Winds blow the open grassy places bleak
But where this old wall burns a sunny cheek,
They eddy over it too toppling weak
To blow the earth or anything self-clear;
Moisture and color and odor thicken here.
The hours of daylight gather atmosphere.
Columbus is a growing city that I'm happy to be living in. New buildings are popping up all over the city and it's really starting to take on the visage of a large city. All this new construction does bring growing pains, though. The city is littered with old, empty buildings. Some have been rehabbed (e.g. The Smith Brothers Hardware Building), while other have been torn down (e.g. Hotel Fort Hayes).
Either way, I'm usually curious as to what these old buildings look like - from the plain old run-down building to the architectural masterpieces that now lay in ruins.
I don't understand my fascination with empty buildings. I try to explain the elevated feelings that I get when being overwhelmed by memories of places that I have just set foot it. Realizing that during a different era, this location was alive. Reliving experiences of a place where many unknown things have happened, but happen no more.
Plus, urban exploration gives me something to do on a nice Saturday morning!
When you drive through Columbus, you see a lot of new builds have popped up all over the place. You might think that this land was empty before these buildings were here, but many of these lots were not empty. Some great buildings were torn down to make room for them.
I understand that cities progress and grow over time. After time, some buildings don't meet the needs of they city anymore and they need to be removed to make rooms for buildings that do. I am simply saddened that city leaders and developers look only at economics when deciding to renovate or destroy a building. The history of a city isn't something that you can put a pricetag on, so most people don't even try.
These are some great buildings that the city has lost for a variety of reasons. Some good reasons, some bad reasons:
Disclaimer: DO NOT go to these locations as a whim of fancy. I have done background checks as well as trips to check the lay-out of each location that I visit. Not only is there the chance of getting caught by the police but these places can also be dangerous. I choose to put myself in these situations for the satisfaction that I get preserving these slices of Columbus.
Please recognize the risks involved before venturing into any of these places.
I have a Code of Conduct that I follow when visiting any location. This Code of Conduct are simple rules that help keep me safe and the site accessible to others who want to visit this location.
