence network, I learned that there was going to be an opportunity to infiltrate the building. Pretty excited, the night of the operation I made sure my batteries were charged and I locked and loaded my DSLR: Tamron wide angle telephoto lens, battery grip, and external flash. (Needing to be stealthy, I left the tripod in the car.) Dressed appropriately, I looked just like I was supposed to be there. The site actually had an adjacent parking lot, and the parking attendants guided me right to a parking spot. I wish all abandonment's provided this service, parking is always half the battle. Our team members, who's names will remain secret, staggered our penetration to avoid arousing suspicion. Some in our team didn't even know the real reason why we were there and were just employed as decoys and credibility props.
"I’m not telling how I got in,", but it cost less then I was expecting. Once inside, I uncapped my lens, attached my lens hood, and did some work on that building. The main room just inside the front entrance was pretty cool. Some light painting was going on, not really sure of that is normal, or if it was a team of other explorers doing it. My mission was too sensitive to stick around and find out.
Once past the entrance, I did what any super ninja l337 explorer would do: I went straight to the rest room and HDR'ed the toilets and fixtures. To add to my ninja-ness, I was in the women's rest room, (I couldn't find the men's anyway).
"I will not even begin to speculate what that stain is."
After I fully used and abused the restroom, I removed myself to see what else the building had to offer.
Gorgeous peeling paint:
I discovered the door to a walk in safe. I wasn't even able to get close because it was guarded and had a huge security flood light on it. Very carefully I snapped this picture. You can see the guards in the picture, I don't think they saw me. Drinks were being served in this room, which was pretty nice. We made use of this.
A team member found this aging circuit breaker box, but we were not able to get it open.
In one room I found food, it was fresh. I helped my self to quite a bit of it. It was good.
Check out the layers of paint on this light switch. There must be at least 17, as a testament to the age of the building.
This site had lots of cool things to look at.
Some of the mantel pieces and other fixtures were interesting:
"Many of the rooms evince signs of recent occupation," I realized as I walked into a room and was confronted with one of the sights most feared by Urban Explorers. Coat Hangers.
The second floor was calling, but it was secured pretty well with a piece of ribbon, which normally I would have had no problem crawling under but this guy was at the base of the stairs. It looked like he was busy keeping watch on security monitors and some other surveillance equipment.
There were a few bizarre constructions scattered in various rooms, not sure the purpose, but I kept the possibility in mind of hobo or crackhead gang activity.
At one point I was confronted face to face with another explorer.
We had pretty much milked the building for all it was worth, not much else to see. I did snap a few more pictures of the main room and entryway before we left though.
The mission was a success. We were never detected, and we had a great time. Although we didn't see the second floor, I got my fill and can check this building off my list.
www.yoeltaom.as |
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washthat
Location: Birmingham, AL
Gender: Male
| | Re: Mysterious Peck & Mills Building infiltration
<Reply # 1 on 5/31/2010 4:08 AM >
| | | | Posted by Exothermic
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Is that pimento cheese? What kind of party was this?
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YoelT
Location: Viet Nam
Gender: Male
| | | Re: Mysterious Peck & Mills Building infiltration
<Reply # 2 on 5/31/2010 4:43 AM >
| | | | They had some good foods, I ate a bunch.
www.yoeltaom.as |
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explorating
Location: Birmingham, AL
Gender: Male
| | Re: Mysterious Peck & Mills Building infiltration
<Reply # 3 on 5/31/2010 11:54 AM >
| | | | Posted by Exothermic
Once past the entrance, I did what any super ninja l337 explorer would do: I went straight to the rest room and HDR'ed the toilets and fixtures.
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As it is election season... My name is Explorating, and I endorse this statement.
(Paid for by the commission to take pictures of toilets and sinks)
[last edit 5/31/2010 11:54 AM by explorating - edited 1 times]
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DJ Craig
   
Moderator
Location: Johnson City, TN
Gender: Male
Break the Silence
| |  | | Re: Mysterious Peck & Mills Building infiltration
<Reply # 4 on 5/31/2010 3:37 PM >
| | | | Glad to know I'm not the only urban explorer that takes advantage of being a DJ! Last night, after finishing a party, I got to have free roam of an active 100 year old movie theater with an incredible film projection room and lot of other interesting old artifacts. And anytime I get caught somewhere I'm not supposed to be in a hotel anywhere in the country, I pull out my mobile DJ business card and say something about preparing for a wedding and drop a phrase like "banquet manager" and they always leave me alone.
"You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself any direction you choose. You're on your own. And you know what you know. And YOU are the one who'll decide where to go..." -Dr. Suess |
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AKBC
Location: Colorado
Gender: Female
| | | Re: Mysterious Peck & Mills Building infiltration
<Reply # 6 on 6/9/2010 6:10 PM >
| | | | I am very much a fan of this thread
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consecrated
Location: Connecticut
Gender: Male
Æthereal
| | | Re: Mysterious Peck & Mills Building infiltration
<Reply # 7 on 6/9/2010 6:46 PM >
| | | | This thread made me laugh.
I am so jealous! I have looked high and low for fresh food on an exploration but found none... All is not lost, there is hope!
| I discovered the door to a walk in safe. I wasn't even able to get close because it was guarded and had a huge security flood light on it. Very carefully I snapped this picture. You can see the guards in the picture, I don't think they saw me. |
Fantastic!
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Durdan
Location: Ybor City, FL
Gender: Male
| | | | Re: Mysterious Peck & Mills Building infiltration
<Reply # 8 on 6/9/2010 7:22 PM >
| | | | *whew* youre lucky you made it out of there alive!
[20:58:22] <3mpolack> i realise that i am the scum of society |
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