The Abandoned: Broken

Tuesday, June 29, 2010

Broken

Walking through this place is a moving experience. Everywhere shivers of glass cover the floors. Awful language and dirty pictures cover the walls. Sometimes one can find exquisite artwork there, too--and sometimes--once in awhile one can find an interesting reflection.

Somehow this photo--with my own face reflected back through all that brokenness--has a special meaning to me today. I am grateful for the broken places in my life. This brokenness has made me who I am. It will influence my life for the rest of the years yet to be lived.

NOTE: If you intend to visit The Abandoned, be sure to get permission from the owners first. If you do not have permission to visit this property, you could be arrested for trespassing.

1 comment:

Clytie said...: A beautiful reflection in such a broken place.

When the sun shines on all that broken glass, it's like thousands of diamonds. So sad, yet somehow joyful at the same time - if you look at it the right way. Sort of like life???; June 30, 2010 at 6:32 AM

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The Abandoned

Years ago, I dedicated this blog to The Abandoned, a huge complex of abandoned buildings in rural Oregon.

Surrounded by wetlands and old growth timber, The Callahan Center was built in the 1970's by the State of Oregon as a rehabilitation center for people recovering from injuries on the job.

In 1992, the property was bought by a mega church. However, the Living Enrichment Center closed in 2004, amidst financial scandal and the property was abandoned.

The buildings stood empty for many years. Over that span the property was vandalized and looted. Yet the beauty of its rare architecture shone through the shambles of abuse and disrepair.

In the summer of 2013, the complex was completely demolished. We were all sad to see the buildings go, but because of trespassers and vandals, it was necessary to take them down.

The area where The Abandoned once stood is filled with $500,000 mushroom houses (homes built so fast they pop up like mushrooms) built on postage stamp lots. There are sidewalks and tall lamps where I once watched the foxes of the field leaping above the grass, hunting rodents.

The surrounding woodlands still survive. It is my prayer the wetlands and forests with their pristine creeks, native trees and flowers, as well as the wildlife which shelter there, will be protected.