2017

Close-up of an Abandoned Optics Factory

Witnessing the decrepit state of the former Warner & Swasey Company factory complex, it is difficult to imagine that it once supplied cutting-edge equipment for observatories across the US and overseas. After a hundred years of business, the plant shut its doors and became another of Cleveland's many abandoned industrial spaces.

Abandoned Warner & Swasey Company factory in Cleveland Ohio

From the fascinating ruins of Victoreen Instrument Company, I made my way to Carnegie Avenue, the final resting place of several of Cleveland's former industrial powerhouses.

The old Warner & Swasey complex consists of a rusting sawtooth-roofed structure partially surrounded by an eerie five-story brick building.

Surprisingly, there are no fences or signs to deter explorers. During my short visit, I encountered several small groups of people walking casually as though they were strolling through a public park.

Much of the structure has been gutted, the combined result of asbestos abatement work and scrappers.

Corridors once filled with machinery and the chaotic sounds of industry now stretch empty except for the occasional echo of footsteps.

Rusty stairways and deadly elevator shafts connect the yawning levels of the old factory.

Tiny stalactites of mineral deposits hang from ceilings and disused pipes. Graffiti adorns the walls--sometimes a mural carefully drawn by an artistic hand, sometimes a hastily sprayed existential question answered with a witty reply.

The rooftop affords views of distant skyscrapers as well as the decaying factory below.

Crumbling rooftop structures bear some of the most colorful graffiti.

Sadly, the property has become a dumping ground for trash and old tires. One of the basement rooms contained evidence that someone had been spending nights there: a sleeping pad, duffel bags full of clothes, discarded soda cans and food wrappers.

It is strange to think that this dark, haunting place was once alive with industry, providing the livelihood for hundreds of workers and their families.

Nearly a century and a half ago, Worcester Reed Warner and Ambrose Swasey met as apprentices at Exeter Machine Works in New Hampshire. The two men became close friends, both skilled mechanical engineers with a shared interest in astronomy. Several years later, they both left Exeter and took jobs at Pratt & Whitney in Hartford, Connecticut.

In 1880 the two men resigned from Pratt & Whitney and moved to Cleveland to found their own business.

In the early years they focused on producing lathes, milling machines, and telescopes, which were used in Observatories across the US as well as Canada, Argentina, and Lebanon.

For the first 20 years of business, they lacked a formal corporate agreement. After years of growth and success, they finally adopted a corporate structure and officially became The Warner & Swasey Company in 1900.

Warner and Swasey remained good friends and even built homes next door to each other on "Millionaire's Row" in Cleveland.

The Warner & Swasey Company developed a reputation as one of the major producers of turret lathes. The company also took on military instrument contracts during the Spanish-American War and both world wars, producing gun sights, binoculars, and other optical equipment.

In 1946, Warner & Swasey began manufacturing hydraulic construction equipment, which quickly became a major driver of business growth.

In the 1970s, competition from Japan and Taiwan ate away at the company's profitability and in 1980, Warner & Swasey was acquired by Bendix Corporation. Bendix was later bought by Cross & Trecker, which closed the Carnegie Avenue plant in 1985.

Many different plans for redeveloping the industrial complex were proposed over the years. Cayahoga County explored the idea of using the space for its Health and Human Services Department as well as a jail annex, but plans fell through. The City of Cleveland later considered using it as a municipal center. Then in 2010, Hemingway Development planned to transform the complex into a technology center for biotech and health care companies. Due to ballooning costs the project was abandoned.

Since its closure, the building has remained vacant for nearly thirty years. Its future remains uncertain.

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And be sure to come back next time when I will explore Warner & Swasey's incredible abandoned observatory.

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Inside the Ruins of an Abandoned Electronics Factory: Victoreen Instrument Company

Victoreen Instrument Company once supplied equipment for the Manhattan Project. The former electronics factory is now a ruined shell awaiting the inevitable wrecking ball.

Abandoned Victoreen Instrument Company in Cleveland Ohio

A short drive from the incredible abandoned Newburgh Masonic Temple lies the the ruined headquarters of Victoreen Instrument Company.

Built in 1925, the crumbling brick structure originally housed Clark Controller Company, which manufactured electrical controls for cranes, presses, mills, and other industrial machinery.

When Clark Controller Company merged with A. O. Smith Corporation in 1965, the factory was sold to Victoreen Instrument Company.

Victoreen has a long and complicated history dating back to 1928, when it was founded by John Austin Victoreen, a brilliant physicist, engineer, and inventor.

The company specialized in the production of x-ray dosimeters and other devices that measured the intensity and dosage of X-ray exposure.

In the early 1940s, Victoreen became a contractor for the United States military. The company developed portable devices that measured radiation exposure for use in the Manhattan Project and during Operation Peppermint. After World War II, Victoreen supplied equipment used during the nuclear tests on Bikini Atoll.

The company saw many changes throughout the 1950s and 60s, including numerous acquisitions of, and mergers with, other electronics companies.

In 1965, Victoreen Instrument Company moved its headquarters to the now-abandoned factory on Woodland Avenue. It occupied the space for nearly 30 years before relocating in 1994.

In the years since Victoreen left, the property has changed hands several times.

An artifact from 2007

Plans for demolition were approved in 2009.

Portions of the structure were razed. Rubble and an outer wall mark where they once stood.

Demolition work ceased in 2014 after a fire broke out. The blaze was extinguished before it could spread throughout the building.

Quite a bit of furniture and other objects remain inside the old factory, but all the manufacturing equipment has been removed.

Many of the massive rooms are now empty except for rows of pillars and a layer of fallen ceiling tiles covering the floor.

Though demolition has been temporarily halted, it is likely that the remaining structure will be torn down before long. Until then, nature slowly creeps back in.

After exploring the ruins of Victoreen, I headed across town to visit the abandoned industrial complex of Warner & Swasey Company.

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Click here to read about other incredible abandoned places I've explored.

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Secrets of an Abandoned Masonic Temple

A century-old masonic temple sits abandoned and heavily decaying. Decades since the departure of the Masons, the walls and ceilings of the ornate halls slowly fall in upon themselves and the many artifacts that remain.

Abandoned Newburgh Masonic Temple in Cleveland Ohio

North of Akron, Ohio, home of the abandoned Rubber Bowl Stadium and Rolling Acres Dead Mall, the city of Cleveland holds a treasure trove of forgotten structures with stories to tell. Among them is Newburgh Masonic Temple, the once grand meeting place of Ashlar Lodge.

Designed by Cleveland architect William J. Carter, construction of Newburgh Masonic Temple began in 1916. The structure was completed in 1917 at a cost of approximately $65,000 ($1.2 million in 2017 dollars) and the first meeting of the newly formed Ashlar Lodge took place there on May 31.

The site served as the home of Ashlar Lodge for a half-century. In 1969 the Masons decided to sell Newburgh Masonic Temple due to increasing maintenance costs and a lack of secure parking in the area.

It is unclear who occupied the building after the departure of the Freemasons, but it appears to have seen some use. A calendar from 1984 still hung on an office wall.

The structure now has extensive water damage on every floor. Layers of paint and plaster have fallen away revealing the underlying brick, which appears structurally sound (at least to my untrained eyes).

The temple has many interesting design features not often seen in modern buildings, including crown moulding, half doors, a dumbwaiter,

arched doorways,

two oddly-placed staircases that pass alongside one another,

and wooden bench seating lining the walls of the massive meeting halls.

Much of the sturdy wooden furniture and cabinetry remain intact and have held up well over time.

A china hutch in the basement still contains stacks of plates and dishes, which surprisingly haven't been smashed by vandals.

Two large rusting safes remain in an office. Their doors have been removed and the documents they once protected are scattered throughout the room.

A dusty roll of toilet paper still hangs in the bathroom.

One of the upper floors contains a flock of rubber duckies of unknown origin.

The future of Newburgh Masonic Temple remains uncertain. There do not seem to be any plans for future use or demolition.

Thank you for checking out this article. If you enjoyed it, please share it on Facebook.

Next stop on the Epic Rust Belt Road Trip: The Ruins of an abandoned Electronics Factory.

To receive an email announcement when I post my next article, please subscribe to Places That Were.

Until then, click here to read about other incredible abandoned places I've explored.

To see more pictures, please follow these links and subscribe to my feeds:

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Close-up of an Abandoned Optics Factory

Inside the Ruins of an Abandoned Electronics Factory: Victoreen Instrument Company

Secrets of an Abandoned Masonic Temple