Peace | Abandoned Wonders

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Posts Tagged ‘Peace’

Season Finale – The Abandoned Fort Dearborn

Posted: October 18, 2023 by kingleser in #postaday, Abandoned, Abandoned Attractions, Abandoned Connecticut, Abandoned Forts, abandoned home, Abandoned Massachusetts, abandoned military bases, abandoned new england, Abandoned New Hampshire, Abandoned New York, Abandoned Park, Abandoned Pennsylvania, Abandoned Places, Abandoned Rhode Island, Abandoned Road, Abandoned Tower, Abandoned Tunnel, Abandoned USA, Abandoned Vermont, Abandoned Wonders, Art, Birds, Broken, Closed, darkness, Death, Destruction, dreams, empty, Exploration, fantasy, Forgotten, forgotten beauty, Fortress, Forts, Ghosts, Graveyard, Haunting, Hiking, History, Homeless, Information, left behind, lost, Manchester, Massachusetts, Military, Military Forts, Movies, Mystery, nature, Navy, new england, New Hampshire, nightmares, Ocean, Ocean View, photography, Preserved Ruin, Public Parks, research, Ruins, Safety First, Searching, State Parks, Stories, time, Uncategorized, Urban Decay, Urban Exploration, Urban Exploring, Urbex, War, writing, WWII
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Season Finale

The Abandoned Fort Dearborn

Written by: Wilk

Photographs by: Lassie

Who here enjoys a good television show? It’s kind of a weird question to ask these days with all the strikes going on. But I know that most of us out there all have our preferred shows to watch. It’s Cobra Kai and Andor for me. I remember as a kid, before streaming services and DVR’s, my Grandmother had to take a break everyday at 2pm sharp to watch “Her Stories” on CBS. But what would our favorite shows be without a good finale? It gets us excited for what comes next. Like Game of Thrones (Season 1), Dexter (Season 4), or Lost (Season 3). If I missed any of your favorites, please feel free to shout them out in the comments. Here at Abandoned Wonders, we’ve had one of the best seasons we’ve ever had. We’ve explored abandoned zoos, hiked to lost plane crashes, and trekked deep into the mountains in search of the illusive JME House. It’s been quite a year, to say the least. But now, the year is beginning to wind down and this will serve as our grand finale of the 2023 season. Last quarter, we finally made the trek back up to New Hampshire. And since that piece gained such a big response, we decided to return to the White Mountain State for one last hurrah. So here it is, let’s all learn about the abandoned Fort Dearborn.

Located just across the bay of the Piscataqua River from the likewise abandoned Fort Stark, Fort Dearborn has a much shorter and significantly more checkered history. Up until the dawning of World War II, this land was once privately owned affluent beachfront property. But when the shadows of war crept onto the eastern seaboard, the US government felt forced to act. The land was taken over via the always controversial law of “Eminent Domain,” which if you’re not familiar basically states that the government can buy your land from you for it’s base worth and evict you from it without you having any say in the matter. Once the land was cleared of inhabitants, Fort Dearborn was established. It had a small garrison and was championed to by major defense batteries. But hope save us, The War to End all Wars never reached the eastern American coastline. And in 1948, the US Government decommissioned Fort Dearborn and gifted it to the state of New Hampshire. Once again, in controversial fashion, the land’s previous owners were not given the opportunity to purchase the property back. Over the years, the young military fort fell into dissrepair, and its remains currently reside on the far outskirts of Odiorne Point State Park.

And so, as the leaves began to fall, we made our way up north once again to the proud state of New Hampshire. As a lifelong resident of Connecticut, it’s always a culture shock for me going up there. Alcohol is sold pretty much exclusively from state run establishments. There’s toll roads all over the place. No sales tax. But what honestly flabbergasts me the most is that air is not free at petrol stations. I stopped for some on the way back from our last trip, and the attendant honestly looked at me like I was crazy when I asked him to turn the air on. How weird is that? As I mentioned to you earlier, the remains of the fort lie deep in the woods of Odiorne State Park. The park, much to our surprise was quite jumping when we arrived. Children played on the colorful playground. Old folks perused the soggy beach. Gulls cawed furiously in the ocean breeze. But the deeper we got into the woods, the quieter things became. When an abandoned place such as this resides in a popular state park, this is usually how things go. Still, we honestly weren’t sure how much we were going to find out there. We walked in relative silence under a light mist until, at long last, we finally found ourselves totally alone in a silent wooded area.

The abandoned batteries of Fort Dearborn loom out of the woods like great concrete titans. Battery Dearborn is the first to greet you with Fort Seamen farther down the line. Each is nearly identical in structure, with a wide entrance in the middle giving way to a great open space. If you look closely, you can still make out the names of each branded across their hulls. The two are a good quarter of a mile apart and are connected by a long filled-in tunnel system. The entrances to these tunnels are blocked by rusty metal gates that are shored up by plenty of concrete blocks and other debris. There are several ways to peak inside though. Trespassers are clearly not welcome. With a good pair of shoes, you can climb the steep slope to the top of each battery. There, you are treated with a wonderful view of the Atlantic seacoast that this old warhorse once watched over. There are a pair of pillboxes located in proximity to each battery. Both are just concrete hollowed out shells that have been plastered in vibrant graffiti. But still, they are pretty cool to check out. Hanging out in there kind of made us feel like kids again, playing Army out in the woods. Even during this time of year, though, there were mosquitos bloody everywhere.

I honestly would recommend a visit to Fort Dearborn if you’re up for an adventure in the White Mountain State. There honestly isn’t too much to see here, but the grounds themselves are much more rugged and frankly much more interesting than those of her counterpart Fort Stark. While Stark was an old war hero who served the nation for centuries, the land that Dearborn is on was basically swindled from it owners, converted to what turned out to be unnecessary military purposes, and then left to rot in the middle of the woods. It is a story that is hard to believe and even harder to forget. But does it live up to the hype of a strong season finale? Well, that’s for you the reader to decide. And while I’ve got your attention, we have a special announcement for all of our readers here. 2024 will mark ten years of Abandoned Wonders! It’s crazy how fast time flies. Thank you so much to everyone who has been along with us for this crazy ride. We’ve covered over 100 abandoned places across seven states and we’re still going strong. We’re not quite sure what we’ll be doing to celebrate or what the plan is yet. But expect to see us back in some way sometime soon. What will we be up to? Well, you’ll just have to tune in next season.

Wander My Friends – The Abandoned JME House

Posted: June 19, 2023 by kingleser in #postaday, Abandoned, Abandoned Amusement Park, Abandoned Attractions, Abandoned Cabin, Abandoned Castle, Abandoned Connecticut, abandoned home, Abandoned House, Abandoned Massachusetts, abandoned new england, Abandoned New Hampshire, Abandoned New York, Abandoned Pennsylvania, Abandoned Places, Abandoned Rhode Island, Abandoned Road, Abandoned Tower, Abandoned USA, Abandoned Vermont, Abandoned Wonders, Art, Cabin, Children, Closed, Destruction, empty, Exploration, exploring the abandoned, for sale, Forgotten, forgotten beauty, forgotten home, Haunting, Hiking, History, House, Information, left behind, lost, Love, Magic, Movies, Mystery, nature, new england, New York, overgrown, Pennsylvania, photography, research, Ruins, Safety First, Searching, Stories, time, Uncategorized, Urban Decay, Urban Exploration, Urban Exploring, Urbex, Vermont, writing
Tags: Abandoned America, abandoned buildings, Abandoned Connecticut, Abandoned Home, Abandoned House, Abandoned Houses, Abandoned Massachusetts, Abandoned New England, Abandoned New Hampshire, Abandoned New York, Abandoned Places, Abandoned Treehouse, Abandoned USA, Abandoned Vermont, Adventure, Adventure Builders Club, Alone, Architecture, Battlestar Gallactica, beauty, Blogging, Books, Call, children, danger, Dome, Dome House, engineering, Family, Forests, forgotten, Fun, Great White North, Green Mountains, history, home, home sweet home, Ideas, Into the Wild, Inventor, Jaimie, Jaimie Builds, Jaimie Mantzel, JME House, Ladders, Living Free, lost, love, Mountains, Nature, Off the Grid, Panama, Peace, Photographs, photography, Pictures, Play, Rustic, searching, Slides, Social Media, The Woods, Trampoline, Treehouse, Unique, Urban Decay, urban exploration, urban explorer, urban exploring, Urban Legend, urbex, urbex photography, Vermont, Wander My Friends, writing, YouTube

Wander My Friends

The Abandoned JME House

Written by: Wilk

Photographs by: Lassie

“There was this point in my life when I decided I was going to trust my own ideas…

that’s where my life started, really.” -Jaimie Mantzel

I talk about a lot of things on here. It’s weird sometimes, I know. Abandoned Wonders has kind of become this beautiful mix of personal and travel blog. I love telling stories. I hope that I inspire people with my writing. But at the very least, I just hope you all enjoy my musings. No matter how random they can be sometimes. One thing I talk about every year on here is the the call to adventure. It’s something I’ve always had and can never shake. No matter how badly I want to sometimes. Every year, Lassie and I consider retiring from this whole urban exploring thing. We’ve been at this for almost ten years now (wow!), and we aren’t getting any younger. But every year, we come back. Why, you ask? The call to adventure. The need to see new places and explore new worlds always gets the best of us. It keeps me up at night sometimes. I feel like there’s always something new on the horizon to see or to learn. And in the early days of summer 2023, for the first time in a long time, adventure found me. I had business up in the Great White North. And whenever I have to undertake a journey such as this one, I always try to find a unique place to explore on the way to help make the trip worth it. Well friends, as fate would have it, I just happened to come across one of the most unique and beautiful abandoned places I have ever seen.

This is my friend the JME House. Please say hello! In the early 2000’s, an eccentric social media personality and gifted inventor named Jaimie Mantzel built a unique dome house in the mountains. His goal was to live completely off the grid with his young family. The house was built entirely out of recycled materials and featured three stories, with the entire third floor being a trampoline. It was designed with an open floor plan with each floor being connected either by ladders or a blue and yellow playground slide. There was no indoor plumbing or running water. The family cooked all of their own meals together. The house was powered by solar energy and heated via a wood stove. There was also a stationary bike that was used to generate electricity. There were no neighbors for miles and the house was completely inaccessible to vehicles. It could only be reached via a long hike through the forest. For several years, the young Mantzel Family lived out in the mountains completely off the grid. But eventually, Jaimie Mantzel got the call to adventure once again and the time came for them to move on. Jaimie sold the house to an anonymous buyer after a short YouTube campaign and moved his family out of the country. But then what happened? Nothing. For reasons unknown, the house became abandoned and forgotten deep in the mountains. And there she stands to this day.

I will not be giving away anything on this location to preserve its beauty. I know that the real hunters on here will find it (you know who you are), but I also know that those are the people that will respect it. Do not ask us for any information on how to find this place. I’m sorry. But I really want the JME House to remain as untouched by the outside world as possible. If you have a problem with that, then we’re just going to have to agree to disagree. As I mentioned to you earlier, I was once again flying solo on this trip. And so, after a long day of traveling and running on two hours of sleep, I found myself trekking alone deep into the unknown in search of this illusive treasure. It was sunny. It was hot. It was rustic. Luckily I came prepared. Lots of water. Lots of food. A map. And my compass. Thank you, Eagle Scout training. Luckily it didn’t take long to cross into the former kingdom of Jaimie Mantzel. After a long walk down a lonely pathway, I found myself gazing upon a most peculiar site. The first location to greet you is a small hut that was the former sauna/hot tub. Though it is now completely full of mosquitoes and bugs. Next to this is what the man himself came to call “The Banana Building.” What was once an open workshop for creativity is now just a disastrous pile of rubble. But up the hill, guided by a blue climbing rope, is where the adventure truly begins.

The abandoned JME House stands grandly upon the hill, looking like an elegant can of soup with its dome structure. The northeastern side is made up of windows, whilst the others are a simple tin. Colorful painting and art coat the exterior. It is unclear what is graffiti and what is not. There is a modest opening at the front that serves as the doorway inside, though it is only covered by a thin sheet of plastic. Written in stark yellow paint next to the opening is the house’s name: JME House. Walking inside was like stepping into a dream. Greeting you as soon as you walk in is a big purple sign welcoming you to the home. The sign politely asks all visitors to be kind and to sign their guest book, but someone seems to have made off with it. I searched the entire house looking for it to no avail. Though the place is captivating, the smell was unbearable. I’m not sure why. And while the outside forest is teeming with summer noises, it is peacefully serene inside the home. The first floor is partially paved and served as the family living quarters. A homespun bucket-system bathroom stands guarded by a couple of tarps. Old radio gear has been left behind. Some cooking equipment and lots of old books chill on the shelves. The stationary bike used to generate electricity still stands and miraculously still works. A petite wooden staircase leads up to the house’s upper levels.

The second level of the house features the former art gallery of Jaimie’s work and is the landing zone for the vibrantly colored playground slide above. Many curious drawings and paintings still hang on the wall. A well loved armchair hangs out here too. But the third floor is what everyone wants to hear about, right. Because trampolines are fun! Though I could not fit down the slide, being 6’3″, I confess to doing my fair share of jumping on the trampoline. It once served as the family’s recreation area and believe me, there is still plenty of fun to be had here. A steel step ladder is suspended by climbing ropes above the trampoline which leads to the upper nest. A worn out mattress rests up here along with a colorful paintjob making the walls look like some sort of castle. It is also where I ran into a bit of trouble. Whilst climbing up to the house’s highest point, one of the climbing ropes holding up the ladder gave out. Luckily I was able to catch myself before tumbling all the way down. Maybe the trampoline would’ve held from my fall. Maybe it wouldn’t have. I’m glad I didn’t have to find out. Eventually, much like the Mantzel Family before me, the time came to say goodbye to this incredible place. Sun-burnt and bug-bitten, I bid farewell to the JME House and began my arduous quest back to the car. Down the mountain. Through the forest. Across the tunnel. Along the dirt road. Into town. Here at last, my journey came to an end and I began the long drive back home.

Many abandoned places have spoken to me over the years. But none have had a greater effect on me than this one has. Jaimie Mantzel is very much a man after my own heart. And getting a brief window into his incredible world was nothing short of miraculous. It’s nice to know there’s other creatives out there living their best lives. I’ve heard that the Mantzel Family is still very much active online and enjoy seeing their old home being appreciated. So if you guys are here, welcome! We hope you enjoy our work here at Abandoned Wonders. I was honestly quite nervous about finding the JME House. I was going to a place so few had explored, far away from my home, and without my better half. But now that my adventure is over, damn am I glad I went on it. Finding this magical place is something that I will never forget. And so, my friends, I have a challenge for all of you reading this article. And that is to go on an adventure. It can be as big or as small as you want it to be. It doesn’t have to be crazy far away or anything death-defying. But just attempt pushing yourself out of your comfort zone a little bit. Try something new. Go somewhere you’ve never seen. Get to know yourself. Maybe it will work out. Maybe it won’t. But no matter what happens, you’ll always have a story to tell. And that’s kind of what life is all about: the experience. Finding your place in the world. Because that’s how we grow as people. When adventure calls, sometimes you just have to answer it.

Wormwood – The Abandoned Rhode Island Plane Crash

Posted: April 19, 2023 by kingleser in #postaday, Abandoned, Abandoned Connecticut, Abandoned Massachusetts, abandoned new england, Abandoned New Hampshire, Abandoned New York, Abandoned Pennsylvania, Abandoned Places, Abandoned Plane Crash, Abandoned Rhode Island, Abandoned USA, Abandoned Vermont, Abandoned Wonders, Bird Watching, Birds, Closed, Death, Destruction, Exploration, Forgotten, forgotten beauty, Ghosts, Haunting, Hiking, History, Information, left behind, lost, Massachusetts, Movies, Mystery, nature, new england, New Hampshire, New York, overgrown, Pennsylvania, photography, Plane Crash, Planes, research, Rhode Island, Ruins, Safety First, Searching, Stories, time, Uncategorized, Urban Decay, Urban Exploration, Urban Exploring, Urbex, writing
Tags: 1971, Abandoned Connecticut, Abandoned Massachusetts, Abandoned New England, Abandoned New Hampshire, Abandoned New York, Abandoned North America, Abandoned Places, Abandoned Plane, Abandoned Plane Crash, Abandoned Rhode Island, Abandoned USA, Abandoned Vermont, Airplanes, Aviation, Birds, Crash, Crash Site, East Greenwich, exploring, Grief, Hope, Loss, Mike Shinoda, Nature, New Jersey, Ocean State, Peace, photography, Plane Crash, Planes, Prudential, Rest in Peace, Rhode Island, searching, Spring 2023, Swamp, Swampland, The Bible, Tragedy, Urban Decay, urban exploration, urban explorer, urban exploring, Urban Legend, urbex, Warwick, Wormwood, writing

Wormwood

The Abandoned Rhode Island Plane Crash

Written by: Wilk

Photographs by: Lassie

“The third angel blew his trumpet, and a great star fell from heaven, blazing like a torch, and it fell on a third of the rivers and on the springs of water. The name of the star is Wormwood. A third of the waters became wormwood, and many died from the water, because it was made bitter.” It’s not often that I get the chance to quote The Bible. So I take every chance that I can get to do so. I’m not a religious person. But there’s no denying the power of the Holy Book’s language. Especially The Book of Revelation. There have been many different interpretations of this passage over the years. Most of these include some sort of grand plight about end-times and straying from God’s path. Appropriate, given what book of The Bible this quote is from. But the interpretation that I agree with most is that Wormwood symbolizes the infectious bitterness that comes to us all during times of hardship. We’ve all experienced loss. It’s one of the few things that unites us all as human beings. It can hit you like a sledgehammer. Pain. Anger. Sadness. These things can send you down a very dark hole. I know. I’ve been there. If you’re not careful, this darkness can easily consume you and send you down a path that is quite difficult to get off of. It feels like being lost in an endless world of night, where all forms of hope and light have been stamped out. And only darkness remains. When the sky falls, it feels like the whole world has ended. But it doesn’t have to.

And so, allow me to introduce our subject for this month – the abandoned wreckage of the infamous 1971 East Greenwich plane crash. On a cold November day way back in the long long ago, the President and Senior Vice-President of Prudential Financial boarded a small twin-engine Aero Commander in Chatham, Massachusetts. They were both accompanied by their wives, a pilot, and a co-pilot. Their destination was Newark, New Jersey. The weather conditions were poor. The Aero Commander was an outdated model. And things went south shortly after take-off. When the pilot realized the dangers of the situation, he attempted to put the plane down at the nearby Green Airport in Warwick, Rhode Island. But it was too late. En route to their emergency landing, Aero Commander 560A came down from the sky and crashed into the swamps of East Greenwich. They were mere miles away from their emergency landing site. The rescue effort was swift and courageous as the town rallied together to get to the crash-site. Five of the six on-board the plane survived. Sadly, one did not. The wife of the Prudential Senior Vice President succumbed to her injuries and was pronounced DOA at a nearby medical facility. While the tragic event made national headlines, the crash-site itself eventually faded from memory. Being so deep in the swamp, no efforts were ever made to recover the wreck. It slowly became the stuff of local legends. Lost in the woods.

This story has always fascinated me. I love forgotten pieces of local history. It is a place that we have always wanted to go see, but could never find the time for it. Given how deep in the swamp the wreck is, it can only be properly and safely reached during certain times of the year. The location has been kept a secret for good reason. I want to say this right now: do not ask us for coordinates or directions or anything like that. We will not be giving out any information on this location. The crash-site has been preserved in its natural setting for decades now. It has been almost virtually untouched by vandalism and I intend on keeping it that way. My apologies if this upsets anyone, but I believe this is the way. During the winter, we decided that this was the year we were finally going to find the wreck. You see, the land where the crash is located is slowly being taken over by developers. The beautiful woodlands of East Greenwich are slowly being destroyed to make way for more lavish houses and developments. And we honestly don’t know how much time the crash-site has left. Our February got busy. Then our March got even busier. And with only a few days left before our window of opportunity closed, we finally made our trek to The Ocean State in mid-April 2023. The sun was shining. There was a soft breeze in the air. We had our heading. We packed plenty of water and food. And together, we began our journey into the wild unknown of the Rhode Island swampland.

Finding this fallen angel was quite a challenge. The way in is littered with swampy wetlands, unforgiving swarms of bugs, and near impassable vegetation. I honestly wanted to bring my machete, but Lassie wouldn’t let me. Eventually, the glaring white fuselage loomed out of the swamp. When the plane fell from the sky, she flipped over and became wedged between two trees. And that is where she still stands. And let me just say, it is truly a sight to behold. The plane honestly looks like it could’ve crashed here just under a year ago, let alone several decades passed. Several large chunks of debris are scattered alongside the main hull. Some pieces have been submerged beneath the swamp water. Numerous old gadgets and artifacts stick out of the grimy muck. There are an unholy amount of bugs flying around. And a family of Eastern Blue Birds appear to be nesting within the fallen fuselage. There is plenty of rusted out equipment and machinery inside the wreck, which can viewed through several broken windows and the gaping hole at the front. Aside from this nasty damage to the nose, the port side of the plane is in much better shape than the starboard. Both the wing and landing gear are still intact. Though there was only so much to photograph, just being in the presence of the old wreck is quite moving. There is a strange sense of reverence and mystique here that I have never quite felt anywhere else. It was honestly hard to tear myself away from it.

I would like to dedicate this article to the memory of Julie Gerathy. She was the wife of Prudential Senior Vice President E. Carrol Gerathy and was tragically the only person to not survive the plane crash. She was 59 years old and lived in Summit, New Jersey. I haven’t been able to find an official obituary or anything like that. I’m not sure if she has any surviving family out there. But I want her name to be in this article, so that it does not disappear from the pages of history. She was here. And we need to remember that. My heart truly goes out to all who knew and loved her. One of my personal heroes, Mike Shinoda, once said: “The hardest part of ending is learning to start again.” And if that doesn’t perfectly sum up grief and loss, I don’t know what will. But when the sky falls on our heads, we cannot let the waters of our souls become poisoned and bitter. Like those from the story of Wormwood. We who remain have to take our hits, lick our wounds, and carry on. No matter how hard it is. Not just for ourselves. But for those that we have loved and lost. There are currently plans to erect a memorial for the crash-site in East Greenwich, and I for one am all for it. The natural world has taken in the wreckage of the fallen Aero Commander. The trees have regrown. The streams have found new paths. Birds and bugs have come to call the crash-site home. Life goes on. No matter how much it hurts, things do get better. Very slowly, sometimes. And we must all never forget that. For if this land can heal, then perhaps so can we.

The Last Hummingbird – The Abandoned Highover Estate

Posted: September 19, 2022 by kingleser in #postaday, Abandoned, Abandoned Attractions, Abandoned Castle, Abandoned Connecticut, Abandoned Farm, abandoned home, Abandoned House, Abandoned Massachusetts, abandoned new england, Abandoned New Hampshire, Abandoned New York, Abandoned Park, Abandoned Pennsylvania, Abandoned Places, Abandoned Resort, Abandoned Rhode Island, Abandoned Statues, Abandoned USA, Abandoned Vermont, Abandoned Wonders, Art, Birds, Boston, Closed, darkness, Death, Destruction, Exploration, fire, Forgotten, forgotten beauty, forgotten home, Haunting, Hiking, History, House, Information, left behind, lost, Massachusetts, Movies, Mystery, nature, new england, photography, Preserved Ruin, Public Parks, research, Ruins, Safety First, time, Uncategorized, Urban Decay, Urban Exploration, Urban Exploring, Urbex, writing
Tags: abandoned, abandoned buildings, Abandoned Connecticut, Abandoned Estate, Abandoned Home, Abandoned House, Abandoned Mansion, Abandoned Massachusetts, Abandoned New England, Abandoned New Hampshire, Abandoned New York, Abandoned Place, Abandoned Places, Abandoned Rhode Island, Abandoned Statues, Abandoned USA, Abandoned Vermont, abandoned wonders, Architecture, beauty, Beverly, Boston, Classic Rock, decay, fire, forest, forgotten, forgotten beauty, Fountain, Green Day, Highover Estate, hiking, hiking trails, Hummingbirds, JC Phillips, lost, Massachusetts, Memories, Nature, Peace, Photographs, photography, Salem, searching, Summer 2022, urban exploration, urbex, writing

The Last Hummingbird

The Abandoned Highover Estate

Written by: Wilk

Photographs by: Lassie

Summer has come and passed. The innocence can never last. Wake me up when September ends. Well, that’s just about now. So wake up, everyone. We’re back. But the summer season has taken its final bow. And we are currently on the fast track toward the end of the year. It all just goes by so fast, doesn’t it? Time keeps on slipping into the future. I close my eyes only for a moment and the moment’s gone. Every year is getting shorter, never seem to find the time. Alright. No more classic rock lyrics. Wait a minute. Is Green Day considered classic rock now? Damn I got old. Seriously, though. I always measure the days of summer by the hummingbirds. We have two feeders sitting outside on our back porch and we love to watch them. The little birds first start sparingly appearing in early June. By July, there are dozens of them waging nasty territorial battles for control of the skies. But by August, things begin to quiet down. The birds fly off one by one into the great unknown. The days fall off the calendar. The sunshine fades away. And the glorious season of summer fun disappears into our collective memories. Gone. But not forgotten. And as I currently write the words of this article, only one hummingbird sits outside.

As I mentioned to you earlier, we’re experimenting with quarterly articles this year as opposed to monthly ones. A: we were just getting too busy with school, work, movies, etc. And B: frankly, we’re just running out of abandoned places to cover that are nearby. For years now, it has become increasingly hard to find quality abandoned places that have a story to tell. But there is one that has been on my list for a couple years now. And interestingly enough, nobody that we follow has covered it yet. So allow me to introduce the subject of Quarter #3 of 2022’s article: The abandoned Highover Estate. Located in what is now Beverly, Massachusetts, this area was once well known as Moraine Farm. It was famously owned by the high-society elite family of Boston: The Phillips Family. For years they lived on and managed the farm, and in 1913 the family built their lavish estate known as “Highover.” But in 1968, tragedy struck and the family mansion was destroyed by a raging fire. The remains were subsequently abandoned and the land sat empty for several long years. It was saved, however, when the grounds officially changed hands to the town of Beverly in the early 1990’s, and the JC Phillips Nature Preserve was established.

We made our trek to the abandoned Highover Estate during the final days of summer 2022. It was a bit of a drive for us. So we decided to make an overnight trip of it. Most people don’t seem to realize it, but there’s actually quite a bit to do north of Boston. Gloucester. Salem. Danvers. All great towns. But maybe it’s better that they stay more low-key destinations. That’s the way we like it. Except for Salem in October. If you dig big crowds, long lines, tourist traps, costumed characters, overpriced beer, and religious zealots yelling at you from street corners, you’ll love it. If you’re an awkward introvert like myself, it will NOT be your cup of tea. Anyhow, this place had been on my list for a very long time. And we were finally on our way to see it. The sun was shining, there was a bit of traffic, and we arrived at the JC Phillips Nature Preserve ready for some adventure. It was a quiet place. A few dog walkers perused the area. But for the most part, we were alone. Just the way I like it. The abandoned Highover Estate is not marked on any map, so we did have to go in more or less blind. But lucky for us, the abandoned estate is rather easy to find. As we meandered down the main trail, we soon found exactly what we were looking for.

The main blue trail of the nature preserve passes straight through the abandoned estate. The old iron gate still stands, though now fully overtaken by wild vine and vegetation. A trail bulletin board with historical facts on it is now rotting into oblivion. But the main attraction of this place lies a short walk up the neighboring hill. The estate’s former fountain still resides amongst the fertile forest floor and watching over it is the final surviving piece of the Highover Mansion. It is quite odd looking, honestly. Almost like a white room standing all alone amongst the underbrush. Three walls and a floor, or what’s left of them. Though now coated with graffiti and full of trash, it still casts a strong sense of character. We honestly took a ton of pictures as its just a very photogenic piece. See for yourself above and below. A short walk down the trail lie a few more broken down foundations and structures. It honestly feels like at this point you’ve seen everything there is to see. But if you continue long enough, you will find a small copper statue perched upon a stone pedestal in the middle of the trail. This was honestly my favorite part of the abandoned grounds, as it still has so much character to it. Even being such a small piece.

To be perfectly honest, there isn’t too much to see here. If you’re a hardcore urban explorer, this place will disappoint you. But if you’re a hiker or a photographer, you will enjoy this one. The photos we got just have their own weird sense of charm and derelict dignity. Looking back though, the abandoned Highover Estate still truly puzzles me. For years, she has sat alone in the forest. Many have come and gone past its ruins. But most never seem to take notice. And those that do notice have not been very nice to it. Time and time again we have seen places like this get cleaned up, renovated, and reborn into places of public interest. But the abandoned estate has had no such luck so far. She just continues her steady decline into oblivion. I encourage anyone who is looking for a good hike and a bit of legal mischief to check this place out. It’s honestly perfect for people wanting to get into urban exploring, but don’t know how. There isn’t too much to see, but what is there is very cool and very photogenic. Because whether by the hands of a local cleanup crew or the slow decay of time, I don’t see this place lasting much longer. Not in the state that it’s in. So plan your trips now. For just like the days of summer, nothing last forever.

This is The Place – The Abandoned Aerosol Techniques Factory

Posted: March 25, 2022 by kingleser in #postaday, Abandoned, Abandoned Attractions, Abandoned Boston, Abandoned Business, Abandoned Connecticut, abandoned factory, Abandoned House, Abandoned Massachusetts, abandoned mill, abandoned new england, Abandoned New Hampshire, Abandoned New York, abandoned paper mill, Abandoned Pennsylvania, Abandoned Places, Abandoned Rhode Island, Abandoned Tower, Abandoned Tunnel, Abandoned USA, Abandoned Vermont, Abandoned Wonders, Art, Broken, Closed, commercial, Connecticut, darkness, Death, Destruction, empty, Exploration, exploring the abandoned, for sale, Forgotten, forgotten beauty, Fortress, Ghosts, Graveyard, Haunting, Hiking, History, Homeless, Information, left behind, lost, Love, Magic, Massachusetts, Movies, Mystery, nature, new england, New Hampshire, New Haven, nightmares, overgrown, photography, Preserved Ruin, Public Parks, research, Rhode Island, Ruins, Safety First, Searching, Stories, time, Uncategorized, Urban Decay, Urban Exploration, Urban Exploring, Urbex, writing
Tags: abandoned, abandoned buildings, abandoned business, Abandoned Connecticut, abandoned factory, Abandoned Massachusetts, Abandoned New England, Abandoned New Hampshire, Abandoned New York, Abandoned Place, Abandoned Places, Abandoned Rhode Island, Abandoned USA, Abandoned Vermont, abandoned wonders, Aerosol, Aerosol Techniques, Architecture, Art, Connecticut, Creative, Creative Expression, Creativity, Graffiti, hiking, Nature, New Haven, New Milford, Peace, Photographs, photography, research, Skate Park, Spray Paint, Spring, Spring 2022, Ukraine, Union Pond Mill, Urban Decay, urban exploration, urban explorer, urban exploring, Urban Legend, urbex, urbex photography, writing

This is The Place

The Abandoned Aerosol Techniques Factory

Written by: Wilk

Photographs by: Lassie

Glory to Ukraine. Glory to the heroes. It’s been a long and busy winter, but we’ve returned from our annual slumber. And to be perfectly honest, we considered taking this whole year off from exploring. We’re getting older. Things keep getting crazier. And the world continues to grow smaller every day. We’re also really running out of places to explore. Plus, you know, gas prices. So we decided to just enjoy our break, and see how we felt when the seasons changed. It was nice to take a breather, but the call of adventure and the need to create was eventually too much. This site has, is, and always will be our creative outlet. We love writing. We love taking photographs. And we love interacting with all of you. Art is funny that way. It’s interesting. When you look at people all over the world who don’t have to be worry about going to work everyday, art is the thing that most end up pursuing. No matter the kind. Creative expression is something that just calls out to all of us. And it can come in so many different shapes, sizes, and forms. And there is no better example of that than places like our first subject of the year.

And so, my friends, allow me to introduce the abandoned Aerosol Techniques Factory. A few months ago, Atlas Obscura, one of my favorite websites, did a story on the abandoned Union Pond Mill in Manchester, CT. We covered this place many years ago, and they linked our article on their page. Thus, we started getting a lot of traffic to our site from this story. And from that traffic, we got a lot of emails and comments. One of these highly suggested we go check out a similar place that was nearby: The Aerosol Techniques Factory. The facility was constructed during the 1960’s and wore many different hats throughout her era. The main purpose was the production of Aerosol products and eventually, just like Union Pond Mill, recycled plastic bottles. The factory was unfortunately forced to close its doors during the 1990’s and has been abandoned ever since. It’s ownership remains murky, and all attempts to redevelop the property have sadly fallen through. But again, just like Union Pond Mill, the derelict facility has found new life as a makeshift skate park and a vast canvas for local graffiti artists.

We made our trek out to the abandoned factory on a pale spring day, still slightly clinging to winter’s chill. It was a long drive for us, but it felt good to be back out on the road again. We chatted about old adventures. We sang songs from the radio. We navigated the usual New Haven traffic. And eventually, we reached our destination. See, the legality of this property remains elusive to me. Many sources say that there is no current owner. Yet others say that there is NO TRESPASSING allowed. So we weren’t quite sure what we were walking into. And to top things off, Aerosol Techniques factory is sitting right out in the open. Most abandoned factories we’ve explored over the years are lost in the woods, cut off from the rest of the world. The same cannot be said for this old workhorse. Instead of cutting it off, the world instead just grew around the abandoned factory. It’s just sitting there totally exposed, sharing a parking lot with a hotel and a home improvement store. Yikes. I hate abandoned places that are totally exposed like this. You never know who might be watching. But we came all this way. We decided to check it out.

As we hesitantly walked into the abandoned factory, another young couple was casually walking out of it. Contrary to us, they didn’t seem to have a care in the world. They even gave us a friendly greeting as we passed by. Curious, but we cautiously moved forward. The abandoned factory is huge. It is made up of three different structure, loosely connected by narrows causeways. Almost every inch of this place is coated with various forms of graffiti and everything wreaks of spray paint. It’s ironic that the thing this place used to produce is now the weapon of artistry used against it. The insides are all terribly gutted. Some machinery has been left behind to rust into oblivion. The first two structures are all open air, so we were able to get some great photos. The causeway connecting the middle section to the main hub is the true highlight of this place. But speaking of the main hub, this is where flashlights are required. In order to get a good feel of this section, you must descend down a rickety staircase into the darkness below. It is all quite creepy, yet eerily exhilarating. But when the light peaks through, there is just more graffiti.

We didn’t stay too long. No bad vibes here. It’s just too out in the open. Once we had covered every inch of the grounds and gotten all the pictures we desired, it was time to head out. As we were exiting, we crossed paths with yet another young couple. These two, however, were clearly here for a different purpose. By the time we got to our car, we could hear the shaking of an aerosol bottle and the fierce spray of paint. More graffiti artists. But just like the last couple, these two clearly didn’t care who saw them or knew they were there. It always fascinates me when abandoned places get like this. To the rest of the world, they become just an eye soar. Something to be shunned and avoided. But to a select few, they can become something fun and beautiful. Though still barely standing, this old industrial titan has found a new life. And some of the art adorning its ancient halls is actually quite good. Like us, folks from all walks of life visit this place for one reason or another. Some come to the abandoned Aerosol Techniques Factory to see the art. Some come to create it. But whichever you seek, this is the place.

Dark Fairy Tales – The Abandoned Highland Statues

Posted: October 20, 2021 by kingleser in #postaday, Abandoned, Abandoned Amusement Park, Abandoned Attractions, Abandoned Boston, Abandoned Business, Abandoned Connecticut, Abandoned Golf Course, Abandoned Massachusetts, abandoned new england, Abandoned New Hampshire, Abandoned New York, Abandoned Park, Abandoned Pennsylvania, Abandoned Places, Abandoned Rhode Island, Abandoned Statues, Abandoned USA, Abandoned Vermont, Abandoned Wonders, Broken, Closed, commercial, darkness, Death, Destruction, Disney, dreams, empty, Exploration, fantasy, Forgotten, forgotten beauty, Ghosts, Graveyard, Haunting, Hiking, History, Information, left behind, lost, Love, Magic, Massachusetts, Movies, Mystery, nature, new england, overgrown, photography, Public Parks, Ruins, Safety First, Uncategorized, Urban Decay, Urban Exploration, Urban Exploring, Urbex, writing
Tags: Abandoned Attleboro, abandoned buildings, Abandoned Connecticut, Abandoned Golf Course, Abandoned Massachusetts, Abandoned New England, Abandoned New Hampshire, Abandoned New York, Abandoned Place, Abandoned Places, Abandoned Rhode Island, Abandoned Statues, Abandoned USA, Abandoned Vermont, Architecture, Attleboro, Barney, Beauty and The Beast, Captain Hook, Disney, Emperor's New Groove, Golf, Highland Country Club, Highland Park, hiking, Nature, Paddington, Peace, Peter Pan, Photographs, photography, Popeye, research, Sesame Street, Statues, The Flintstones, Urban Decay, urban exploration, urban exploring, urbex, Wizard of Oz, writing

Dark Fairy Tales

The Abandoned Highland Statues

Written by: Wilk

Photographs by: Lassie

We all know a fairy tale or two. Especially us kids who grew up in the “Golden Age” of Disney movies. The Emperor’s New Groove was my favorite. What was yours? They were always stories of far off places, with brave heroes and beautiful princesses. They would face evil, conquer darkness, and always live happily ever after. Why did we love to hear them so much? Was it comforting to think that if Prince Charming could rise to the occasion and conquer the day, then so could we? Did we see ourselves in these characters and their struggles? Or perhaps they just provided a brief distraction from the mundane comings and goings of everyday life. We all wished we could be those heroes. Honest, brave, and true. And that if we just kept believing and kept going, everything would always be alright. We liked that. Some of us even loved it. But the older we got, the more we came to realize that it wasn’t real. Prince Charming doesn’t always save the day. Our heroes don’t live happily ever after. And even if you never stop believing in yourself, you can still lose everything. You slowly begin to realize that these stories are exactly that. Just stories. Make believe. Lies. Innocence is lost. Evil prevails. Life is not a fantasy for most us. And even though we wish we could live in a fairy tale, our world can actually be a much colder and scarier place than you’d find in any storybook.

So please allow me to introduce our subject for October: the abandoned Highland Statues. Quite fitting for this month, aren’t they? These spooky relics reside in what is now known as Highland Park in Attleboro, Massachusetts. But this isn’t the way things used to be. This area was once known as Highland Country Club. First opening in 1901, this was a traditional club for private members. The club came to be when a member of the local community donated his farm for its creation. It was one of the largest and most successful venues in the area. Features included a nine-hole course, a driving range, a pro-shop, clubhouse, and practice area. Members enjoyed the golf course. Lavish events were held at the clubhouse. And the wealthy elite did whatever it is that the wealthy elite do at country clubs. I imagine drinking brandy, smoking cigars, and congratulating each other on being Masters of the Universe. Hopefully somebody got that reference. Anyway…the club unfortunately was forced to close its doors for good in 2018, ending a historic 117 years in business. Due to undisclosed financial troubles, the club’s owners filed for bankruptcy. The land sat empty and forgotten for a couple of years. Waiting for something, or anything to happen. But then, the town of Attleboro purchased the former country club and turned it into the park that we see today.

The history of the statues themselves has been a little murky. I have scoured the internet looking for any sort of information on them. But all searches have come up empty. If anyone reading this has any information, memories, or even stories about these statues please do share them. We’d love to hear from you. If I were to guess, I would bet they were once apart of some sort of family friendly mini-golf course within the country club. They certainly look like something of that sort. The park is quiet and placid. We arrived on a chilly Sunday afternoon, and we were pretty much the only people there. Though the park is vast, it still very much feels like a golf course. There are random sand traps lost amongst the vegetation. A couple of unkempt ponds stand at the corners. There is a paved cart path that meanders along throughout the weeds. Lonely benches peak out through the tall grass. But it is at the farthest point that the park’s most unique feature resides. Off the beaten path and through the wild weeds, we came upon the group of forlorn statues. They are all made of wood. Each one once representing some character from children’s cartoons and fairy tales. Some stand together. Others stand alone. Their appearances range from hauntingly beautiful to absolute unholy nightmare fuel. Most of them are Disney. Some are even downright unidentifiable.

The Beauty and the Beast gang is up first. The Beast has completely broken apart. As if the final pedal of his rose had finally fallen. Chip lies beside him. A large crack splits down the face of Mrs. Pots. Belle’s skin is now a mute grey. Next comes the main cast of Sesame Street. They are all waving and friendly. But the color and warmth has all but faded from their rotting carcasses. Miss Piggy stands alone. Popeye is here. Olive Oil by his side. And the Small World crew. Barney the Purple Dinosaur lies in a splintered ruin. Next comes the Wizard of Oz brigade. The Wicked Witch of the West stands tall, though several pieces of her have broken off. The others have collapsed. Someone has placed Toto on top of the fallen statue of Dorothy. As if he were innocently trying to revive her. Poor sweet Paddington is down for the count. The Flintstones characters have been all but lost to the ever growing brush. The rotting corpses of Smee and Peter Pan lie with them. Last but certainly not least was my personal favorite, Captain Hook. Though he now looks much more like a decaying figurehead adorning the bow of The Jolly Roger. A large dead rabbit lies alongside the statues. Not a victim of some sort of predatory kill. But just an innocent animal frozen in death. It is eerily silent here, and the gang of decaying statues are all quite creepy in their own unique way.

There are several other statues that are being maintained at a neighboring house. These include Pinocchio, Bambi, and Pocahontas. Though we are still having trouble figuring out exactly what that building is. It is fenced off all around and made of stern brick. There are security cameras, NO TRESPASSING signs, and the property is clearly being taken care of. Curious, indeed. Again, if anyone has some info they’d like to share, we’d love to hear from you. It was interesting to see the statues on one side of the fence so vibrant with life and on the other side being completely devoid of it. As we drove home, we passed by a woven doll lying face down on the side of the highway. She must’ve been lost by some poor young child. Or perhaps she was cast aside by someone who once loved and cherished her. For whatever reason that may be. It reminded me very much of the Highland Statues. This once beautiful and beloved artifact left behind to the mercy of the cold world. Seeing such innocence lost can just make everything feel so hopeless. We can believe our fairy tales and our stories. We can believe in our heroes and far off lands. But some things are simply darker than we would ever wish for. This lost doll, the dead rabbit, and our rotting statues are all examples of this. But then again, maybe believing in something is better than believing in nothing.

Last Looks – The Abandoned South Weymouth Naval Air Station

Posted: September 22, 2021 by kingleser in #postaday, Abandoned, Abandoned Airport, Abandoned Attractions, Abandoned Boston, Abandoned Business, Abandoned Cape Cod, Abandoned Connecticut, Abandoned Forts, abandoned home, Abandoned Massachusetts, abandoned military bases, abandoned new england, Abandoned New Hampshire, Abandoned New York, Abandoned Pennsylvania, Abandoned Places, Abandoned Rhode Island, Abandoned Road, Abandoned Tower, Abandoned USA, Abandoned Vermont, Abandoned Wonders, Boston, Forgotten, Fortress, Forts, Haunting, Hiking, History, Information, left behind, lost, Massachusetts, Military, Military Forts, Movies, Mystery, nature, Navy, new england, nightmares, overgrown, Public Parks, Rhode Island, Ruins, Stories, Uncategorized, Urban Decay, Urban Exploration, Urban Exploring, Urbex, writing, WWII
Tags: abandoned, Abandoned Boston, abandoned buildings, Abandoned Connecticut, Abandoned Massachusetts, Abandoned Military Base, Abandoned New England, Abandoned New Hampshire, Abandoned Place, Abandoned Places, Abandoned Rhode Island, Abandoned Tower, Abandoned USA, Abandoned Vermont, Abington, Architecture, Arson, Aviation, Boston, Cold War, Fall 2021, Graffiti, Memories, Military, Movies, Naval Air Station, Navy, Peace, photography, research, Rockland, South Weymouth, Urban Decay, urban exploration, urban explorer, urban exploring, US Military, vandalism, Weymouth, World War II, writing

Last Looks

The Abandoned South Weymouth Naval Air Station

Written by: Wilk

Photographs by: Lassie

We lost a dear friend of ours two weeks ago. It still hurts thinking about him. We’d known him for over ten years, and I personally worked with him on over a hundred different movies/commercials/TV shows/live performances/etc. So this piece is dedicated to Special Effects wizards, friend of the site, and all around stand-up guy Skippy. I hadn’t seen him since the pandemic started. The last time I saw him, we were working together on a short film up in Worcester, MA. But the sad part is, I had no idea that this would be the last time we’d see each other. It makes my heart break, wishing I had known, and wishing I had told him how good of a friend he was to both Lassie and I. It’s an unsettling fact that many of us take for granted. Whenever you spend time with someone, you very well could be seeing them for the last time. And you’d have no idea. Life moves so slow sometimes. But when it moves fast, it’s amazing how much you can lose in the blink of an eye. So to everyone reading this, I have a homework assignment for you. A dare, even. Reach out to someone you haven’t talked to in awhile. You never know how much hearing from you might mean to them. And always make sure your friends and loved ones know how you feel. Don’t leave things left unsaid. You never know when you might be seeing them for the last time.

This month’s subject is something that’s been on our list for a very long time. But since it was so far away, we just never found the time to go see it. But with a film premiere in Boston, we decided to take a pit stop on our way up. This is the abandoned South Weymouth Naval Air Station. This place is legendary amongst our community, and for good reason. There’s honestly too much history here to fit into one little paragraph, so I would like to take this opportunity to give a shout-out to another friend of the site, Jason Allard. He is an absolute pro, and his “Abandoned From Above” series is one of our favorite things to watch. A couple of months ago, he did a fabulous video on this place that I cannot recommend it enough. Here is the link – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_tpCtUOkCb0 And if you have time, please do give him a subscribe. If you’re in New England, he does some of the best work we’ve ever seen. But if you prefer to read, here are some quick facts. The base was first opened during the early days of WWII. It’s main claim to fame was being the main headquarters of the US Navy’s anti-submarine blimp division. During the Cold War, it transitioned into a more traditional airfield focused around homeland defense. The base was unfortunately forced to close it’s doors for good in the late 1990’s due to military budget cuts.

The defunct air base now lies spanning across the towns of Abington, Weymouth, and Rockland. And her former territory is slowly being taken over. Apartment buildings and construction keep creeping closer and closer to the property. Last year, arsonists burned down several of the smaller buildings on the far side of the base. Now all that stands are the two derelict control towers and a few small hangar bays. It was over a mile trekking across the old runway to get to our destination. Though the sky was grey, the tips of the towers began to peak through the treeline. And I can tell you know, the towers are breathtaking. Like I said earlier, there are two towers. Orange and White. Orange Tower is the first one to greet you on the trail. It is the older of the two, has a strong military atheistic, and is in the worst shape. Broken glass, watermelon rinds, and empty spray paint bottles coat the ground. The tower casts a long, grim shadow over the land. Though we were able to get inside, we did not climb to the top of this one. The staircase is easily accessible, but its steps are absolutely rusted to Hell. They are coated in graffiti, and most are now just flimsy/jagged metal that look like they could collapse at any moment. So we unfortunately had to enjoy Orange Tower from the ground. But even from down here, it is truly a sight to behold.

White Tower, on the other hand, is a completely different animal. Unlike Orange Tower, this one was never actually used. The base was shut down before construction could be completed. It has a more modern look and feel to it. Almost like something you’d see at an airport, as opposed to a military base. Lying a few dozen yards down the path, this grand monolith stands tall and foreboding against the cold sky. What I found most unusual about White Tower is that it appears to be much more untouched than its counterpart. With Orange Tower, stuff was all over the ground. Graffiti was everywhere. It feels absolutely trashed. Though clearly scarred by her more vicious visitors, the spirit of White Tower still appears to be quite strong. As if only the brave or the stupid continue forward to see it. Well, we were both today, because we climbed all the way to the top of this old guardian. We went up floor after floor, witnessing true urban decay and destruction everywhere we looked. Unlike Orange Tower, the stairs were quite sturdy. Clearly not too much stuff had been left behind either. Though whenever we did come across some old relics, they had been absolutely destroyed. We even got a peak down the old elevator shaft. And once we finally reached the top, the view is quite grand. A mist was in the air, and we could see all across Eastern Massachusetts.

As I mentioned earlier, there are a few smaller hangar bays still left standing on the far side of the base. But there really isn’t too much to see here. They are absolutely coated in graffiti and filled to the brim with garbage. Probably because they are much closer to the road and much easier to access than the two towers. During our long walk back to the car, I would periodically turn around and look back at White and Orange peaking through the treetops. They grew smaller and less visible the farther we moved away. Eventually, they completely disappeared from sight. Vanishing amongst the thick treeline and fading sunlight. It made me a little bit sad knowing that I would probably never see them again. With the continuing development of the land and the persistent vandal problem, it’s hard to say just how much longer these old warhorses have left. Time will tell. But I would highly recommend a visit to any experienced urban explorers. This place is definitely not for beginners, tourists, or the faint of heart. As always, I encourage any potential visitors to please be safe and respectful. The abandoned South Weymouth Naval Air Station is truly an amazing place, and let’s try to keep it that way for as long as possible. It’s an adventure that I will certainly never forget, and a place that I hope to someday see again. But until that day comes, goodbye for now.

Time Flies – The Abandoned Leicester Airport

Posted: August 25, 2021 by kingleser in #postaday, Abandoned, Abandoned Airport, Abandoned Attractions, Abandoned Business, Abandoned Connecticut, Abandoned Highway, Abandoned House, Abandoned Massachusetts, abandoned new england, Abandoned New Hampshire, Abandoned New York, Abandoned Pennsylvania, Abandoned Places, Abandoned Restaurant, Abandoned Rhode Island, Abandoned Road, Abandoned USA, Abandoned Vermont, Abandoned Wonders, Broken, Closed, commercial, Connecticut, darkness, Death, Destruction, Exploration, exploring the abandoned, Forgotten, Haunting, Hiking, History, Information, left behind, lost, Massachusetts, Movies, Mystery, nature, new england, New Hampshire, New York, overgrown, Pennsylvania, photography, research, Rhode Island, Ruins, Safety First, Searching, Stories, Uncategorized, Urban Decay, Urban Exploration, Urban Exploring, Urbex, writing
Tags: abandoned, Abandoned Airfield, Abandoned Airport, Abandoned Bar, abandoned buildings, Abandoned Connecticut, Abandoned Massachusetts, Abandoned New England, Abandoned New Hampshire, Abandoned New York, Abandoned Place, Abandoned Places, Abandoned Restaurant, Abandoned Rhode Island, Abandoned USA, Abandoned Vermont, abandoned wonders, Abandoned Worcester, Architecture, Centralia, hiking, Leicester, Leicester Airport, Nature, Peace, photography, Silent Hill, Summer, Summer 2021, Urban Decay, urban exploration, urban explorer, urban exploring, Urban Legend, urbex, urbex photography, Worcester, writing

Time Flies

The Abandoned Leicester Airport

Written by: Wilk

Photographs by: Lassie

Is it August already? Shit. Last time I checked summer had just started. And now it’s about to end. How did we get here? How did things end up like this? Where are we heading? Who knows anymore. As they say, time flies. When I was a boy, that was the title of my favorite book: Time Flies. It was only a few pages long and there were no words. It was quite large for a book, probably meant for teachers showing it to their wide-eyed students during circle time. The story followed a small bird that flies into a museum late at night through an open window. The bird soars through the large auditoriums past many different skeletons of dinosaurs long since passed. But as the bird flies by, these dinosaurs all slowly come back to life. One by one. It is as if the bird is flying back in time. Some try to eat the bird. Others just marvel at the miracle of being alive. But as the bird flies on, the dinosaurs each begin to return to their skeletal forms. And before you know it, the sun has risen and the museum has returned to normal. Almost like none of it ever happened. That’s how I feel sometimes when we go exploring. For a brief moment in time, it feels like these skeletal abandoned places come back to life. We get a glimpse as to what things were once like for them. But then it all passes like a fleeting shadow. And all things return to their bitter state.

Our subject for the final month of summer 2021 is the abandoned Leicester Airport. A reader tipped us off about this place a few months ago, suggesting that we check it out soon as the buildings were slowly collapsing. Located in Leicester, Massachusetts, this was a privately owned airport that was in operation between 1940 and 1970. There were three airfields in operation around the area at this time, including Oxford and Worcester. It was used both as a commercial and personal airfield. Features included a unique dual runway system, a single hangar bay, and a private office building for airport staff. I have yet to find a reason as to why the airport was shuttered. I know we have quite a few fans that live in the area, so if anyone reading this would like to share some info/stories we’d love to hear them. But my guess is that being in such close proximity to two other airfields, only one of which is still in operation today, contributed to it’s downfall. From what I’ve been able to find out online, the grounds almost came back to life a few times after its closure. The facility was re-opened and rebranded as a bar at least once over the years. And while all stories I’ve heard about it have been positive, it was not meant to be. And sooner or later, these establishments closed up shop as well. Again, if anyone has any stories, please do share.

We have been on a quest this year. Ever since I created our “Locations by State” page, which you should definitely check out, I noticed how lopsided our reporting was. We had plenty of locations in Connecticut, but not so much in our neighboring states. And so, we’ve been trying to get out and about as much as possible. This month, we once again found ourselves in Massachusetts. I’ve spent a lot of time up here this year working on film stuff. And I can honestly say at this point that we’ve covered damn near every inch of the southern part of the state. We made our trip up to Leicester on a grey Tuesday. We both had the day off, and it’s always best to go exploring during the week if you can. There’s much less people around, you see? It was a quiet ride up. We’ve been hitting a lot of places in Worcester County recently. And it can be a really underrated area during this time of year. Pulling up to the abandoned airport was a little challenging. The old runway/parking lot is no longer accessible by car. So you just kind of have to squeeze your ride onto a small bumpy pull-off. Luckily the neighborhood is nice and chill. Nobody was around or seemed to be bothered by us. And the road was not very heavily trafficked. We took a quick look around, made sure the coast was clear, and then made our way inside of the abandoned airport.

Remember how one of our readers tipped us off about this place? Saying how it was collapsing? Well, friends, they were absolutely right. There is not too much of the abandoned Leicester Airport left to see. We walked as much of the old runway as we could. But the pavement is quite cracked and uneven. It runs long and deep into the woods, before dead-ending at some local farmland. Parking spaces, which must’ve been from the airfield’s days as bar, have also been painted all over the place towards the front. An old wooden sign still stands by the street, but we couldn’t quite make out the name on it. The main hangar has almost completely caved in on its self. A bit of it still stands, but I wouldn’t recommend going inside. The doors and windows are full of dust and cobwebs. The floor is rickety and shoddy. Ancient shelving rusts into oblivion. Pieces of roofing and debris now create a total gridlock amongst the abandoned grounds. It is near impassible. All kinds of junk and old machinery can be found amongst the rubble. The office building has been almost completely swallowed up by vines and vegetation. Yet it still holds a few relics within its walls. Everything reminded me very much of Centralia, Pennsylvania. You know, the real life Silent Hill. And though the abandoned airport was as quiet as a tomb, it looks like it had just been blown to Hell.

Like I said earlier, it’s hard to believe it’s August already. Why is it that summer always goes by so fast? It felt like just yesterday school was out and the good times were in. But in the blink of an eye, everything changes. Pretty soon we’ll be beginning our slow decent into the Fall. And before you know it, 2021 will be over and another year will be gone. I honestly would not recommend the abandoned Leicester Airport for a visit. I’m glad we got to see it, but the property just changes too fast. It’s too vulnerable. Things just keep collapsing and falling apart. For all I know, the whole place could be gone by now. Walking through it’s long forgotten grounds was like a brisk walk through this place’s past. Relics from each of it’s many different eras still stand as grim reminders. The old runway still stands, though it eventually gives way to a parking lot. A crumbling hangar stands now as nothing more than a twisted jigsaw puzzle of rubble. A wooden bar signs still hangs as a greeting, though it has been swallowed up by the rage of the forest. I am once again reminded of the small bird from the children’s book. There are still glimpses of what this place once was. But they are merely passing shadows. The past is gone. Reality is lost. The sands of the hourglass cannot be stopped. For as they say, time sure does fly. And if you are not careful, it just might take off without you.

I’m Not Okay – The Garden of Sweet Remembrance

Posted: July 21, 2021 by kingleser in #postaday, Connecticut, Exploration, Forgotten, Haunting, Hiking, History, Information, left behind, lost, Love, Magic, Massachusetts, Mystery, nature, new england, New Hampshire, New York, overgrown, Pennsylvania, photography, Preserved Ruin, Public Parks, research, Rhode Island, Ruins, Searching, State Parks, Stories, time, Uncategorized, Vermont, writing
Tags: 1929, All Time Low, Architecture, Depression, Garden of Sweet Remembrance, Gardening, Graffiti, hiking, hiking trails, history, Juniper Hall, Massachusetts, Mental Health, Mental Health America, Mental Health Awareness, Mike Shinoda, Music, Nature, New England, Painting, Peace, Photographs, photography, Prospect Park, Psychology Today, Public Parks, Remember, searching, Shrewsberry, Story of the Year, Suicide, Summer 2021, Therapy, Trevor Project, Worcester, writing

I’m Not Okay

The Garden of Sweet Remembrance

Written by: Wilk

Photographs by: Lassie

I want to talk about something important today. Yeah, I know. This is supposed to be a blog about abandoned places and urban exploring. That’s what you all come here to read about. But this is also a personal blog. I try to share my experiences and life lessons with anyone who cares to listen. If reading my words was enough to help just one person, that’s all I’ve ever wanted. We’ve had a lot of readers reach out over the last year telling us how much our work means to them. And there is no greater compliment to us than that. Especially considering how rough last year was. And so today’s piece is going to be a little different. I get one of these a year, so please bare with me. If this isn’t for you, I won’t be offended if you stop reading or unsubscribe. You have that right. I want to talk today about mental health. It’s something that I personally have struggled with for a long time. And I know that a lot of us here feel the same way. I advocate for mental health awareness whenever I can. We’ve all either had our issues with mental health or know someone who does. It’s never easy to talk about. Sometimes it can be down right terrifying. No matter how hard we try, there will always be this stigma around mental health. We’ve made a lot of progress in the last few years, but some still have a hard time accepting that it’s okay to not be okay.

And so allow me to introduce our July investigation: The Garden of Sweet Remembrance. Located in the town of Shrewsbury, Massachusetts, this place was once the lavish home of one of the area’s most prominent businessmen. Matthew J. Whittall was the owner of the property, and christened it Juniper Hall. There was a vast estate to behold, but the garden was the true jewel in the crown. Mr. Whittall and his wife were so very proud of their garden that they invited all manners of the public to tour it whenever they pleased. But like the blooming flowers, nothing lasts forever. The proprietor and founder passed away in 1929. The garden’s pergola was dedicated to him by his widow and christened the name “The Garden of Sweet Remembrance.” Following Mr. Whittall’s passing, the mansion changed hands several times before finally being demolished after years of abandonment. All that remains of this once lavish wonderland are the old pergola and the once flourishing garden. The property remained this way for many years. The weeds and vines grew wild, overtaking this once sacred place. But it was never truly forgotten. A small movement grew and grew to eventually restore the property and garden to their former glory. Now, what remains of the property has been revived and resides in Shrewsbury’s Prospect Park.

This, once again, was my birthday investigation. I always try to explore something on my birthday. It’s just a great way to spend the day away from the world with my partner Lassie. Doing what we love. I wasn’t quite sure what we were going to find at The Garden of Sweet Remembrance. I had received a tip about it a few months ago, but found conflicting information on the web. The land had been lost for a long time. And though the movement dedicated to it’s upkeep has grown over the years, vandalism has still continued to scar the face of the iconic pergola. So we decided to go take a look. It was a sunny Saturday afternoon. We usually NEVER go exploring on Saturdays (too many people out and about) but, it was my birthday after all. So, what the Hell, right? We arrived at Prospect Park as the only visitors. There is still a grand stone archway at the entrance with a brand new sign. There are trail maps and well marked paths throughout the grounds. The garden itself is a relatively short walk down one of these paths. All throughout the woods, there are old relics marking what this park once was. Old fire hydrants rust into oblivion. Ghostly power poles blend in amongst the fading trees. And there is a certain mystique in the air here. But once you arrive at the garden, this slightly mystical place truly comes back to life.

I haven’t used the word “abandoned” in the title or tags of this article for a reason. Because it’s clearly not. The garden itself is truly alive and well. Flowers and all kinds of plant life burst through the fertile soil. It has also become a collection point for painted rocks from people all across New England. The pergola, on the other hand, stands at the far back of the garden. It’s presence looms like a great shadow of both remembrance and sorrow. The wooden roof has collapsed all together. The blue sky floods in like a ship taking on water. The foundation crumbles slightly, yet never wavers. Graffiti adorns the outer shell, but the words “GARDEN OF SWEET REMEMBRANCE” still stand strong. But what makes this place so special are the names. On certain pillars of the pergola, and some of the painted rocks, the names of people have been painted. Out of respect for the families, I will not name these names here. But what I can tell you is that each of these names are victims of suicide. Most were just teenagers. We even found a bundle of old roses left beside one of the names. This garden has clearly once again found it’s home as a place of remembrance. It brought about a mix of both sadness and spirituality seeing them. It shows that no matter what, it is the job of those of us left behind to carry on the memory of those we’ve lost.

Like I said in my introduction, this place is not going to be for everyone. It isn’t one that we usually cover and was not what we were expecting at all. But honestly, I am happy to be proven wrong. And while this post goes against most of what we post here, I would highly recommend the Garden of Sweet Remembrance to all of our readers. Not for adventure or thrill-seeking. But for reflection. It really is a beautiful place. Seeing the names on the walls of the pergola and on the painted rocks was a very moving experience. I lost one close friend to suicide five years ago this summer. His name was Troy. He was an actor like me. And I think about him everyday. It’s always hard to process losing someone like that. Much like these beautiful flowers, we are all slowly fading away. That’s why we always have to remember to keep ourselves well and to keep those we’ve lost in our memories. The Garden of Sweet Remembrance’s history reminded me a lot of the struggles we all go through everyday. There were good times. There were bad times. There were times where all hope seemed to be lost. But with a little bit of help, this place came back to life. And always remember, it’s okay to not be okay. Never be afraid to ask for a little help.

If you, or anyone you know, is struggling with mental health issues, please check out the list below. Psychology Today in particular is incredibly helpful for finding someone to talk to. You can narrow your search based on provider locations, areas of expertise, and accepted insurance plans.

Find a Therapist, Psychologist, Counselor – http://www.psychologytoday.com/therapists

Suicide Prevention Hotline – https://suicidepreventionlifeline.org

Mental Health America – http://www.mhanational.org

Or, if you’re like me, here are a few songs to listen to if you’re feeling a bit lost. Stay strong, everyone.

Mike Shinoda – Crossing a Line: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I2sRc3j7IU0

All Time Low – Missing You: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W4OG7O8B0C8

Story of the Year – Can Anybody Hear Me: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OjBpM31a51c

Feeding the Birds – The Abandoned Batterson Park

Posted: June 23, 2021 by kingleser in #postaday, Abandoned, Abandoned Attractions, Abandoned Connecticut, abandoned home, Abandoned House, Abandoned Massachusetts, abandoned new england, Abandoned New Hampshire, Abandoned New York, Abandoned Park, Abandoned Places, Abandoned Resort, Abandoned Rhode Island, Abandoned Summer Camp, Abandoned USA, Abandoned Vermont, Abandoned Wonders, Beaches, Broken, Cabin, Children, Closed, commercial, Connecticut, darkness, Death, Destruction, empty, Exploration, exploring the abandoned, fire, for sale, Forgotten, Ghosts, Haunting, Hiking, History, Information, left behind, Movies, Mystery, nature, new england, overgrown, photography, Public Parks, research, Ruins, State Parks, Uncategorized, Urban Decay, Urban Exploration, Urban Exploring, Urbex, writing
Tags: 2021, abandoned, Abandoned Batterson Park, abandoned buildings, Abandoned Connecticut, Abandoned Day Camp, Abandoned Massachusetts, Abandoned New England, Abandoned New Hampshire, Abandoned Park, Abandoned Place, Abandoned Places, Abandoned Rhode Island, Abandoned Summer Camp, Abandoned USA, Abandoned Vermont, Architecture, Batterson Park, Batterson Pond, Beaches, Birds, Farmington, hiking, history, Nature, New Britain, Peace, photography, Summer, Urban Decay, urban exploration, urban explorer, urban exploring, Urban Legend, urbex, urbex photography, West Hartford, writing

Feeding the Birds

The Abandoned Batterson Park

Written by: Wilk

Photographs by: Lassie

Last September, we finally moved out of the city. It was something I had been looking forward to for a long time. Not just because of Covid, or the ever increasing crime rate. I just really missed the woods. I missed looking out my front door and seeing trees. I missed waking up to the sounds of birds singing. I missed looking up at the stars on dark nights. You get none of that in the city. One thing we started doing again was feeding the birds. In the city, you basically get the same batch of shrewd little birds day in and day out. But we thought, now that we’re out in the country, we might finally get some interesting avian visitors. But we were wrong. For the first few weeks, that is. We bought our bird seed. We set up our feeder. And we waited. But nobody came. The feeder stayed quiet for days on end. No birds would even come near it. Until one day a large redheaded woodpecker, whom I have come to call The Harbinger, showed up. He came from the woods in our backyard, as if driven by some otherworldly force. He ate from the feeder until he nearly burst. When he was finished, he perched himself up on the railing of our deck, and began to sing. His calls pierced through the trees and echoed through the forest. And before long, birds of all shapes and sizes began flocking to the feeder. All at once. They had heard the call, and they had come to feed.

Allow me to introduce the subject of our June article: the abandoned Batterson Park. This is another one that I have had my eye on for a long time and one that no other major explorers have covered. I have always been a sucker for abandoned parks. There’s just something really special about them and the stories of how they got this way. It’s just fascinating how a place like this eventually fades away from thought and time. Even after being enjoyed by so many for so long. First established in the early twentieth century, Batterson Park was created from land once designated as a reservoir. It is unique in that it covers three different towns. Though the park is officially under the Hartford system, it actually exists outside of the city limits. The landmass of the park stretches across parts of Farmington and New Britain. It is all centered around the large and aptly named Batterson Park Pond. But this uniqueness would eventually lead to the park’s downfall. For many years, the towns that Batterson Park belonged to were never able to reach a deal on who would be paying to maintain the park and its amenities. In the fall of 2015, the park was forced to close its doors for good due to budget cuts. It has remained shuttered and forgotten ever since. Many deals and sales have been proposed over the years, but nothing has yet to come to fruition.

As I mentioned to you earlier, this place had been on my radar for awhile. We just never quite had the time to check it out. But, since it’s just about summertime, we were in the market for some new shoes. And let me tell you, there is no better place for explorer shoes than REI in West Hartford. No, we aren’t getting paid to say that. They’re just that good. Check them out if your outdoorsy. Since it was a nice day, after shoe shopping, we decided to take a stop at the nearby abandoned Batterson Park. It is a quiet section of town. And arriving at the deserted park is a little perplexing. The gate is down. But there are several heavily trafficked paths around it. There are signs up saying that the park has been closed. But then there are other signs welcoming you to the park and listing its hours. Mixed messages. No matter. Sitting right alongside the beautiful Batterson Pond, the park is easily accessible. We weren’t too sure about being there at first, but after running into a few other young adults with their dogs, our worries were laid to rest. The abandoned park may be on the small side, but there is also quite a lot to see. Walking through the old gates, you are immediately greeted by a rotting sign. It lists the admission prices to the park from days long since past. My how times have changed. And as we continued down the road, things just got more interesting.

Things are quiet. Very quiet. There has clearly been some fire damage here, as one building near the entrance has been completely burned out. Most of the other buildings have been boarded up, but a few can still be accessed. Inside you will find nothing but old equipment and lots of chairs. The beach’s dock is still floating in the waters of the pond. Several old lifeguard chairs rot off to the side. A maintenance shed sits wide open, and it is full of old disused equipment. A basketball court and pavilion are slowly being overgrown. Forgotten grills and fire pits still stand amongst the brush. The main boathouse curiously still has a few boats under its roof, but they appear to be in good condition. Let’s keep it that way. Perhaps they are just being stored there. But the main star attraction, and the whole reason I am writing this article, is the sea of picnic tables. A little way’s down the main path, there are dozens of derelict picnic tables standing in formation. Their green paint is slowly peeling. Bushes and vegetation is engulfing them. And combined with the dead silence of the old park, they provide a very eerie spectacle to behold. They truly encapsulated the sad story of the abandoned park. A place that was once designed for recreation and fun, now lies empty and cold. The memories stacked up and locked away like these ghostly old picnic tables.

The abandoned Batterson Park was certainly a unique visit. Though there was not too much to see here, the silent army of forgotten picnic tables really provided a haunting window into this place’s long lost past. Plus the park appears to be relatively untouched by the outside world. For now, that is. Who knows what the future holds. It reminded me very much of our bird feeder when we first moved in. You see, we urban explorers are like the wild birds. When one of us finds something good, they usually let out a song of their own to beckon others to come get a taste. And though I do not consider myself The Harbinger, I know that by posting this article, many other explorers will soon be coming to take a look at Batterson Park. And one of the most interesting things I have noticed from feeding the birds is that there are two types of visitors. First, there is the Chickadee. They are beautiful yet simple birds. They come to the feeder, eat their share of food, and then sing a small song before flying off. But then, there is the Grackle. They are obnoxious and disruptive. They scare away the other birds, eat more than their share, and usually knock over our whole feeder. Ruining things for everyone. Most of you reading this, I know, will be quiet and respectful. Like the Chickadees. Some, however, will be loud and destructive. Like the Grackles. Which will you be?

Abandoned Wonders

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Feeding the Birds – The Abandoned Batterson Park