UPDATE: What a Dump

From Dave Brigham:

I love the immediacy of the Internet. Not long after I originally posted this, one of our loyal followers pointed me toward this web page because she suspected this building is the old O'Hara Waltham Dial Company. One look at the picture there, and I knew she was right. A big Backside thanks to Shuko, proprietress of the wonderful Creepy-chusetts, Strange-chusetts photo blog!

Built in 1897, the building was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1989. I'm glad to know that one of my original guesses about this building -- that it was either automotive- or watchmaking-related -- turned out to be correct.







I know a guy who lives nearby and he said a developer bought the place a few years back with plans to build condos. I'm not sure if the developer was going to save the building. It's on Rumford Avenue, within sniffing distance of the Newton town dump, so I get the feeling nothing will happen until the housing market catches a big fire.

Shuttered Island: Update

Last August, Dave Hill posted about a trip he took to Peddocks Island (see August 27, 2010, "Shuttered Island."). Home to the abandoned Fort Andrews, which was constructed in the late 1800's and active until the end of World War II, the island comprises dozens of rundown buildings that seem to just beg for rehabilitation. Part of the Boston Harbor Islands park system, Peddocks is where Martin Scorsese's "Shutter Island" was filmed in part.

Well, as part of a new agreement announced last week, roughly half of the island's 30 buildings are going to be rehabbed or at least shored up so they can be restored at a later date. Others will be sacrificed as the Mass. Department of Conservation and Recreation, in tandem with the island alliance organization, take on a project to turn Peddocks into a public campground and, possibly in the future, a location for corporate retreats, a bed and breakfast, and festivals.

Check out this video and article for more about the island's history and its future.

Lose, Place or Show

From David Burke:

(These great shots of the former Great Barrington Fairgrounds in Great Barrington, MA, were taken in August 2010 -- Ed.)

Abandoned for Your Amusement

From Dave Brigham:

My amusement park experiences are limited; I spent more time as a kid and teenager at the Simsbury (CT) Volunteer Fire Department's summer carnival than I did walking theme park midways admiring beautiful wooden roller coasters and freak shows. Still, my appreciation for old-time entertainment is real.

I love riding roller coasters and ferris wheels (although the older I get, the less tolerance I have for the spinning rides); eating fried dough; going through haunted houses with my son; watching motocross at county fairs. And when I read about another 100-year-old amusement park being shut down or torn down, I feel sad. Why? I lament the loss of the personal touch that smaller parks offer, the simpler pleasures, the idea that rides don't have to be 10 stories tall and travel at 150 mph to be fun.

I'm a Luddite at heart, one who should have been born in the late '30s or early '40s so I could've enjoyed driving a '57 Chevy to the malt shoppe with my best girl, sneaking friends into the drive-in movies and riding rickety roller coasters and watching the roustabouts sing, fight and ride motorcycles around the Globe of Death.

Anyway, I'm rambling. Check out some great photos and videos of abandoned amusement parks that the folks at trip planner Nile Guide posted.

Up From the Basement?

From Dave Brigham:

Some day the ugly pit formerly known as Filene's in Boston's Downtown Crossing neighborhood will be filled with something other than gravel, hyperbole and lost dreams.








Anybody else thinking of Mike Mulligan and his steam shovel?

The Zen of Finding a Barn and a School Bus

From Joe Viger:


Early on the first Saturday of the New Year I struck out with a friend for a day of making pictures. Our stated plan was to shoot Glen Ellis Falls and then see what else we could find of interest in Pinkham Notch. Nothing seemed all that inspiring. After all, in winter, waterfalls are frozen and currently there isn't even the drama of ice because of snow cover. My partner and I were of like minds to wander and see what might happen. We hatched a plan to head to the backside of the Presidential Range and get pictures of Mt. Washington from Bretton Woods.

This is home turf to me. I grew up on the northern slopes of the Presidential Range. The marquee side is south... North Conway, outlet shopping, Mt. Washington views and ski areas. But north, it's Berlin, shut-down paper mills, two prisons, French Canadians, people who work for a living and open space. And a better view of the Presidential Range in my humble opinion (for more on Berlin, see Joe's 6-20-10 post, "The Truth Behind Beautiful Ruins.").

We drove on to Gorham, but didn't stop, turning left on Route 2 to insanely beautiful Randolph. We made images of a couple of interesting summer homes and waited for the clouds to break. We were hoping for a view of Mounts Madison and Adams and the unique perspective of King Ravine you can only get from Randolph Hill, but it never materialized. Snow swirled all the while.

Back in the car, we headed west on Route 2. Mount Jefferson was interesting that day, but too shouded and gray to be worth a shot. I veered left on Valley Road in Jefferson, where my Boy Scout troop used to camp. Valley Road opened to Route 115 and the logical thing would have been to turn left again onto the trade route for retreating southbound tourists. I went straight across 115 almost instinctually on a road I had never driven called Israel River Road. We hit a wonderful open plain called Jefferson Meadows and there it was. In the shadow of finely pointed Cherry Mountain we found what we didn't even know we were looking for.

Demolition -- Par for the Course

We here at the Backside are pleased to welcome Kristen Smith to our ranks. Check out more of her terrific photos at Wicked Dark Photography .

From Kristen Smith:



I can’t claim any nostalgia over Bedford Golfland other than in general. I only went there once in high school even though it existed all through my childhood and only became defunct a few years ago (I think the year on the day planner in the office was 2006). Even though I wasn’t a customer, I was used to seeing the place, if you know what I mean. It was the kind of thing you’d use to give someone directions –- go through the light at the mini golf place.

The site is due for a date with the bulldozer in the spring. Like the world needs another supermarket, right? As you can see, vandals have gotten a head start on the destruction. I seem to recall this trap was a little New England scene with a barn or a water wheel mill or something. Cutesy, but typical of the old-style mini golf set up.



For some reason we also had a tribute to Gilligan’s Island.



No one bothered me while I shot although I’m sure folks in the passing cars wondered what the hell I was doing out in the wind and cold. Eventually I made my way over to the former office. Had to wait until some hunters played through though. After I heard a couple of very close rifle shots, I looked over my shoulder a few minutes later and noticed a hunter standing in the walkway between the driving range and the office. It was a little weird, but he didn’t say anything and I didn’t see him again. The destruction inside the office was near total. Only more sturdy structures like walls, the counter and the ice cream treat freezer remain intact. It made for some interesting still lifes.



I like this photo because the card was found as it is, but not where it was. I moved it to a better location and shot. The light was pretty damn great and having the camera on a tripod helped. All of these were shot with a tripod, something I don’t do often enough, but felt that I should since it wasn’t like I would be walking miles. The additional range of options it gave me really helped. I wasn’t cornered into using a high ISO or wide-open apertures.

Although the light isn’t the best in the outdoor shots, I like enough of what I got to feel satisfied with the shoot and what I was able to document.

It makes me a little sad that a supermarket is going in there. People complain that families and friends don’t do anything together anymore. That we’ve become a society of passive watchers only, instead of active doers. As long as we keep tearing down miniature golf parks to put up supermarkets, is there any wonder why?

End of the Road

From Dave Brigham:



Ever since discovering this abandoned section of old Route 128 in the Blue Hills Reservation in Milton, MA, during a mountain bike trek several years ago, I've wanted to get back and take some pictures. OK, that's an exaggeration. I have long wanted to get back to the site. But only since starting this blog last March have I wanted to take pictures. I finally made the half-hour trip there with my daughter this past fall.

I didn't do enough mapping homework in advance, and ended up having to carry my 3-year-old daughter for a good distance through the woods to find the old road. Once we found it, however, she was more than happy to jump out of my arms and walk along, mugging for the camera. From what I've learned online, state road crews have used the old highway for striping practice, evidence of which can be seen here.



This is the end. Or the beginning. Take your choice.

Undercity

From Dave Brigham:

Self-described urban historian and photographer Steve Duncan made a 28-minute documentary with filmmaker Andrew Wonder (real name: certainly not Andrew Wonder) in which they explore abandoned subway stations, forgotten sewer tunnels and the tops of bridges in New York City. Very cool -- made we wish I were younger or at least more adventurous, or had more time on my hands, or wasn't concerned about hurting myself or leaving my kids without a father.

Thanks to my buddy David Belson for tipping me off to this video.

Check out more of Duncan's exploration photos from around the globe here.

Water Under the Bridge

From Dave Brigham:

l took these pictures in Weston, MA, at a water main crossing for the Massachusetts Water Resources Authority. The site is directly across the Charles River from the Newton Marriott Hotel and very close to a canoe and kayak rental place located in a one-time Metropolitan District Commission police building.

The water main crossing site is also popular for feeding ducks, and for gay cruising, according to my wife, who's a Newton native. For me, it's just a cool place to wonder and wander.

Trash Guitar

From Dave Brigham:

I don't get it. Who tosses a guitar over the side of a bridge and down a hill hard by the Charles River? In my dream of dreams, a Boxcar Willie devotee scrambles down the incline, cleans the grit off the guitar and sells a million records singing about starfish and the Crab Nebula.