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St. Mary’s Episcopal - Braddock, PA

A roof collapsed, yet a beautiful angel still stands watch and guard over this 1901-built church.  

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Extinction of Fun

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Return To Washington Lane 2015 Coming Soon . . .

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Paging Dr. Death

Monsour Medical Center - Jeanette, PA.

Consider yourself lucky if you never had to go to "Hell Hospital".  This was considered the worst medical facility in SW PA for a very long time.  Sub-par staff wanting to do unnecessary medical procedures (e.g. - an amputation when an operation to insert a rod into a femur would do) . . .horrible management . . . the list goes on and on.  Now, this is left - the main building beginning to buckle, extensive vandalism, medical charts left all over, hypodermic needles strewn about . . .

A hospital with a "penthouse", now on the verge of collapse. A helicopter pad decaying rapidly.  The original hospital - a home that stood in front - burnt last year and was first to be demolished.

Slated for demolition in the very near future, I would give my right arm (and I am sure the physician's that worked here would have obliged" for a jaunt inside, but the police have become rather militant and will arrest ANYONE caught inside.  You can find some photographs online from others who have made that venture, but I, myself, have too much too loose professionally to risk it. 

This is ONE site that I will be glad to see gone, as it is a true menace and danger to anyone who drives past it daily.

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Beauty In Despair - Detroit 2014

This year, I found my way to the abandoned Packard Automotive plant . . .and returned to some of my favorite locales, such as the Terminal and Hotel Eddystone.  You will see, I do love showing some of the vibrancy in certain areas (The Fox, The Fillmore, The Mercury Bar and the Bronx Bar) - areas that are slowly redeveloping (mainly around the downtown, Wayne University and Casino areas).  Then, to show the extreme duality of Detroit, some of the areas that truthfully, I cannot foresee a redevelopment plan ever being successful. 

THIS NEXT PICTURE, THE TEMPLE BAR, IS ACTUALLY STILL IN BUSINESS.  SHOULD WE HAVE HAD MORE TIME, WE WOULD HAVE STOPPED IN FOR A DRINK . . .

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Random Frankenmuth Photos . . .

They REALLY wanted the popcorn people were throwing off the boat . . .

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Out the front windshield on the PA Turnpike . . .

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St. Lorenz Lutheran and Cemetary - Frankenmuth, Michigan

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Gettysburg Series - East Calvary Field, Etc.

Not frequently visited by "mainstream" Gettysburg visitors, included here are some photographs of the East Calvary Battlefield, The Old Alms House Cemetery, some obscure monuments that take quite a hike to get to, and a few popular locations . . .

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At Rest Deux . . .

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1820 First Baptist Church - McKeesport, PA

Unfortunately, this church is not safe to go into . . .though I would love to see what remains . . .

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miscellany . . . (updated all of the time)

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Gettysburg Series - Through My Lens #2

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Gettysburg Series - The "Lost" Lane - Neill Avenue

  In April 2013, I finally was able to visit Neill Avenue, one of the Gettysburg Military Park's least visited sites - mainly due to the fact that the NPS has not maintained the ONLY way onto the Avenue.  In fact, most visitors at Gettysburg have never even heard of Neill Avenue. I am now in a very small group of visitor's to the park who can claim to have had the privilege of seeing what few eyes have seen since the 1880's.

The Avenue is landlocked on BOTH sides by private property - there is one way in, and the hike to Neill Avenue is treacherous due to many fallen trees, no clearly marked path and it's obscurity.  Finding information on-line is obscure, and you will see if searching the NPS almost never offers tours of the "Lost Lane", and there are only a few private guides that venture there. 

    After much painstaking research and a few telephone calls, I had the undoubtedly most distinct honor to meet Dean Schultz, who I have read on other posts online is the man who has "forgotten more about the Battle of Gettysburg than most of us will ever know".  That is an understatement to say the least.

    From Mr. Schultz (the following can be found in the archives of the Gettysburg Discussion Group):

Neill's brigade was with the 6th Corps.  Upon arriving at Gettysburg on July 2, Neill's brigade was detached from the 6th Corps and assigned to Slocum's 12th Corps to guard Power's Hill. Power's Hill was Slocum's headquarters, a signal station was there, Hunt had his reserve artillery parked along the south side of the hill, the ammunition wagons and mules with saddle bags were on the south side of the hill, the 12 Corps artillery was on the Baltimore Pike next to the hill and the 2nd Corps Hospital was near the Granite School House.  There was no infantry guarding the hill until Neill arrived. He had with him about 2000 men and his brigade consisted of the 77th NY, 49th NY, 43 NY, 7 ME and the 61st PA.  Around 4:30 am on July 3, the battle for Culp's Hill began again.  It raged for 7 hours the longest battle at Gettysburg.  The Union started to gained possession of Culp's Hill and  the Confederates began falling back off of Culp's Hill until Wolf Hill.  Slocum was concerned that they would swing around and take the Baltimore Pike.  The Baltimore Pike and the Taneytown Road were the only two roads still controlled by the Union Army.  The Confederates held the other 8 roads leading to Gettysburg. Around 10:00 am on July 3, General Neill was ordered by Slocum to check his far right.  Neill rode down the Baltimore Pike to Rock Creek with the 43rd NY and 7th ME.  He left his troops on the pike and he and his aids rode up behind the Baker farm buildings to the top of a knoll.  There he was fired upon by some of the 2nd Virginians who had already got behind the stone fence where Lost Avenue is located.  Neill rode back to Power's Hill for the 49th NY and the 61st PA.  Col. Connors of the 7th ME was put in charge of the troops being held on the Baltimore Pike.  He placed them in line behind the Baker farm buildings and they advanced up the hill toward Lost Avenue, driving the 2nd VA back.  The 2nd VA fell back about 200 yards and threw up another line of skirmish.  Neill brought up the 49th NY and 61st PA to strengthen his line.  The brigade skirmished with the 2nd VA and some of the 1st NC for the rest of the day.  The casualties were - Union - 2 killed, 11 wounded (4 mortally) and 2 captured.  There were no known Confederate casualties. Neill remained there until July 5.

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Gettysburg Series - Through My Lens #1

My favorite place to photograph . . .

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Gettysburg Series - Indoor Miscellany

Some of my favorite sights from various "indoor" locations around Gettysburg - Including the Cyclorama, the Visitor Center Museum and some other "hodgepodge" . . .

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Gettysburg Series - Original Cyclorama Center - 1962-2013

The original Cyclorama Center at Gettysburg National Military Park opened in 1962, and was closed to the public in 2005 when the Cyclorama was removed for restoration.  It was never replaced at the original location and after many years of debate and ensuing court battles, the National park Service decided in February 2013 to demolish the building (while a treasure trove of photography opportunity, I agree with the Park Service as it greatly took away from that section of the park and was slowly becoming an eyesore.)

One month later, in March 2013, it was gone. 

In the annual visits I have made to the park since 2009, I was lucky enough to photograph the building from many perspectives.  I am grateful . . .

YES, THE EXIT SIGN WAS LIT UP UNTIL THE BUILDING'S DEMISE . . .

Rest In Peace . . .