Urban

Paint Manufacturing Facility

Published on -- by Nina AraicaLeave a comment

I’ve been to these grounds several times and have never been let down by what I’ve explored, as there are multiple abandoned buildings and each one is different. But this building in particular we had dubbed the “unicorn” because entry always seemed to elude us. Most common causes were due to constant security patrol, car traffic-either driving around the building or right in front of it, as well as random people walking around. But on this particular day, it was like butter 😉 everything worked out perfectly and we gained entry-which was no easy task, but on this day it all just worked out. The timing was perfect both going in and coming out! One minute too early or too late and we for sure would have been seen.

Once inside it was like OOOOOO EMMMMM GEEEEEEE!! This is the building we had been looking for, for quite some time and we never knew that this place we’d passed a million times, was it lol. Go figure… Anywho, back to the explore! As is pretty typical when I explore with friends, once we’re inside we all just kind of fan out and scatter in different directions. I don’t know if it’s just an instinctive “I don’t want to be standing right next to somoene (hovering) waiting to get the exact same shot that their trying to get and I definitely don’t want to be in anyone’s way, so uhmmm I think I’ll go over here first” mentality or what, but it always happens lol. (Side Note It’s always fun to meet up or talk afterward and see the shots you got from the same room or same location. Everyone has a different style and a different approach to their photography. I love it!)

After being on the 1st floor for a while, peeking in and out of offices I looked around and realized that I was alone. My 2 urbex buddy’s were nowhere to be seen. I guess I took too long trying to get a “down the hallway” shot of the main corridor haha. A few seconds later I heard one of the guys call my name so I looked toward the area where it came from. They had already made their way up the stairs to the second floor and didn’t want to leave me on the 1st floor all by myself. Awwww, sweet huh? 🙂

So I snap one last pic and scurry to the corner where the stairs were located, only to get side tracked by how awesome the stairwell (sans hand rail) was. Peely paint galore and graffiti everywhere!! So I snapped a few pics on my way up and got side tracked yet again as I reached the top, because I spotted the coolest bathroom I have ever seen – complete with mummy murals YASSSSSSSSS!! We spent much more time on the 2nd floor because every room and every corner was more cool than the next! I can’t even tell you how many pictures I took. Oddly enough, being that this building is supposedly a paint manufacturing facility there were desks all throughout the 2nd floor. Rooms and rooms of desks! So at first (before I got back home and researched the location history) I assumed this building was some sort of training school. I’m still unsure… Either way, it was a very cool explore and I’m so happy that we finally got in 🙂

Below is the location history according to the US Navy and a few of my favorite pics from this location (photographed in late 2013).

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LOCATION HISTORY:

The Paint Manufacturing Facility located on MINS, was established by the U.S. Navy in 1854 until it was closed in April of 1996. The building was historically part of marshlands located along the shoreline between 1911 and 1938, the land was created when dredge spoils material (primarily clay and silt) was placed in an area bounded by a network of levees constructed to the northeast, south, and southwest of the site in 1914.

The paint manufacturing facility included several buildings in addition to two former above ground storage tank (AST) farms and associated pipelines and a former 4,000 gallon heating oil AST adjacent to the building. Paints and varnishes were manufactured at the paint manufacturing facility from the 1940s to the mid-1950s in support of ship construction and maintenance. Materials used in the paint manufacturing process, which included oils, solvents and resins were stored at two former tank farms.

The northern tank farm, consisting of 21 above ground storage tanks. Railroad cars were used to transport raw materials and manufactured paints and varnishes on and off site. The southern tank farm, consisting of six above ground storage tanks. Both tank farms were removed in the 1960s. When the paint manufacturing facility was active, two common anti-corrosive paints were applied to Navy vessels; a zinc chromate formulation and a lead-based formulation. Antifoulant paints were also used, and consisted of a film-forming material (matrix, binder, resin, and medium), a pigment, and a biocide that kills or repels fouling organisms. Former shipyard workers stated that poly chlorinated biphenyls (PCB), organotins and other biocide agents were added to paints only on an experimental basis. They specifically recalled a 400-gallon batch of PCB-containing paint and a 100-gallon batch of organotin containing paint.

Facility-wide and site-specific investigations were conducted between 1983 and 2000. Results of previous investigations indicated the presence of metals, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, and poly chlorinated biphenyls in surface soil as well as solvents and oil in soil and groundwater. The Navy conducted a removal action in 1998 & 1999 to remove soil with elevated concentrations of metals and site features such as an oil-water separator and transfer piping used between the two former tank farms.

Here are a few of my favorite pictures from this pretty amazing location ツ

Baptist Church

Published on -- by Nina AraicaLeave a comment

I’m sad to report that we got caught trespassing at this location by the property owners. Luckily we got caught on our way OUT and we were only scolded (not detained). Once they saw that we were only there to take pictures and not to cause problems or destroy anything they let us go with no incident. Now don’t get me wrong…they were still not happy that we were there, but they let us go with a few words and an evil eye or two lol.

Now before we got caught…whilst we were exploring, I must say that my favorite parts of this explore were all downstairs. The main floor which housed the church was not interesting to photograph [to me] at all 😦 Now that I think about it, it’s probably because it was still in good condition with the exception of a few broken chairs. I prefer large amounts of peely paint crumbling walls which give a structure “character” and tell a story 🙂

The basement was definitely neglected and smelled of mildew from years of rain water accumulating and seeping into the walls and foundation. The remnants of the boxing ring were still there and I was able to get a really good shot of the ropes, laying on the wood floor. The basement also housed classrooms, with a few desks, chairs and books scattered around. A few of the rooms had windows covered with delicate sheer curtains, in lavender, lime green/yellow and turquoise.

Now for a word to the wise… I have learned that we were not the only explorers to get caught/run out of this location within the past few months. The property owners are very actively around, all the time. Apparently the auditorium right across the street (which is owned by the church) is still in use. Coincidentally the day we explored, there was some type of meeting being held there. Which is why we most likely got caught. I highly recommend NOT trying to explore this location without permission.

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LOCATION HISTORY:
In the early 1920’s, Detroit had several dozen Baptist churches scattered around the city. One of the largest was a thriving congregation in a Northwest neighborhood of Detroit. It was during this time that the Baptist faith in Detroit started to take hold, as white southerners were drawn to the city in large numbers by the high wages offered by the auto industry.

Construction of the Gothic-styled church building began in 1915, concluding in 1920. Originally built for another, more conservative Baptist church, it would later become home to a Missionary Baptist Church, where Malcolm X message delivered his famous, “Message for the Grass Roots”, where he called for a violent “black revolution”, the building boasted a main floor which provided an auditorium with a capacity of 1,300, included many rooms, such as robing rooms, baptistery, study, library, organ loft, and choir. The basement was equipped to fulfill the needs of a modern church organization containing a complete gymnasium, shower baths, a banquet hall and kitchen. In 1937, shortly after Temple Baptist moved in, an Art Deco-styled auditorium was completed across the street from the church. Like many churches, it was home to a corner pharmacy which helped pay off the construction bonds of the building and to help cover future maintenance costs.

Temple Baptist was a conservative, pro-segregationist church that [originally] barred African Americans from attending and at its peak, boasted a congregation of 5,000 members. Eventually the black community began to dominate the demographics in the Northwest neighborhood, Temple Baptist relocated to a large facility on a side of town where there was a sizable white population. However, the new neighborhood [also] became mixed demographically and Temple Baptist once again relocated. In September 1985, the deacons of the church voted 29 to 7 to end the anti-black policy of the church, allowing them membership. The 9,500-member congregation was informed of the decision and as expected, there was much resistance. Ultimately the church lost 90% of its members. Temple Baptist Church moved out of the building in 1951.

King Solomon Baptist Church, originally located on Delmar Street, relocated in 1952 to the former home of Temple Baptist after it had moved out of the city. It was the first African American church in the city to be located on a major thoroughfare. The basement served as a youth boxing center and held youth activities that included roller skating and dances. The auditorium across the street soon became a popular venue for influential black leaders, and was where Malcolm X delivered his “Message for the Grass Roots”, where he attacked the non-violent civil rights movement an called for a violent “black revolution.” In his speech, he noted that Black Americans had a common enemy: white people. The church was also host to Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. and Thurgood Marshall, who was the chief council for the NAACP and later appointed to the U.S. Supreme Court by President Johnson.

Many houses on the street and surrounding area became abandoned, eventually succumbing to arson and demolition, leaving large gaps in the neighborhood and population. By the end of its existence, King Solomon Baptist church had fewer than 100 members. Unable to pay electrical bills, the church was heated by propane gas and powered by a generator. The original 1917 church building, which had been used as an education and recreation center closed around 1999 and has been vacant since. On March 22, 2011, the importance of the now-decaying Temple Baptist / King Solomon Church building was recognized when the Detroit City Council awarded it historic designation in 2011. Though there are no plans to reopen the church, it will hopefully follow the course of the city as it rises again and find a new use.

Here are a few of my favorite photographs from this location:

Lee Plaza Hotel (Part II)

Published on -- by Nina AraicaLeave a comment

This is my second visit to what remains of the once majestic Lee Plaza Hotel. As always, I was happy to see that it was still standing, but saddened to see that more destruction has occurred since my last visit in late 2013. Sometimes it baffles me that people feel the need to be destructive I love this building…and this trip I was fortunate to find a lot more furniture than before, which is always awesome!

I find this building to be absolutely beautiful and I feel a slight sense of peace and reverence as I walk down the hallways (stepping on top of and over tons and tons of broken concrete, pieces of broken doors and other assorted debris). Now don’t get me wrong, it’s scary – for a few different reasons! One of the reasons is the creepy sound the wind makes (which gets stronger the higher you go up) as it billows in and out of every single window frame, making hanging debris clang together. It’s almost like a spooky wind tunnel lol. The other reason is because if something were to happen to you inside of this building (i.e. you were attacked, you hurt yourself, etc), NOBODY WOULD KNOW so NOBODY WOULD COME TO HELP! So needless to say, it’s safe to explore with a buddy, keep quiet when possible (respect your surroundings) and don’t lag…meaning – get in, shoot, get out. I hope you enjoy this latest round of pics from the infamous Lee Plaza.

LOCATION HISTORY:

Built in 1929 as an upscale residential hotel, closed it’s doors to residents in 1997. During the final years of the 19th century, society’s view of hotel life transformed from one of disgust and disdain to admiration. No longer the abode of the damned, they were, where one went, for all manner of functions. By the early 20th century it was actually fashionable to reside permanently in hotels. Thus it seems natural that hotels would be built specially for residents. Such was the case with the this hotel. Essentially an apartment building with hotel services. On May 1 (circa 1928), ground was broken on the art deco masterpiece that would rise above the stately elms of the boulevard below. The price tag would be $2.5 million (a whopping $31 million today). The idea of residential hotels was a popular one at the time. In residential hotels, well-off residents could live in luxurious apartments that had many of the features of hotels, such as room service and concierges.

The hotel opened with 220 luxury-class apartments ranging from one to four rooms. The one and two-room apartments came furnished; the three- and four-room option did not. The basement had a beauty parlor, a game room with driving nets for golfers and billiards; a white-walled playroom for children at the front of the building with a specially trained supervisor; and a meat market and grocer for the tenants so they didn’t have to leave the hotels comfy confines. There also was a circulating library, a flower shop, a cigar stand and a beauty parlor.

But with the onset of the Great Depression, the hotel was plagued by problems almost from the start because of the owner’s lavish spending. The hotel would help bring down one of Detroit’s biggest real estate barons. Shortly after it was built, it was sold, however the new company/owner was delinquent on payments. By fall 1935 the hotel was bankrupt, and would be the subject of over 8yrs of court battles. In 1969 it became housing for low-income senior citizens. However, in February of 1987 tragedy struck when an 84-year-old resident was found murdered in her room, suffocated with a pillow. The hotel continued to lose residents and head downhill.

In 1997, its entrances and ground-floor windows were barricaded with cinder blocks, but they couldn’t keep the scavengers at bay. For five years a solid fortification of cinder block held off the thieves and protected the 1920’s elegance inside. However, as the mighty walls of Rome failed, so did the hotel’s fortifications. Once the walls were breached, nothing could spare the landmark from trespass and from that point on, few buildings in Detroit have been more ravaged than this hotel. By the fall of 2000 countless exterior terra-cotta pieces as well as interior plaster work were gone. Gradually the aluminum framed windows disappeared and only gaping holes remained.