The Abandoned: Remembering the Artists of The Abandoned

Saturday, November 30, 2013

Remembering the Artists of The Abandoned

Though The Abandoned is now a pile of rubble, I am still in awe of the incredible art once found there. These are only a few of the pictures I've taken over the years. A big thank you to the Artists of The Abandoned.

From the walls of the swimming pool.

From one of the back rooms.

From the main auditorium.

From the end of the swimming pool itself.

Ice Cube Baby is one of my favorites, found in a back room.

Found along a downstairs hallway.

Happy Thanksgiving and Merry Christmas!

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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.