Liberty Lake Resort

The original main hotel building was constructed sometime during the early 1920's during which point it operated as a casino and vacation resort. As the 1900's pushed forward and the idea of vacation resorts began to take off in popularity, the resort expanded to include various building and attractions. Rather than build on to the existing main structure, various smaller buildings were constructed throughout the property and connected back to the main building by enclosed breezeways. Such a construction method stood as essentially a fire proofing tactic, so as if one building were to burst aflame the entire resort wouldn't burn to the ground. At peak, the resort included an 18 hole golf course, indoor / outdoor pools, nightclub, and theater with seating for 1,100 people. Over the years the resort changed ownership and names up until its closure sometime during the mid 2000's. Like the majority of the failed Catskill region resorts the property remains vacant and available for purchase at a mere 9,000,000 dollars.

Essex County Hospital Center 35mm Slides (Part 2)

While roaming about the extensive hospital basement one afternoon, I discovered a large storage room off to a corner which I had never noticed before. The space turned out to be packed with boxes full of old and outdated medical equipment. After poking around inside the room for sometime and tinkering with the various equipment, I spotted on the floor a tattered Kodachrome slide. I held my flashlight under the film but it was far too decayed to make out the image. I decided to investigate further and upon moving some cardboard boxes around I found dozens of more slides, surviving in far superior condition. Posted below is a selection of the results from my adventure that afternoon...

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Hartz Mountain Corporation

The Hartz Mountain brand traces back to Max and Gustav Stern, two German immigrant brothers who migrated to the United States in 1926. The two men arrived in the U.S. with five thousand domesticated canaries. With such a large quantity of birds the Stern brothers began to manufacture bird food under the name of Hartz Mountain. During the 1930's the brand expanded to include various other pet products including fish and hamster food, which was shipped throughout the United States, Canada, and United Kingdom. The Hartz Mountain Corporation continued to be run under the Stern family for 75 years up until 2000 when the company was sold to J.W. Childs. Today the brand still exists but is known as Hartz Mountain Industries and along with the manufacturing of pet food the company also stands as a prominent real estate business. HMI owns various plots of land from Bayonne to Manhattan. The original Hartz Mountain Warehouse once used to store pet food products remains as a massive vacant shell ripe for tagging and exploring. In recent months demolition has begun on the warehouse in preparation for new development.

Union Hotel

The Union Hotel was originally constructed in 1814 at which time it served as a gathering and lodging area for stagecoach passengers and tourists passing through the area. During the 1935 trial of Bruno Hauptmann, a convict sentenced to death for the abduction and murder of the 20 month old son of Charles and Anne Lindbergh, many media members boarded at the hotel. In later years the main floor of the hotel was converted into a restaurant and bar, however the upper floors which contained the guest rooms were left untouched and empty. The restaurant closed in 2008 due to loss of money and the entire building sat vacant for a number of years afterwards. More recently the hotel has been purchased by a new owner and plans are to restore the structure and reopen the restaurant. There are a number of ghost legends and sightings associated with the Union Hotel, however I'm not one to subscribe to such malarkey, but maybe you are?

Sylvan Grove

The Borscht Belt region of upstate New York State remains as an oasis of shuttered hotels, boarded bungalow colonies, and stagnant summer camps; surviving from a 1960's era, long past its prime. Sprawling resort campuses rot amongst the backdrop of the Catskill Mountain range. Gone are the guests and lodgers who once flocked to the open county side eager to retreat from the busy city life, replaced now by vandals and explorers eager to venture into the defunct vacation metropolis...

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Baekeland Chemical Plant

Industrial sites are among my favorite type of location to explore. They stand like a giant rusty playground, begging to be climbed; the Baekeland Chemical Plant was certainly no exception. Opening in the early 1950's, the Baekeland Chemical Plant originally produced a various array of industrial chemicals to be used in the pharmaceutical business. It was later discovered that millions of gallons of waste water produced by the plant were being dumped into numerous water tributaries located around the factory property. After being sold off and changing owners over the years, the plant now remains shuttered. The massive refining towers and voluminous chemical drums rust away, slowly leaking a concoction of volatile organic compounds into the surrounding forrest.

Camp Sussex Brochure

The following two images were produced from scanning a brochure which I found while out photographing the defunct Camp Sussex. Often while exploring I lose touch with the fact that the buildings I selfishly roam about once served a greater purpose beyond standing as merely just a deserted playground for which to wander through. Reading the text and looking at the images printed in the brochure provides an interesting glimpse into what camp life was once like...

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Long Pond Iron Works: Gallery Update

A small update to the Long Pond Ironworks page. I went back about a year ago to check out the interior of some of the abandoned houses on the property. Most of the structures I was able to get inside of were empty and relatively boring. However a house across the street turned out to be interesting due the the complete collapse of the rear support wall, which made for a few neat pictures. The Long Pond Ironworks is a historical mining town and is open to the public for tours or to just walk around the numerous hiking trails. You can find out more information about the ironworks at their website. I'll have a new location posted up for the month of November!