Tag: dilapidation

  • The Sunshine Corner

    The Sunshine Corner

    This “drive thru” liquor store has closed, having seen better days. A couple blocks over, a defunct One Hour Cleaners sits in a building that was constructed in 1897. In the window, you can see a blue van with flower-power decals and an 80s era American car. A nearby shop placed mannequins in its upper…

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  • Project house

    Project house

    In the last post, I referenced a “project car,” and I name this image “Project House.” It’s sad that a house of this size can fall into such a decrepit state, and a few blocks away, house after house is in the same condition. Tomorrow, I’ll return to downtown Freeport, and we’re almost done with…

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  • Rolling, rolling, rolling …

    Rolling, rolling, rolling …

    Driving around Freeport, I found plenty of interesting spots, including a yard with a variety of vehicles that have been sitting around for decades. North American Van Lines, which still operates as a moving services company, was owned by PepsiCo at one point. Behind the trucks sat this project car. The building to the left…

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  • Real Deal Mistake

    Real Deal Mistake

    See how long it takes you to find the typo in this photo. Just a few blocks from the abandoned factory is this defunct convenience shop. Nearby is a beautifully renovated former railroad depot that is now owned by a private business. Across the street from the convenience store is this billboard. (top) Real Deal…

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  • Rawleigh’s Plant

    Rawleigh’s Plant

    My last image of the former Rawleigh’s factory in downtown Freeport, Illinois. One of the most striking aspects of this building is the space that has been cleared from around it. Nearby Rockford has a similar abandoned building, although revitalization is starting to encroach upon it. Rawleigh’s Plant, March 6, 2024. Freeport, Illinois.

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  • Rawleigh Skybridge

    Rawleigh Skybridge

    I love the architectural elements that are common among factory buildings of this era (1890s–1910s). Common among buildings that I’ve seen is this skybridge, robust and adorned with the company name. Again, there’s more broken windows and lots of glass on the sidewalk even though the attached building at right remains in use. On the…

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  • Factory windows

    Factory windows

    Here’s another interpretation of the factory windows, this time in B&W. I can’t help but think of all the potential business the Freeport Glass Company could have. Around the corner (at left), we see an open window and screens (far left) that protect the open window. (top) Factory Windows and (left) Fresh Air, March 6,…

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  • Save me

    Save me

    In this stylized photo (B&W with a fade to color), we get a fuller view of the Rawleigh’s abandoned manufacturing building in downtown Freeport. The company still exists and has an online presence at https://www.wtrawleigh.com/. They have a slogan, “A Friend of the Family Since 1889.” According to their website, the company is now based…

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  • Bricks & Glass

    Bricks & Glass

    Warnings on the exterior doors tell of asbestos and health hazards. Through these shattered windows. you can see a tree growing, metal tanks used for production, and lots of broken glass everywhere. Bricks & Glass, March 6, 2024. Freeport, Illinois.

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  • Exit

    Exit

    Today, we’re leaving the hotel, and tomorrow we’ll explore downtown Freeport. Even though it was the middle of the day, this hotel weirded me out. Mattresses were discarded in the dumpster, most of the lower-level windows were boarded up, and the back door was propped open. I wasn’t (and still am not) brave enough to…

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  • Atrium

    Atrium

    The Atrium Restaurant and Lounge offered a variety of per person event options, such as a $28pp “Cocktail Party – Cold” menu that featured Eggplant Caponata, Endive Spears stuffed with Dungeness crab salad, mushroom caps, spiced and seared rare ahi tuna on a cucumber wheel, imported and domestic cheeses, and Norwegian salmon tartare on crostini.…

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  • Banquet

    Banquet

    Today marks the first image in a series focused on Freeport, Illinois. Entering the city along U.S. 20 takes you past a condemned and abandoned motel and banquet center. Unfortunately, it served as a sight of things to come … Banquet. Freeport, Illinois. March 6, 2024

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  • Abandoned Americana, No. 21

    Abandoned Americana, No. 21

    Another vantage of the burnt-out dwelling.

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  • Abandoned Americana, No. 20

    Abandoned Americana, No. 20

    This shell of a farmhouse outside Galena, Illinois, shows the strength of stonework across the passing years.

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  • Abandoned Americana, No. 7, on Exhibit through Oct. 10

    Abandoned Americana, No. 7, on Exhibit through Oct. 10

    Earlier this year, I unveiled my “Abandoned Americana” series, and No. 7 earned a spot in the “Voices of the Midwest” exhibit at the Fine Line Creative Arts Gallery in St. Charles, Ill. The exhibit runs now through Oct. 11. I also filmed a brief artist’s statement that will be included in their virtual kickoff…

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  • Sentinel, No. 3

    Sentinel, No. 3

    Here’s another photo from the archives and one I’ve published in a few iterations of my website. Known as the “Ruinas del Faro de Guánica,” the abandoned Guánica lighthouse, pictured above, dates back to 1893. I’ve named this photo “Sentinel” in honor of Robustiano Rivera, who served as lighthouse keeper and alerted the local mayor…

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  • Abandoned Government No. 7

    Abandoned Government No. 7

    A police trailer sits inside the secure area and appears to offer video surveillance of the property. Even though it closed seven years ago, the area still feels recently abandoned. Eaves, Chris (March 16, 2020). Abandoned Government No. 7 [Photograph]. Dwight, Ill. Shot on a Canon 6D at 24mm, 1/320 sec., f8 at ISO400.

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  • Abandoned Government No. 6

    Abandoned Government No. 6

    The Dwight Correctional Center, which was also known as Oakdale Reformatory for Women and the Illinois Penitentiary for Women at Dwight, closed in 2013 after a round of state budget cuts. The facility first opened in 1930. Eaves, Chris (March 16, 2020). Abandoned Government No. 6 [Photograph]. Dwight, Ill. Shot on a Canon 6D at 25mm, 1/320…

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  • Twin Stacks

    Twin Stacks

    I featured this image back in March, and I’ve made a few incremental improvements on it since that time. The image shows the former power building for the Elgin State Hospital, which opened in 1872 as the Northern Illinois Hospital and Asylum for the Insane. The long-exposure gives the foreground a bit of drama as…

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  • Abandoned Government No. 4

    Abandoned Government No. 4

    Approaching an open bunker is eerie. The sound from your feet collects in the bunker and bounces back at you like a giant megaphone. Thankfully nothing was living inside this one. Eaves, Chris (March 16, 2020). Abandoned Government No. 4 [Photograph]. Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie, Ill. Shot on a Canon 6D at 16mm, 1/125 sec.,…

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