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dantubs01
by Dan
01-02-2012 07:24 PM

Never

Member's Categories

This is an example on how to set up a member's category where other user's may create and manage their own categories.

Never

The American Brewery is not only a monument to the development of brewing, one of Baltimore’s major industries, but also to the Germans who worked and lived in the area. John Frederick Wiessner, a German immigrant, leased the land in 1863 in order to erect a brewery. Although there were already 21 breweries in Baltimore City and Baltimore County, Wiessner’s Brewery rapidly expanded, employing many Germans that had been brewers prior to their emigration to America. In 1887, Wiessner constructed the present building to enlarge and modernize his brewery. The height of the building and the internal organization of space were determined by the requirements of brewing, but its exuberant exterior reflects the tastes and decorative detail popular during the Victorian age in which it was built. The American Brewery was one of the largest and finest breweries in the state. The Wiessners were forced to sell during Prohibition, and the Allegheny Beverage Company was the last company to occupy the brewery. In the mid-1930s, a modern brewery was created behind the old facade. “American Beer” was produced here until 1973.

loc1437
by Dan
01-02-2012 08:32 PM

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Ammendale Normal Institute

Built in 1880 the Ammendale Normal Institute was said to be the largest buildings in Prince George’s County at the time. The Institute was started by a group called the “Christian Brothers”, a Roman Catholic teaching order. Also on the property is St. Joseph’s Chapel, a freestanding Queen Anne style church. In front of the church is a very interesting monument or shrine of some sort built out of volcanic rock and sea shells. The Institute was destroyed by fire in 1998 and the surrounding structures were closed up. An active cemetery is still on site and the grounds maintained.

loc24212
by Dan
01-02-2012 08:43 PM

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Atkisson Dam

During World War Two , the farm on this land was condemned by the U.S. Government and acquired along with four other tracts of land along Winter's Run. The U.S. Army constructed Atkisson Dam, creating a 75 acre lake which was to ensure an adequate water supply for the Army Chemical Center. The entire farm was vacated and the area was guarded by soldiers 24 hours a day.In 1948 the property was declared surplus property. Through the efforts of Dr. Charles Willis, Superintendent of Schools, the property was given to the Harford County Board of Education under a lease for 25 years. The property is comprised of 245 acres of land and a 75 acre lake.There is some sort of tunnel or drain on the west side of the dam. Maybe just a spillway or maybe it goes inside the dam itself. Im not sure.

loc810
by Dan
01-03-2012 01:35 PM

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Lorton Prison

Lorton prison started out as a small workhouse in 1910 where it was believed that a prisoner’s hard work, learned skills and fresh air would turn him into a model citizen. The prison started out with a capacity of 60 inmates and over time grew to an extensive 3,200 acre complex housing over 7,000 inmates. Operating at nearly 50% over capacity and understaffed the prison became a very dangerous place with reports of murder and uncontrollable drug trafficking inside. A lack of funding forced Lorton to close in 2001. Since closing no time has been wasted to reuse the property. A school and residential housing has been built beside the old prison buildings. Other future plans may include art studios, museum, golf course expansion, residential housing, retirement home, cemetery, and park land.

loc1160
by Dan
01-03-2012 09:59 AM

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Pennhurst Hospital

At the time of its opening in 1908 the organization was referred to as “The Pennhurst Institution for the Feeble Minded and Epileptic.” The excessive complex of buildings was once a home to over 3550 patients and operated by 575 employees. Patients were put to work maintaining the facility, running shops, and other miscellaneous duties. The state was actually profiting from the facility. When the outside community found out about the inner workings of Pennhurst, many considered it nothing more than a grim warehouse for the mentally retarded. Investigations brought lawsuits against the institution, which was found guilty of violating patients' rights by way of abuse, sexual assault, isolation, and worse. The facility was forced to close in 1987 and has been vacant since. Work is in progress to convert the old hospital into a haunted attraction.

bicshift243
by Dan
01-03-2012 10:17 AM

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Black Diamond Colliery

These buildings, some constructed as early as 1930, remain standing as a testament to our nation’s mining history. No two look alike, but they all served the same purpose: process raw coal and break them into useful sizes. One feature most had in common was a covered conveyor that ran from the head of the mineshaft to the top of the preparation plant. There the coal would start it’s descent through cleaning and crushing machinery, through sizing screens and then moved out of the building. In some plants, this process happened in as little as 12 minutes. These once modern wonders have been replaced with more efficient plants, but will continue to stand until time or vandalism finally takes it’s toll.

icebreaker130
by Dan
01-03-2012 10:40 AM

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Crownsville Hospital

Established in 1910 The Crownsville Hospital Center was originally known as the Hospital for the Negro Insane of Maryland. At first patients were kept in old farm buildings and used to help build roads and harvest crops until first hospital building was built in 1912. Crownsville has seen more than its fair share of hard times. In the beginning patients were stuck with smallpox, scarlet fever and tuberculosis while no real effort was made to isolate the infected patients. Later, overcrowded and understaffed the hospital was labeled “Maryland’s Shame” by the local media. Men, women and children dwelled in the same wards which were packed with criminally insane, mentally ill, and diseased patients. There are many rumors of patient abuse, neglect and other horror stories from Crownsville but by the time the facility closed in 2004 this history was largely forgotten or hidden away.

loc2003
by Dan
01-03-2012 10:48 AM

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Fort Carroll

Fort Carroll is a fortified 3.4 acre artificial island located on the Patapsco River just south of Baltimore's Key Bridge. The fort was built to replace Fort McHenry which was located too close to the growing city to provide adequate protection. Construction began sometime around 1847 and remained incomplete thru the civil war during which advances in artillery made the fort's defenses obsolete. In the late 1890s the fort was re-armed and updated to the "Endicott System" in response to hostilities with Spain but never saw war. The army abandoned the fort in 1921 until returning to limited service during World War II acting as a firing range for the Army and Coast Guard as well as a checkpoint for ships entering the harbor. After Work War II the fort and lighthouse were again abandoned. The property has since been passed from one developer to the next all with failed attempts to create a new use for the old fort. All while becoming a jungle like habitat for thousands of birds.

jurassic263
by Dan
01-03-2012 11:02 AM

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Northeast Manual Training School

The Northeast Manual Training School also known as Edison High School is located in a violent heroin-ravaged part of Philadelphia known as the “badlands”. When it closed sometime around the year 2000 the school was ranked as the worst middle school in the city. It wasn’t always that way though… The school was built in 1903 as one of the first vocational schools in the area, a prototype design that future schools would follow. The well known school was very successful at preparing students for careers in area industry. After the vocational school moved out of the area, the school went thru several uses and name changes. As the area worsened, the school fell into corruption and neglect before the city eventually shut it down. The fate of this deserted castle is unknown.

school201
by Dan
01-03-2012 11:30 AM

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Mayfair Theatre

The Mayfair Theatre has been around since the 1870s. The structure was originally known as the “Natatorium” meaning indoor swimming pool. It housed a subterranean spa with Turkish baths, steam rooms, and what was once the city’s largest swimming pool. There is still evidence of the baths & steam rooms hidden away in the basement of the theatre. The structure would later be converted into a movie house and is now the oldest standing movie theatre in the city. The theatre closed up in the 1980s and has been sealed up since. Looking at the front facade the theatre appears to be in good shape but sometime during the 1990s weather and neglect took their toll on the structure and the roof collapsed destroying most of the interior structure.

chips003
by Dan
01-03-2012 11:49 AM

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Transfiguration of Our Lord

An unfortunate and ironic title considering the building's lack of reflection on Christ's transfiguration from a man into the son of God. It has instead fallen gradually from a late-gothic style beauty into a neighborhood garbage depository, and now finally, fallen to the fated wrecking ball. After 95 years of service, this church had sat vacant since 2000. The structure is comprised of an upper church in the standard western-European layout (though with a relatively shortened transept), which provides seating for about 1,000 people while a basement level church seats approximately 400 people. Also located on the property is a three story rectory, the former convent and a three story school building.

lord248
by Dan
01-03-2012 01:20 PM

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Parkway Theatre

Coming Soon...

Parkway Theatre
by Dan
01-24-2012 04:14 PM

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Spring Grove Hospital

The Spring Grove State Hospital Center is the nation’s second oldest psychiatric hospital. What started out in 1797 as a single hospital building has transformed now into a vast complex of buildings with various functions. Located in the center of the active campus is a building which was once known as the “Foster-Wade” building. Originally entitled the “Psychopathic Building,” it was built in 1914 with federal funding to treat psychiatrically ill World War I serviceman. The World War I patients were treated there until 1925 when they were transferred to a newly built veteran's hospital in Perry Point, MD. It was at this point that the federal government transferred use of the building to the Spring Grove State Hospital. Mentally ill patients were treated there until 1979 when the building was closed down.

loc3303
by Dan
01-03-2012 01:48 PM

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The Enchanted Forest

The Enchanted Forest was the first theme park built on the east coast and the second in the country. Disneyland was the first. The Enchanted Forest opened its doors to everyone in 1955.The park closed in the 80s and the land was purchased by a developer which put a shopping center on the property. "Clark's Elioak Farm" made a deal with the owner of the shopping center and has been transferring the attractions to the local farm where they are being restored and put on display. The remaining attractions are in very bad shape but the place is still very cool to see.

loc1527
by Dan
01-03-2012 01:53 PM

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Gunther Brewery

Located in the "Brewers Hill" area of Baltimore, the Gunther Brewery stands vacant, awaiting its inevitable transformation into mixed residential and commercial use structures. Dating back to the early 1900s, the property took its first steps as a beer brewing operation for the George Gunther, Jr. Brewing Company. While successful, Gunther was acquired by the larger Hamm's Brewing Company, who was in turn bought out by the F.& M. Schaefer Brewing Company. Both companies preserved the Gunther brands until the brewery was closed in 1978.

obre04
by Dan
01-03-2012 08:05 PM

Never

124

Bancroft Mill

The now-massive Bancroft Mill complex started out as a diminutive paper mill in the late 1700s. The mill was the first in America to use an endless sheet machine, which would later revolutionize the manufacturing of paper. Consistently ravaged by fire and flood, the mill was rebuilt repeatedly until 1838 when the estate was sold. The property was purchased and converted into a cotton-spinning mill and by 1930 boasted the title of the largest cotton finishing works in the world. The mill housed various other mixed uses before closing down in 2003. Some of the buildings are currently being converted into condos while others are on a list waiting to be demolished.

ernesto262
by Dan
01-03-2012 06:36 PM

Never

115

Forts Armistead and Howard

During the Spanish-American war the only naval defense for Baltimore was the famous Fort McHenry. Made famous during the War of 1812 when the Americans fought the British in the Battle of Baltimore at which time the "Star-Spangled Banner" was also written by Francis Scott Key. Nearly 100 years later the fort had been rendered useless for naval defense. In 1901, Congress created the U.S. Army Coastal Artillery Corps. The CAC was responsible for establishing a new harbor defense for Baltimore and to do so they built a network of forts to protect the Inner Harbor. Two of these forts were Fort Howard also known as the Fort at North Point and Fort Armistead also known as Hawkins Point. These forts were loaded down with troops and anti-ship cannons that never really saw any wartime action. As time went on the defenses quickly became outdated and useless against advancing military weaponry and the forts were used for training or ammo storage only. The forts were later stripped down and are now used as public parks.

loc1908
by Dan
01-03-2012 08:18 PM

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Fort Washington

The first Fort Washington was completed in 1809 and guarded the Nation’s Capital until it was destroyed by its own garrison in 1814. Extensive remodeling was performed in the 1840s and the first guns were mounted in 1846. The masonry fort was occupied by soldiers from the First, Third and Fourth U.S. Artillery during its early history. In 1872 the garrison was removed and additional property purchased to construct a new defense system. Funds for the project were withdrawn and the post was abandoned for the next twenty years. A new defense system, consisting of rifled steel guns in concrete emplacements was authorized in 1886 and work began at Fort Washington in 1891. The next year ground was broken for Battery B, later named Battery Decatur and the guns were mounted in 1896. Eventually eight concrete batteries at Fort Washington and four at Fort Hunt made up the Potomac Defense Command. The guns soon became useless for defense and were removed. The fort was then used for training until turned over to the Department of the Interior which now owns and maintains the fort as a public park.

loc2760
by Dan
01-03-2012 08:27 PM

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Rosewood State Training School

The Rosewood training school was established in the late 1800s to treat individuals with mental retardation. A little web research and a large safe in the basement of the school packed with incident reports is enough to tell that something wasn't right here. Reports of physical abuse, sexual abuse, neglect and unsanitary living conditions were most common problems contributing to the schools disturbing past.While the campus is still active with newer facilities all of the old buildings remain abandoned or partially active. The center is now supposedly one of the better in the state for the treatment of individuals with mental retardation.

loc1208
by Dan
01-03-2012 10:08 PM

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Ghost Ships

What is now a giant parking lot for imported cars from Mercedes was once Kurt Iron & Metal. The company specialized in ripping apart ships and selling the scrap metal and parts. They handled everything from small boats to large aircraft carriers. Even though Mercedes has done a good job cleaning up the grounds which included removing buried bombs which were left from navy ships the harbor is still littered with scraps, burned piers and a few ships. One of the ships shown below is an old ferry which had a big enclosed ballroom, a bar, many entertainment areas, a kitchen, etc... The other was some kind of maintenance boat of which the only purpose I could come up with was “tank cleaning”. The ships will probably remain here until they completely rust away.

loc3663
by Dan
01-03-2012 10:15 PM

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Glenn Dale Hospital

Once a very active tuberculosis hospital, the now abandoned Glenn Dale hospital is the most vandalized and neglected place I have ever been. Police live in a security trailer onsite yet the property is easily accessible by pretty much anyone. I don’t know much about the history of Glenn Dale but I can tell you there is really nothing much left resembling what was there years ago.

loc26228
by Dan
01-04-2012 12:14 AM

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Maryland Point Observatory

The Maryland Point Observatory is isolated in southern Maryland along the Potomac River. The isolation was required so as to avoid radio interference which could potentially hamper the radio astronomy work done there by the Naval Research Laboratory. The first dish (an 84 foot wide telescope) was built in 1958. A slightly larger second telescope was built in 1965. The two colossal dishes were used to study radiation from the sun and moon and to pinpoint optically invisible phenomena in space such as black holes. The telescopes saw their last use in 1994 before the site was closed. The Maryland Point Observatory is scheduled for demolition.

loc34208
by Dan
01-04-2012 12:29 AM

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Hebrew Orphan Asylum

The Hebrew Orphan Asylum now stands like a mysterious castle in a mostly vacated west Baltimore neighborhood. The building established as the Hebrew Orphan Asylum in 1872 is originally believed to have been the old Baltimore County Almshouse. Funded by wealthy Jewish families and surrounded by farmland the Orphan Asylum only operated for a short time before being destroyed by fire in 1874. The building was soon rebuilt, again largely assisted by contributions from the Hebrews of Baltimore. With the help of The Hebrew Ladies’ Aid Society hundreds of orphans were cared here until lack of funding forced the orphanage to close its doors in 1923. In 1924 the site re-opened as the “West Baltimore General Hospital” and expanded with the addition of several new buildings.

loc1630
by Dan
01-04-2012 09:56 AM

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St. Mary’s College

St. Mary’s College also known as “Hell House” was originally named Mount Saint Clemens. The religious school for boys was started in the mid 1800s by a religious group calling themselves “The Redemptorists”. In 1882 a new chapel was built and encouragement from Pope Poious IX led the Redemptorists to change the name of the school to St. Mary’s College.The Redemptorists continued to operate the school until 1972 when it closed due to a decreasing number of students. In 1987 the land was split up and sold to the state and to the private investor listed above.Around this time a man known as Allen Hudson became the caretaker of the property. Hudson kept up the place best he could and chased off thrill seekers and vandals while living in a stone house on the property. Hudson was well known by the local trespassers as the mean old man with the rottweilers and a shotgun. Hudson was even charged with assault, battery and assault with the intent to murder in 1996 when he shot and critically wounded a trespasser. I don’t know what came of the charges but Hudson remained caretaker and continued living on the property.On Halloween night in 1997 the main building was burned down by vandals. The brick walls that remained were unstable and threatened the caretaker’s home if they fell, because of this the caretaker was forced by police to leave.The ruins have since been totally demolished.

loc704
by Dan
01-04-2012 10:04 AM

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Saints Peter and Paul Church

The Saints Peter and Paul Church was established as a German parish in 1857 but It wasn’t until the late1880s that construction began on the current building. The cornerstone of the church was laid in 1857. Construction continued for two years and the completed church was dedicated on November 26, 1859. In 1909 the church was gutted by a fire when struck by lightning. The parish rebuilt a new church that incorporated the remains of the old church including the stone walls, twin towers and the alter. Construction of the church was completed in late 1910. By the end of the 20th century, the population of Pittsburgh fell to the point that the city could no longer support the number of independent parishes in existence. In 1992, Saints Peter and Paul merged with five other parishes to form the new St. Charles Lwanga parish. The Church closed after the merger and was later sold. The building currently sits vacant with an unknown future.

hellsbells58
by Dan
01-04-2012 10:10 AM

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Victor Cullen

Built in 1907 Victor Cullen, originally known as the “State Sanitorium” was the first state funded tuberculosis sanitorium in Maryland. The administration building (pictured here) once had 8 detached wings which were designed to isolate patients in an environment with maximum ventilation in all weather conditions. As the need for tuberculosis treatment subsided the wings were demolished and the facility was converted to a state hospital only to be again converted in 1965 to a reform school for boys. While many of the original buildings are now sealed up and unused there is still an active juvenile treatment program that includes the use of a newer detention center on the property.

loc29225
by Dan
01-04-2012 08:40 PM

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Springfield Hospital

In the late 1800s the Springfield Psychiatric Hospital came about as the “Second Hospital for the Insane of Maryland”. What started out as a small collection of converted farmhouses became a large complex of buildings which treated over 3,000 patients. Now over 100 years later the site is still very active but scattered around the area you will find plenty of buildings that have served their time and now sit lifeless as they slowly deteriorate by the hands of nature.

loc30201
by Dan
01-04-2012 08:53 PM

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DC Village Infirmary

The D.C. Village was opened in 1906 originally known as the Home for the Aged and the Infirm at Blue Plains. The nursing home campus included a 5 story infirmary, a central building, auditorium, chapel and a sprawling complex of cottages. In addition to the elderly the center also accepted and treated mental patients refused by Forest Haven and St. Elizabeth’s Hospital. Throughout nearly the entire lifetime of the facility it was plagued with reports of poor living conditions, abuse, neglect, malnourishment and much more. In 1995 The Justice Department reported findings of 37 preventable deaths at the institution. The D.C. Village was than closed down only to re-open as a homeless shelter which would also be closed for overcrowding and “inhumane” conditions.

infirmary008
by Dan
01-04-2012 08:59 PM

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Jones Falls Conduit

In the early 1700s flooding and waterborne disease was a big problem that slowed the growth of Baltimore city. To solve the problem engineers came up with a plan that would bury the area streams and rivers in underground storm drain systems. The Jones Falls Conduit is one of those systems. The Jones Falls watershed encompasses about 58 square miles of Baltimore County which drains to a stream that runs alongside the Jones Falls Expressway (I-83) until it goes underground near North Howard Street. Once underground the stream passes thru a massive concrete/brick conduit running in total darkness for about 1.7 miles before it outfalls into the Inner Harbor.

jonesfalls001
by Dan
01-04-2012 09:06 PM

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DC General Hospital

DC General Hospital is part of a much larger campus known as “Reservation 13″ which also includes the DC Jail and Correctional Treatment facility, medical clinics, various medical offices and workspaces. The main buildings of DC General Hospital were constructed in the 1930′s and 1940′s but history can be traced back to the mid 1800s when the site was known as “Hospital Square” and home to the Washington Asylum.Currently most of Reservation 13 is vacant and the DC government is seeking a developer to transform the 67 acre site into a mix of offices, health facilities, housing and parkland.

krs015
by Dan
01-04-2012 09:13 PM

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Lebow

For three generations the Lebows carried on the family business as clothiers. The Baltimore factory produced and sold a wide range of clothing consisting mostly of coats and suits that could be found in luxery stores like Saks and Neiman Marcus. After being closed over 2 decades the racks are still filed with coats and hundreds of sewimg machines line the factory floor. Five years ago the building’s New York based owner announced plans to move his marble cutting & polishing business into the empty building but those plans never materialized. Current legal battles between the city and the owner leave the future of this building in question.

lebow05s
by Dan
01-04-2012 09:21 PM

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Lutheran Hospital

In 1924 the West Baltimore General Hospital opened its doors in the building formerly known as the Hebrew Orphan Asylum. Later in 1950 the hospital was renamed the Lutheran Hospital, the name it would be most remembered by. Located in a predominantly African-American neighborhood Lutheran became known as one of the few places where African-Americans could seek medical attention without discrimination. In 1963 a major expansion opened, the modern concrete style looked nothing like the older buildings used onsite. Over time financial problems plagued Lutheran and with bigger and better hospital facilities popping up over the city it was forced of close down in 1989. After sitting vacant nearly 20 years Coppin State University has acquired the property and plans to demolish the hospital. The original Orphan Asylum building may be saved and reused as a school.

loc1714
by Dan
01-04-2012 09:24 PM

Never

Westport Power Plant

When the new “Westport Power House” began operating in 1906, it was said to be the “largest power station in the south” and the “largest reinforced concrete station in the world.” Not a stick of wood was used in the construction only reinforced concrete and steel making it absolutely fireproof and invincible to outside hazards. The original smokestack was 209’ tall making it the highest in Baltimore. Westport has undergone both evolutionary and revolutionary changes and expansions since its creation powering Baltimore thru the Great Depression and two World Wars. The giant power station was closed down and was sealed up in 1993. After sitting lifeless nearly 15 years the plant is now gone following a massive demolition effort.

loc1805
by Dan
01-04-2012 09:35 PM

Never

101

Mount Vernon Mill No. 1

Mount Vernon Mill No. 1 is a historic cotton mill complex located in Baltimore, Maryland. It was constructed between 1873 and 1918 and consists of four buildings situated along the Jones Falls. The complex consists of three closely associated 19th century buildings and a 20th century warehouse. It served as headquarters for Mount Vernon-Woodberry Mills, one of the world’s largest producers of cotton duck.Mount Vernon Mill No. 1 was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2003.A local developer is attempting to secure funding to convert the historic complex to apartments and offices.

millfall03
by Dan
01-04-2012 09:40 PM

Never

Miscellaneous Gallery

This gallery is made up to hold miscellaneous images. Random images from places where we maybe didn't get enough photos or the location was too small to justify its own page or maybe just spy shots from scouting out a location. Enjoy!

sanctuary04
by Dan
01-04-2012 09:47 PM

Never

Nike Site BA-09

The Nike named after the Greek goddess of victory, was the name given to a program that produced the worlds first successful guided surface-to-air missiles. During the start of the cold war the United States built Nike missile sites around populated areas due to the threat of a new wave of soviet long range bomber aircraft which were capable of carrying bombs well withing the continental US.This Launch Control Area (LCA) site consits of about 10 acres. On site is a guardhouse, former barracks, water tanks, pump house, an acid-neutralization pit, three missile silos, three monitoring wells, and numerous trailers, autos and other misc junk. In 1954, the United States Government obtained the land for the this Nike Launch site from a private owner. The site formerly contained the equipment required to assemble, test, and maintain missiles and associated launchers. According to the current owner, in 1962, the site was deactivated because it was unsuitable for the Hercules missile system that began deployment that year. Between 1962 and 1985, the site was inactive, and the property was still owned by the Federal Government. In 1985, a neighboring farmer purchased the property from the Federal Government for $65,000. For a short time in 1986, the property was leased to the County Police Department. Since then, the property has been used by the farmer.This site is on the State Master List that identifies potential hazardous waste sites in Maryland. Because of that it can’t be used for much of anything and sits over-grown and piled with junk. The site barely resembles the military facility it used to be. The watch towers are gone and the access doors to the silos have been welded shut. Other access points have been locked via pad-locks.

loc504
by Dan
01-04-2012 09:52 PM

Never

Fort Howard VA Hospital

This area’s historical significance is its connection with the largest invasion of the United States in history on the morning of September 12, 1814. The British had landed about seven thousand men near the site that later became Fort Howard, as a part of a campaign to capture and burn Baltimore. In coordination with their navy’s bombardment of Fort McHenry, the British troops were to march up Patapsco Neck and capture Baltimore from the east. But the British advance was first demoralized when American sharpshooters Daniel Wells and Henry McComas killed their popular commanding general. The advance had been temporarily stalled by the Americans in the Battle of North Point, and finally stopped dead when the British perceived the strength of the American defenses at Patterson Park. Disheartened, they re-boarded their ships near North Point and sailed away- to another defeat, in the Battle of New Orleans. Fort Howard was originally known as North Point, but was renamed in 1902 after Colonel John Eager Howard, a Baltimore philanthropist and distinguished soldier of the Maryland Continental Line during the Revolutionary War. In the 1700′s, the site served as an important part of the transportation route between the Eastern Shore and the port of Baltimore. Known as the “Bulldog at Baltimore’s Gate”, Fort Howard was also created to protect the valued Baltimore Port. Many of the fort batteries, previously manned by Coast Artillery Corps, can still be seen, although they are now covered by dark ivy and bushes. The hospital was built around 1940 on the post garrison area of the fort. The rehabilitation facility which had 154 hospital operating beds also provided rehabilitation medicine, geriatric medicine, substance abuse rehabilitation, subacute care, and outpatient services. It operated a 47 bed nursing home care unit that was closed in 1996 with the opening of the new nursing home in Baltimore. Many of the other services that were available here have been transfered elsewhere.Of the many structures on site all of them are abandoned with the exception of the out-patient clinic, grounds crew building and the security building at the front gate. Plans are in the works to create a veterans retirement community on the old campus so it may not last much longer in its current condition before building/demolition begins.

abird04
by Dan
01-04-2012 10:01 PM

Never

109

South Mountain Restoration Center

Part of a much larger campus this now vacant building at North Valley State Sanatorium was built in the 1930s at a cost of only $600,000. Known originally as the Children’s Hospital this building served as a preventorium for tuberculosis. The Children’s Hospital consisted of two wings jutting from a central pavilion. The building included two indoor pools designed specifically for tuberculosis patients, a library, four classrooms, exercise rooms, single patient rooms as well as wards, an auditorium, a movie theatre, lounges, and a complete single-family house in the east wing for rehabilitation. The hospital opened in 1940 and was used as a preventorium until 1956. From 1956-1959 it provided a home for mentally retarded women. From 1965-1985 the building housed geriatric patients. The building closed in 1985 due to a deteriorating roof and has been sitting vacant since.

northvalley041
by Dan
01-04-2012 10:12 PM

Never

121

National Park Seminary

The National Park Seminary, also known as The Seminary at Forest Glen is located in Silver Spring, Maryland. The campus history dates way back to the 1800s when an Inn was built in 1887. At the time the area was not easy to access from DC and the hotel suffered financially. In an effort to revive the Inn it was converted into a casino with gambling and bars but the idea did not work. In 1894 the property was leased and the casino was converted into a finishing school for girls. Hard times during the depression hurt enrollment and the primary focus of the school was changed from training the rich elite to a college that all could benefit from emphasizing on academics and practical trade skills that improved employability. Soon after the United States entered WW2 and the property was taken by the Army to use for treatment and recovery of wounded soldiers returning to the states. The property was known as the Walter Reed Army Medical Center during this era. In 2004 ownership of the property was transferred to developers. The developers plan to add to, convert and reuse the existing buildings for residential use including 130 condos, 66 rental units, 13 single family homes and 98 brand new townhouses. Housing is expected to be available in 2007.

loc2312
by Dan
01-04-2012 10:22 PM

Never

123

NRL Communications Facility

During the 1960s an experimental satellite communications facility was built buy the Naval Research Laboratory in Accokeek, MD at former Nike missile base W-45. The site was equipped for satellite tracking, data processing, and various communications experiments. One of the primary uses of the facility was a project called “Compass Link”. Compass Link was established during the Vietnam War to transfer high priority photos between Vietnam and Washington, DC. The facility was also heavily involved in the testing/development of commercial and defense satellites, the MILSTAR program and the FLTSATCOM program. In the late 90s the facility was decommissioned and auctioned off to a private investor. Everything at the site has been totally demolished.

loc106
by Dan
01-04-2012 10:30 PM

Never

Naval Training Center

The United States Naval Training Center (USNTC Bainbridge) was located on the bluffs of the Susquehanna River in Port Deposit, MD. The 1100 acre site once held over 500 buildings and 55,000 people. The NTC was built in 1942 as a training center for World War II recruits. After World War II the facility was deactivated but reopened in 1951 due to the Korean War crisis. After the war the NTC became home to various schools and uses including the Naval Preparatory School, the Nuclear Power School, the Naval Reserve Manpower Center, WAVES Headquarters, and a U.S. Naval Hospital. The NTC closed in 1976. Only a handful of buildings remain on the barren site.

loc2203
by Dan
01-05-2012 09:19 AM

Never

Henryton Center

Henryton State Hospital is located in a wooded, steeply sloped rural area in central Maryland. The facility was established in the 1920′s as a tuberculosis hospital for the “Negro” population. Henryton was converted to a facility serving the developmentally disabled population (i.e., mental retardation) in 1962, and closed in 1985. It has been vacant since closing. However, the Maryland State Police currently use the facility on occasion to train police dogs and demonstrate how to conduct searches, etc. The property is currently for sale but having trouble selling due to environmental issues and the historical value of the buildings some of which cannot be torn down. The quiet site has become a popular target for metal scrappers, vandals and arsons. Sadly much of what you see in these photos has since been destroyed by fire including the old theatre. The Henryton campus consists of eighteen buildings, with a total of 228,000 square feet. The campus is located on 46 acres in the middle of a State Park. The main buildings at Henryton include three connecting multi-story structures, built between the 1920′s and 1940, containing approximately 119,000 square feet. The earliest building comprised the original tuberculosis hospital. Two additions were built and renovations were made to the original building between the time of the original construction and 1940. There are also five support buildings located nearby. These were built between 1936 and 1952 and contain approximately 96,000 square feet. Seven small maintenance buildings or sheds scattered throughout the campus were constructed between the 1920′s and 1940 and have a total of 8,000 square feet of space. Finally, there are three other maintenance buildings constructed between 1957 and 1960.

loc616
by Dan
01-05-2012 09:34 AM

Never

Forest Haven Asylum

Forest Haven Asylum, also known as the D.C. Training School was a mental retardation facility operated by the District. When it opened sometime in the 1920s Forest Haven was know as a state-of-the-art treatment facility. The 250 acre compound was occupied by over 30 buildings including cottages, a kitchen, theater, gym, a hydrotherapy building, and various other hospital and educational buildings. As time went on the newness wore off at Forest Haven and it became a dark wretched place where the only way out for many was a tiny basement morgue that was the last stop before an unmarked grave onsite. It has been reported that the same graves are occasionally uncovered by flooding and erosion. Forest Haven was closed in 1991 by the Federal Government after a lawsuit reported hundreds of incidents of abuse, neglect, molestation and stealing. There were also reports of experimental medical testing where helpless patients were used as human guinea pigs.Today a handful of the buildings remain in use for education and rehabilitation but most of the site remains abandoned and rotting.

loc2105
by Dan
01-05-2012 09:45 AM

pax006
by Baringa
01-17-2012 10:51 AM

117

Phillips Packing Company

Built in the early 1900s Phillips Packing Company was the largest employer in Cambridge, MD. Phillips was big into the vegetable canning business. So big that they did even more canning than the well known Campbell’s company. After closing in the 50s the complex of factories and warehouses stood abandoned until some of them were converted to be used as a large antique shop. The still abandoned portions of the site include a power building, warehouses and other miscellaneous structures and equipment.

loc31222
by Dan
01-05-2012 09:52 AM

Never

Western Penitentiary

Western Penitentiary is located on 21 acres of land (12 acres inside the perimeter wall) just 5 miles from downtown Pittsburgh. The facility opened in 1882 and operated as a maximum security prison until 2005 when it was closed due to high operation costs and poor lines of site. The prison was mothballed and sat mostly vacant until it was reopened as a minimum/lower-medium security prison in 2007.

ppprison02
by Dan
01-05-2012 10:01 AM

Never

The Queen Theater

The Queen Theater in Wilmington, Delaware was built in 1915. Its large auditorium and balcony provided a seating capacity of 2,000. A population shift in the area caused profits to drop and led to the theater closing in 1959. The theater has been deteriorating since but a non-profit group the "Light Up The Queen Foundation" plans to re-open the Queen as a music venue.

wilm01
by Dan
01-05-2012 10:05 AM

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Richmond Power Station

The Richmond Power Station began generating electricity on the banks of the Delaware River in 1925. Richmond was a technological and architectural marvel with a grand exterior and a massive turbine hall. The 130′ ceilings were shelter to many turbines including the world’s largest Westinghouse turbo-generator which was added in 1935. Since closing in 1985 the plant has seen its most activity as a movie set for various tv shows and films including 12 Monkeys, Transformers 2 and The Last Airbender.

reflectedpower03w
by Dan
01-05-2012 10:09 AM

Never

Hickey School

Built around 1910 the Maryland School for Boys was created in an effort to separate children from adult criminals. The complex cared for and treated some 300 delinquent boys and young men, ages 15-17, serving as a detention center for youth awaiting trial and as a training school for youth committed by the court. In 1985 the school changed its name to the Charles H. Hickey, Jr. School in honor of a former Baltimore County sheriff. As facility conditions and “quality of life” deteriorated the governor announced that Hickey be closed in 2005 but years later the facility remains in operation.

loc25204
by Dan
01-05-2012 10:15 AM

Never

John Wesley United Methodist

The John Wesley United Methodist Church is located along Philadelphia road in Abingdon, MD. The church was given to the blacks by the Quakers around 1868. Along with religious services the church was also used as a school before a newer building was built nearby. Also located on the property is an old parsonage, a cemetery with some pretty old headstones and an old wooden outhouse. Since my visit the roof has fallen in and the entire structure has been demolished.

loc3204
by Dan
01-05-2012 10:19 AM

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Belko Rubber Factory

This is the site of an abandoned rubber factory hidden in the woods of Maryland. Built in the 1960s this factory passed thru the hands of several owners before it was shut down for reasons I have yet to figure out. Who knows, maybe asbestos contamination.There is evidence of fire since the closing of the factory which is barely noticable from the outside. “For-Sale” signs are posted on the property and it looks like someone is working to clean the place up.

loc405
by Dan
01-05-2012 10:24 AM

Never

Seton Psychiatric Institute

A few buildings and a garage are all that remains of the Seton Psychiatric Institute in Baltimore city. The largest remaining structure was some type of living quarters, maybe a nurse residence. The main hospital building was demolished years ago.In 1844 the buildings were acquired by the Roman Catholic Sisters of Charity, who operated them as a hospital, Mount Hope Asylum (later Retreat), until the 1880s.The Sisters of Charity went on to establish another psychiatric facility, known as the "Mount Hope Retreat," which later became the Seton Institute. An interesting footnote is the fact that the Sisters of Charity were later accused of using the Mount Hope Retreat to "unlawfully imprison" and torture patients.The customary practice in Catholic dioceses and congregations across the United States when complaints of abuse were made was to transfer the priest out of his current position into another position of clerical service unless the situation came to the attention of civil authorities or threatened grave scandal. In these cases, the priests or religious were sent to a treatment facility, such as Seton, in order to avoid criminal prosecution and/or public exposure. In virtually all referrals to Seton Institute for sexual contact involving minors, the precipitating event was usually either a risk of public exposure or a court—related referral.To make a long story short… Catholic priests that had problems including sexual involvement with minors were sent here for treatment avoiding prosecution.

loc1020
by Dan
01-05-2012 10:29 AM

Never

Carrie Furnace

Built in 1907 the Homestead Works was once a huge iron making operation on the Monongahela river near Pittsburgh, PA. Today the “Carrie 6″ and “Carrie 7″ blast furnaces are all that remain on the silent 430 acre site. Future plans will allow visitors to climb and explore the furnaces in what is expected to be a $78 million stabilization and renovation project creating the Homestead Works National Park.

furnace04
by Dan
01-05-2012 10:34 AM

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Tome School

The deserted buildings of the former Tome School for Boys sit atop a 200 foot bluff overlooking the Susquehanna river. The school started in 1901 with a building known as The Inn. As many as 16 more buildings were constructed including Memorial Hall which was designed to be an awe-inspiring focal point of the entire campus. Other buildings included dormitories, a dining hall, gym, indoor pool, power plant and master cottages. The Tome School was hit hard during the depression and with dropping class sizes failed to produce profits. In 1941 the Navy purchased the school which would be used as a Naval Academy Preparatory School during World War II and the Korean Conflict. In the 1980s the site was used for a short time as a Job Corps training facility.

loc202
by Dan
01-05-2012 11:43 AM

Never

Sydenham Hospital

Built in the early 1900s at lake Montebello the Sydenham Hospital was originally used to isolate and treat communicable diseases such as diphtheria, measles, scarlet fever, smallpox and chicken pox. With the discovery and use of antibiotics the need for a specific hospital to treat infectious diseases faded. As a result, Sydenham Hospital was closed in 1949, and converted for other health and rehabilitation uses. Parts of the campus remain in use but many of the original buildings have been vacant for many years.

loc2806
by Dan
01-05-2012 11:54 AM

Never

Thistle Mill

Located just across the patapsco from the former St. Mary’s College site near Ellicott city, the former Thistle Mill was constructed in the 1820s (opened in 1824) by the Scottish Ellicott brothers as a cotton textile and cotton print mill. The Thistle Manufacturing Company changed hands and functions a number of times during the early 20th century. While it had previously made cotton thread and silk products, in 1919 Edward and A.A. Blakeney and Company bought the factory and converted it into a cotton duck manufactory. It was soon sold again, however, and began producing fabric for automobile tires. In 1922 the Bartgis Brothers Company bought the complex and began producing paperboard. The facility changed names again and in 1957 it became the New Haven Board and Carton Company. Until recently the buildings were still in use by Simkins industries as a paper recycling plant (known as the Baltimore Board Mill). But in 2003 a fire destroyed much of the Baltimore county side of the factory and the plant & surrounding mill houses were abandoned. It remains unclear if the factory will be rebuilt or has seen the end of its almost 200-year lifespan.

thatplace06
by Dan
01-05-2012 12:14 PM

Never

Long Island Rail Cars

Once used as passenger trains in Long Island New York these cars now sit unused at sites in Waldorf and White Planes, MD. The original plan was to convert them to be used as a dinner train but nothing ever developed from the idea and the cars have been rusting ever since.

loc3509
by Dan
01-05-2012 12:25 PM

Never

Tri-State Motor Transit Company

This former site of Tri-State Motor Transit Company was built around 1974. Im not sure if the trucking company was the original owner or if it was previously a hotel. What you see from the road greatly resembles your typical hotel layout.The land is now owned by Charlestown Crossing, LLC which plans to turn the area into residential development. The design has already started at a local civil engineering firm so its only a short matter of time before the place is gone.

loc904
by Dan
01-05-2012 12:31 PM

Never

United Cross

Located in a once-booming steel town, this church befell the same fate as countless neighboring buildings after the decline of the steel industry, quickly deteriorating and largely forgotten. In the 1940’s this town lived on the steel industry and especially profited during World War II. In the last few decades, the flow of Japanese steel and automobiles to America has turned this town and other communities like it into decaying industrial landscapes.

ub242
by Dan
01-05-2012 12:43 PM

Never

Hagerstown Power Plant

Located in western Maryland this power plant has been closed down for a long time but not totally inactive. Vandalism and graffiti are signs of heavy traffic from the local kids and the power plant is also inhabited by a homeless man. Other than news reports of a fire in Feb. 2005 I have been unable to find any history or future plans for this place.

loc3751
by Dan
01-05-2012 12:59 PM

Never

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