Latest Structures Page 63

Wilcox, Crittenden Mill, Middletown Connecticut

Wilcox, Crittenden Mill, Middletown Connecticut

Wilcox, Crittenden Mill was the largest producer of marine hardware in the United States, with a manufacturing history that spanned the era of sail to nuclear power. The factory complex contains three early-twentieth-century brick and masonry buildings (1901-1917), each used for the specialized processes utilized for the production of marine hardware: casting, forging, galvanizing, and machining, and the oldest surviving textile mill in Middletown, built in 1814, which served as the company's office. Like other successful industries founded in the nineteenth century, Wilcox, Crittenden Mill followed a familiar historical pattern. An extended formative period as little more than a cottage industry was followed by rapid growth and development. Diversification and expansion in the twentieth century required a major building program. Until

Kymulga Mill And Covered Bridge, Childersburg Alabama

Kymulga Mill And Covered Bridge, Childersburg Alabama

The Kymulga Mill and Covered Bridge Complex is the only area in the state that contains, in close proximity, a grist mill and covered bridge on their original sites. Kymulga Bridge is one of three remaining 19th-century covered bridges in the state and the mill is unusual for its size, the ornateness of its trim, and its wooden mill dam. Talladega County officials are in the process of acquiring the bridge and a five-acre strand of large white oaks for use as a park, while the mill is being restored to working order by a private owner. Typical of 19^th Century Alabama mills in that it is of wooden construction, Kymulga Mill is noted for its large size, rising three and

Racine Train Depot, Racine Wisconsin

Racine Train Depot, Racine Wisconsin

The Racine station of the Chicago and Northwestern Railroad is one of the finest examples of non-residential Classical Revival architecture in Racine. Despite the alterations, none of which have been major, and its present boarded-up and unkept appearance, the grace and dignity of this building are still apparent. The use of brick on this building gives it less of the monumental appearance typically associated with Classical Revival architecture. Designed by the firm of Frost and Granger, of Chicago, in 1901, construction was completed in early September of 1902, for $60,000. Both Charles Sumner Frost (1856-1931) and Alfred Hoyt Granger (1867-1939) studied architecture at MIT. Frost was especially active in railroad terminal design, and his works include the LaSalle Street station, the

Horton Mill Covered Bridge, Oneonta Alabama

Horton Mill Covered Bridge, Oneonta Alabama

The Horton Mill Bridge is one of three surviving covered bridges in Blount County, Alabama, one of the last strongholds of covered bridge building in the United States. Spanning an impressive 70-foot-deep gorge, the structure is noteworthy as the nation's highest-covered bridge. The Horton Mill Covered Bridge is the highest above water in the United States. It is one of only sixteen remaining in Alabama out of 46 which were standing in 1958. In the 1930s, when the bridge was built, there were several hundred of these vanishing rustic structures in Alabama. The present covered bridge is a replacement of the one 3/4 mile downstream built in 1895 by T. M. Horton to make his mill complex more accessible. Horton had

American Seating Company Factory, Grand Rapids Michigan

American Seating Company Factory, Grand Rapids Michigan

The American Seating Company Factory Complex is the home of the American Seating Company, one of the world's largest manufacturers of seating products. Soon after the turn of the twentieth century, the company established an on-site research and testing laboratory, likely one of the country's earliest. From its founding, American Seating produced school desks, church furniture, and opera or theater seats. Stadium bleachers, folding chairs, transportation seating, and hospital and office furniture were later added to its list of products. American Seating developed many seating innovations commonly used today, including various models of school desks known to generations of American children; a compact folding chair, first of wood and later of steel, that was manufactured in the millions and can be

Easley Covered Bridge, Oneonta Alabama

Easley Covered Bridge, Oneonta Alabama

This is the oldest of the four bridges remaining in Blount County and one of the thirteen remaining in Alabama. It was built under the supervision of Forrest Tidwell. Zelma Tidwell, his nephew and successor as foreman of the county bridge construction crew, assisted him in this project. County records do not indicate a date of construction; however, in 1929, the county minutes reflect that material was ordered to repair the bridge. The 1927 date has long been associated with the structure but is not based on documentation. This is a one-span Town truss of pine & oak timbers resting on two rubble masonry abutments with timber caps. The single span is 83 feet, It stands 18 feet above the bed

Drumthwacket Mansion and Gardens, Princeton New Jersey

Drumthwacket Mansion and Gardens, Princeton New Jersey

In one property Drumthwacket embodies three important phases in the history of much of rural New Jersey; the modest farmstead of the eighteenth century; the suburban retreat of the man of new wealth in the early to mid-nineteenth century; and the great estate of the Gilded Age of the late nineteenth and early twentieth century. The small Thomas Olden Cottage was built for a descendant of one of the earliest families to settle in the Princeton area, shortly after he inherited the property in 1757, on land that had been in possession of his family since 1696. While its detailing is modest, it reflects characteristics of the mid-Atlantic Georgian style typical of the area. It is unusual that its modest scale

Pass Machac Light, Ponchatoula Louisiana

Pass Machac Light, Ponchatoula Louisiana

The Pass Manchac Lighthouse is the only lighthouse of its design in the Gulf Coast region. Pass Manchac is a narrow neck of water. It connects Western Lake Pontchactiali to Lake Maurepes. A lighthouse was authorized for $6,000 in 1834 and was completed in 1837. This tower was rebuilt in 1846 and stood 32 feet high, elevating the lens 34 feet above sea level. The steady red light with nine lamps was visible for 13 miles. The first three lighthouses were built on the same general site. The first two were apparently brick towers. The third was a dwelling with a light centered on top. The third lighthouse, begun in 1857, held its light 45 feet above sea level but was

Coldwater Creek Covered Bridge, Coldwater Alabama

Coldwater Creek Covered Bridge, Coldwater Alabama

Coldwater Covered Bridge is one of 16 remaining covered bridges in Alabama, a state which as recently as 1930 had approximately 200 of these rustic relics. By 1958 there were only 46 left and the destruction from arson and neglect continued to take its toll. This transportation landmark, which was built before 1850 and possibly as early as 1839, is one of three surviving bridges in the state built in the modified kingpost style. In 1920 the structure was partially burned after a hunter dropped his torch on the bridge, but it was immediately repaired and rebuilt by Frank Morris, E. A. Walker, and Eli Bynum, as the bridge was the only available transportation across Coldwater Creek. Covered bridges were first

In and Out Social Club, Trenton New Jersey

In and Out Social Club, Trenton New Jersey

The In and Out Social Club was incorporated on September 2^nd, 1889, for social, intellectual, and recreative purposes. The original meeting place was at 728 S. Broad Street. City directories list the officers of the club during the first decade, and these men were mostly small businessmen, like grocers and tavern owners, or white-collar workers, like clerks, foremen, paymasters, and in one case, a fire commissioner. Social and fraternal organizations have been important in Trenton since before the Revolution, when a Masonic Lodge was established in 1730. In the earlier periods, informal groups gathered in the public rooms of local taverns to discuss political, financial, and social news. As Trenton grew during the industrial era, both the population and their activities

Clarkson Covered Bridge - Legg Bridge, Cullman Alabama

Clarkson Covered Bridge - Legg Bridge, Cullman Alabama

The Clarkson Covered Bridge is one of the longest two-span covered bridges standing in the Deep South. This massive turn-of-the-century structure is one of only 13 remaining covered bridges in the state, and is the last of eleven such bridges in Cullman County. The bridge was constructed in 1904 on land donated to the county by the father of W. H. Legg. In 1923 the bridge was damaged by a storm and had to be repaired. Bill Slosler, a contractor from Cullman was hired by the county to repair the bridge. A member of the repair crew, Elton O. Brock recalls that the work began in the fall of 1923 and was finished in the first part of 1924, for $1,000

Mott School and Second Street School, Trenton New Jersey

Mott School and Second Street School, Trenton New Jersey

The Mott School and the building known as the Second Street School are located within a few hundred yards of each other. The Second Street School was constructed in 1854, and the Mott School in 1881. Mott School was closed and vacated in 1980, while the Second Street building was converted to a private home. State-supported public education was a widely debated idea from early in the nineteenth century, but was not accepted practice until 1845, when a new state constitution was ratified. It included provisions for state funding, which mostly went for teacher's salaries and supplies. Townships and municipalities were responsible for raising additional funds, such as those needed for buildings. Since many felt that private support for education should

Richland-Plummer Creek Covered Bridge, Bloomfield Indiana

Richland-Plummer Creek Covered Bridge, Bloomfield Indiana

The Richland-Plummer Creek Covered Bridge is a fine example of the work of master bridge builders A.M. Kennedy and Sons, it is one of only ten remaining examples of their work in Indiana. The bridge is also a fine example of a Burr Arch truss timber span. It is the only covered bridge still standing in Greene County. The bridge provided a locally important transportation link for southern Greene County, allowing access to the county seat of Bloomfield. In particular, during World War II and before the construction of U.S. 231 in 1949, the Bloomfield-Scotland Road was a valuable link to Crane Naval Ammunition Depot, located about 5 miles to the south, near Scotland, Indiana. The Burr Arch truss utilized in

Salem County Insane Asylum, Mannington New Jersey

Salem County Insane Asylum, Mannington New Jersey

This Mental Health Hospital was abandoned in 1995

The Salem County Insane Asylum stood fifteen feet to the west of the Salem County Almshouse at the county farm in rural Mannington Township. The Almshouse (demolished in April 2007) was built in 1845 on the foundation of an earlier poor house that was built in 1808 and destroyed by fire in 1845. In America, the insane asylum as an institution was part of an overall nineteenth-century trend toward classifying and separating the types of poor people who populated a poor house, and, in particular, to separate mentally disturbed persons from other classes of paupers. From 1796 until 1871, Salem County's poor house at the county farm was the home for the indigent insane as well as other classes of poor

Norris Ford Covered Bridge, Rushville Indiana

Norris Ford Covered Bridge, Rushville Indiana

The Norris Ford Bridge was the second to last bridge constructed by the Kennedy family. This structure was built in 1916, but the techniques employed were exactly the same as those that they had built 40 years earlier. The Burr arch truss system which was employed was, at that time, already over 100 years old, and the Italianate-style detailing on the portal facades was identical to that found on Kennedy bridges of the 1870s. Steel truss bridges were already common by the time this bridge was erected, and it must have seemed anachronistic even as it was under construction. This bridge is now the only 20th-century Kennedy bridge extant, and demonstrates the consistency of the firm throughout its productive life. It

Chandeleur Light, New Orleans Louisiana

Chandeleur Light, New Orleans Louisiana

The Chandeleur Island Light is one of only four similarly designed lighthouses in the Gulf Coast region. The Chandeleur Islands appear on charts as the moon in its final phase, an arc running north-to-south and bulging at the center toward the east. Congress appropriated $12,000 in 1847 for a light on South Chandeleur Island to help guide vessels to the Ship Island and Cat Island anchorages, due north. The light, 55 feet above sea level, was visible 14 miles to sea. Completed in 1848, it was destroyed in 1854. A whitewashed brick tower finished the next year was placed on the north end of the island chain. The light was abandoned at the outbreak of the war, but Union forces reexhibited

Roann Covered Bridge, Roann Indiana

Roann Covered Bridge, Roann Indiana

The Roann Covered Bridge is one of only two remaining covered bridges in Wabash County (out of an original 29). The bridge was constructed in 1877 by the Smith Bridge Company of Toledo, Ohio. It is a Howe truss, a common type in Indiana, although far less common than the Burr arch. The bridge stands on the site of a ford on the trail from Rochester to Wabash Town, now County Road 700 West. The present bridge is the fourth covered bridge to be located at this site, the first built in 1841, the second in 1845, and the third in 1856. The bridge was built in Toledo, marked, disassembled, transported and rebuilt on the site, as was a common practice

Interstate Hosiery Mills, Bloomfield New Jersey

Interstate Hosiery Mills, Bloomfield New Jersey

The Interstate Hosiery Mills, Inc. (Interstate) mill building, constructed in 1923, was a significant part of the industrial history of the Township of Bloomfield. First as Brilliant Silk Hosiery Company, then as Interstate Hosiery Mills, Inc., this enterprise was important to the economy and culture of the town of Bloomfield. Typically employing around 500 workers, it was one of Bloomfield's largest employers. After Interstate closed its doors in 1942, the building continued to house industrial operations until 1999. Industrial History of Bloomfield, New Jersey The Township of Bloomfield, Essex County, New Jersey, was settled in the last half of the 18^th Century. It was part of the City of Newark until 1812 when it was incorporated as an independent township. From

North Manchester Covered Bridge, North Manchester Indiana

North Manchester Covered Bridge, North Manchester Indiana

The North Manchester Covered Bridge is one of only two remaining covered bridges out of 30 in Wabash County. By providing access to towns and markets to the south and east, the bridge was instrumental in encouraging the growth of North Manchester. The North Manchester Covered Bridge is also one of only six remaining Smith trusses in Indiana. From 1800 to 1922, some 600 covered bridges were constructed in Indiana, of which only 98 remain. Thirty covered bridges were erected at various times in Wabash County, but at present, only two bridges remain in use, the Roann and the North Manchester. The Smith truss, which was used in the construction of the North Manchester Bridge, was one of the less common

Hamilton-Brown Shoe Factory, St. Louis Missouri

Hamilton-Brown Shoe Factory, St. Louis Missouri

The Hamilton-Brown Shoe Company was formed in St. Louis in 1872 by J. M. Hamilton and Alanson D. Brown. Like most local shoe companies of that period, it began by distributing products from the East Coast to the St. Louis region. As the manufacturing process became more industrialized, Hamilton-Brown began to produce its own shoes in a series of progressively larger headquarters buildings. Its first separate factory was built at Locust Street and 21^st Street, just west of the downtown core, in 1888. A decade later, the company moved into its landmark headquarters building at Tucker and Washington. The expansion of the company before the turn of the century parallels the industrial development of St. Louis in general. While the recession

Book Title Abandoned America: Then & Now: A Fun & Fascinating Look Revisiting America's Abandoned Places of the Past

Abandoned America: Then & Now: A Fun & Fascinating Look Revisiting America's Abandoned Places of the Past

Book Title Abandoned Palaces (Abandoned Places)

Abandoned Palaces (Abandoned Places)

Book Title Abandoned America: The Age of Consequences (Jonglez photo books)

Abandoned America: The Age of Consequences (Jonglez photo books)

Book Title Abandoned Malls of America: Crumbling Commerce Left Behind

Abandoned Malls of America: Crumbling Commerce Left Behind

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