The Abandoned: Love in The Abandoned

Thursday, August 5, 2010

Love in The Abandoned - Guest Heart Thursday

Tuesday evening we invited Larry and Julie over for dinner. We've been friends for almost 20 years, but I had never heard the story of how they'd found one another.

What a small world! In the early 1980's, they met in rehab at The Abandoned! They were both injured on the job and stayed at the facility when it was owned by the state. It is a sweet love story!

This magical crushed glass heart, reflecting blue skies and sun, is perfect to honor this sweet couple still married, still obviously deeply in love after all these years. Fancy that--someone found Love in The Abandoned.

For more wonderful randomly found heart photography and artwork from around the world, check out Clytie's Guest Heart Thursday!

GUEST HEART THURSDAY

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

2 comments:

Clytie said...: What a remarkable love story - and what a small world!

I love your broken glass heart. From destruction to magic ... it's all in how we see it.

Thank you for sharing this on Guest Heart Thursday.; August 5, 2010 at 10:33 AM
Limarea said...: That's a great story, and a lovely heart :); August 5, 2010 at 11:36 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.