Last week I needed a piece of wood, a very small piece of wood to complete a project I was working on.
I wanted this piece to be different, old, something with character, something not found at the local Lowes.
I came across a company named Keystone Vintage Lumber. All they do is deal with reclaimed wood. I like the idea.
( The wood flooring in our house came from an old Mill in Reading PA. but enough about how cool we are!)
Keystone is presently located in a building that in more prosperous times was melting steel and making fasteners. Back in 1882 it was called Philadelphia nut and bolt company. In the early 1900's it became "Bethlehem Steel."
In 1985 the steel company closed and now most buildings sit vacant, except for a few businesses like my lumber company
I took a ride around the place after picking up my piece of wood, that was previously part of the structure of a mushroom house, and took some photos.
For some reason I find abandoned buildings like these very interesting........
I can't look at them without imagining what it was like there when the steel plant was in full swing, probably employing a good percentage of the people who lived nearby.
Imagine how many workers walked through this door in it's heyday.
I wonder.
6 comments:
It is sad that so many of the old buildings have not been reborn and reused successfully.
I have grown more and more in my love of these older, rustic, buildings and furnishings, You've captured them beautifully- love these photos and yes- I have to wonder too!
We see so many of those buildings, too... sad that they have not found a repurpose, seems such a waste. A few have been converted to condomiums around here and they look fantastic. There is always a need for affordable housing, you would think it would be more common.
You had better share the project you are making with a piece of vintage wood :-)
Mark, I love all your photos of the old buildings. I especially love the tower. I drive by Delphi/ Delco / GM , the plant where I put in 30 years and it breaks my heart....So much waste. There's still production going on there...nothing like it's hay day. Once there were 10,000 GM workers in Kokomo, Indiana. Now I think it's less than 2,000. I never dreamed I would have seen that day. I got a good education and job through GM. Not the retirement we dreamed of, but it livable. Blessings, xoxo,Susie
I like to stick my nose in these places, unless I think I'm going to get yelled at or arrested. I was thinking how cool it would be to climb the water tower, until I saw the security camera :-(
If those walls could talk. Glad you found your special piece of wood….and yes, you are the coolest people ever!
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