The Abandoned: Sidewalks and Streetlights

Friday, August 5, 2016

Sidewalks and Streetlights

Next to the snazzy homes being built along the street, where sidewalks and streetlights abound, the forest stands silent. When the wind blows--I am sure the history of this once beautiful place whispers through man's progress. Huge homes stand so close together, one could shake hands across the small divide between them.

Sissy says these are California houses. The very kind of neighborhood which, if it somehow caught fire, would leap from house to house. I hope that never happens here.

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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.