The Abandoned: old wood

Tuesday, November 17, 2015

In the Green of the Forest

Here is a wonderful old tree found in the outskirts of what was once The Abandoned. The forest is still untouched--yet I fear that may not last long. There are now parcels of land for sale along the tip of the Canyon. The forest as we knew it may not survive. In the meantime, here is this old man tree in the green of the forests of my childhood.

Thursday, October 3, 2013

Heart in Fence Post -Guest Heart Thursday

Can you see the heart here? This is a part of an old fence post found along the road, which once protected the forests surrounding The Abandoned. I have not walked there with my Sissy for some time. I am not sure what I will see once I do--all that is left of the buildings are huge piles of ground up debris.

I am grateful the beauty of the forest still stands...for now.

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

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.