Burned. Gone.
I first visited the Wollenberg Grain Elevator on a cold and blustery day in February 2005 with Craig, my urbex partner. It was wide open and people were living there just a few hundred feet away from the recently remodeled Harvey Austin School on Sycamore Street [quikmap]. The City of Buffalo as the owner of this National Register property was the steward of the last remaining wooden grain elevator in Buffalo, NY. I visited last week, it was still wide open like the other City of Buffalo "local-landmark" - the Woodlawn Row Houses. No money for plywood and lag bolts. Plenty for emergency demolitions. Strange. The Wollenberg was the third stop on the recent Tour dé Neglect.
There are all sort of links, including interior shots and views from the roof and some cool b&w pics from the American Memory Collection at the Library of Congress.
Lessons anyone?
update...1230pm - Wollenberg, the morning after - slideshow. Thanks, Mike!
update...pics of Monday afternoon's demolition - right here.
I first visited the Wollenberg Grain Elevator on a cold and blustery day in February 2005 with Craig, my urbex partner. It was wide open and people were living there just a few hundred feet away from the recently remodeled Harvey Austin School on Sycamore Street [quikmap]. The City of Buffalo as the owner of this National Register property was the steward of the last remaining wooden grain elevator in Buffalo, NY. I visited last week, it was still wide open like the other City of Buffalo "local-landmark" - the Woodlawn Row Houses. No money for plywood and lag bolts. Plenty for emergency demolitions. Strange. The Wollenberg was the third stop on the recent Tour dé Neglect.
There are all sort of links, including interior shots and views from the roof and some cool b&w pics from the American Memory Collection at the Library of Congress.
Lessons anyone?
update...1230pm - Wollenberg, the morning after - slideshow. Thanks, Mike!
update...pics of Monday afternoon's demolition - right here.
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Artspace Archive • Annals of Neglect • BAVPA • Where is Perrysburg? • Broken Promises...
Writing the City • Woodlawn Row Houses • Tour dé Neglect - 2006 • faq • my flickr
Artspace Archive • Annals of Neglect • BAVPA • Where is Perrysburg? • Broken Promises...
Writing the City • Woodlawn Row Houses • Tour dé Neglect - 2006 • faq • my flickr
8 comments:
Fix-
Your photos are not coming through today on your site and I'm using Godzilla Mozilla.
photos ok here - this is shocking -what happened?
The Mill caught on fire last night. I went by to see it at 6:00am and all that remains is the skeleton of the main elevator. Demolition is inevitable. What is our next step? I repeatedly have written to the city, asked to mothball the facility and secure the perimeter with fencing. There is only so much that can be done with quarry stone and paying for grass cutting with personal funds.
I also have met with Tobe. He has stiffed me three times in meeting at the sight and has not pursued it any further.
The Wollenberg site was scheduled for Open Doors Niagara in two weeks. I was going to get petitions signed from all those that attended to force action and responsibility on the part of the City.
Photos are great here in Australia. Thanks for keeping everyone updated.
Jeff,
Thanks, I'll look into things. Won't be 'till much later tonite. If problem persists make sure you have the latest version of FF...
Sophie,
Thanks for the perspective. Woodlawn Row Houses are probably next! I'll call you tomorrow, out of town 'till later today.
FYI, Broadway Fillmore Alive has pics of the fire and aftermath:
http://www.broadwayfillmorealive.org/
The contract is $68,000 to demolish this -- $68,000 that would have been much better spent securing and maintaining it.
Who in the City is in charge of vacant City-owned buildings, and how can they be contacted? Is there anyone out there?
"better spent securing and maintaining it" ...
Maintaining it for what? What possible use could have been found for old grain bins covered with sheet metal? A museum, I suppose. An underfunded, hardly visited museum. This was inevitable.
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