The Abandoned: Through a Glass Darkly

Thursday, May 19, 2011

Through a Glass Darkly - Guest Heart Thursday

I was focusing in on a pile of glass with interesting reflections. I love how this turned out--the focus was on the reflection of trees instead of the actual glass--which just happened to be in the shape of a heart. So perfect for this week's Guest Heart Thursday.

For more heart art, photography and altogether fabulous heart stuff from around the world, visit Clytie at Random Hearts for Guest Heart Thursday.

WARNING: If you visit The Abandoned, without permission from the owners, or the caretaker, you risk getting arrested for trespassing.

7 comments:

Inger-M said...: A lovely heart shaped tree reflection!; May 19, 2011 at 3:00 PM
Laura said...: another beautiful find!; May 19, 2011 at 3:48 PM
Clytie said...: That turned out so very beautiful!!! I can't wait to go on our annual springtime discovery walk!!!; May 19, 2011 at 3:49 PM
Dani said...: Great heart find, Beth.; May 20, 2011 at 9:32 AM
MarieElizabeth said...: Really neat "find"! Great shot.; May 20, 2011 at 8:13 PM
Lyneen said...: You find so much heart at the Abandoned... it is amazing... TFS; May 21, 2011 at 10:56 PM
erin said...: i'm a huge fan of shots like this. this one is perfect in its imperfections.

xo
erin; May 23, 2011 at 2:17 PM

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.