Glenview Post Office, Former Trainstation - Louisville, Kentucky

Glenview, Kentucky, is located just east of downtown Louisville.  What serves today as a post office was actually once the town's interurban trainstation.  It has been carefully preserved, keeping its unique character and old-style charm

Abandoned US 62 Bridge, Elizabethtown, Kentucky

Located in Hardin County, Kentucky, this old concrete span was abandoned and bypassed in the late 1980s.  While in very good shape, it was replaced because its a one-lane bridge in a rather grown up area.  US 62 runs through nearby Elizabethtown, and having a bottleneck like this in the area simply wasn't an option.

LG&E Valve Building, Louisville, Kentucky

 

Perhaps the smallest building in downtown Louisville, this barely noticed structure on Armory Place is actually a valve house.  Owned by LG&E, it is must older than any near it.  Join us today as we peak into it....

Signs at the Abandoned James E. Pepper Distillery, Lexington, Kentucky

Located near Lexington, Kentucky, the old Pepper Distillery is currently being remodeled for a variety of modern uses.  We were lucky enough to poke around in it before things got too serious, and the photos we took are likely the last set ever taken showing it in ruins.  The place has been abandoned since the 1950s, seeing some use as a storage warehouse, but little else.

Abandoned Barnett Cemetery at INAAP, Charlestown, Indiana

Located just off US 62 in Charlestown, Indiana, the abandoned Barnett Cemetery is on the grounds of the old Indiana Army Ammunition Plant.  The stones are all quite old and detailed, but the most notable feature of the cemetery is its stone wall.  Join us today as we examine it in more detail.

Abandoned Sinclair Triceratops Dinosaur, Louisville, Kentucky

Something of a local icon, this fiberglass triceratops has been in Louisville, Kentucky, for decades.  Property of the science center, it is currently in the parking lot of a factory in the downtown area.  It is still owned by the Louisville Science Center, but its future and conservation is unclear.  Join us as we explore some of its history.

Abandoned Old Brownsboro Road Bridge, Oldham County, Kentucky

Located in Oldham County, Kentucky, this old stone arch bridge dates back to 1900.  It was bypassed and replaced in 1967, and today crumbles slowly off to the side of the road.  While one side of the bridge has completely washed away, the arch itself is still intact.  Join us today as well look at this neat landmark.

Restored Train Depot with museum, La Grange, Kentucky

La Grange, Kentucky, is an interesting small town.  Like many small towns in the region, the town square is built around the railroad tracks that run through the town.  Somewhat uniquely, the tracks in La Grange actually run right down the middle of Main Street.  Building on this heritage, the town features the motto "We're on track" in several places.  Join us today as we look at their restored railroad depot and museum.

Abandoned Dome Camping Cabin, rural Indiana

Abandoned in the woods of Indiana, this unusual dome-shaped cabin is all that remains of a once-active campsite.  Follow along with us as we explore this neat, but ruined building.

The Famous Shoe Tree, Milltown, Indiana

 

 Located near Milltown, Indiana, this creepy old tree covered in shoes is a local landmark of sorts.  Join along as we check it out with this interesting photo set.

Ruins of abandoned and burned Elks Lodge, Madison, Indiana

Located in Madison, Indiana, these brick shell is all that remains of an old Elks Lodge.  A victim of apparent arson, it burned down on August 25, 2006.  After several years of stunted repair efforts, it sits in ruins in the heart of the city.  This is what we saw on a recent visit.

Hobbs Cemetery, Anchorage, Kentucky

Hidden behind the Hobbs Memorial Chapel in Anchorage, Kentucky, the Hobbs Cemetery is quite difficult to find if you don't know where to look.  Join us today as we explore it.

Abandoned Old Taylor Distillery, Versailles, Kentucky

Located just southeast of  Frankfort, Kentucky in Woodford County, The Old Taylor Distillery has been abandoned for a few decades.  To be honest, it shows.  Structures are beginning to collapse, ivy has overgrown the place, and vandalism has been rampant.  In short, the distillery is nearly gone.  Join us as we examine with this photo set that we took in the summer of 2013.

Abandoned Red Bridge on Devil's Hollow Road, near Frankfort, Kentucky

Located near Frankfort, Kentucky, this old bridge crossing Benson Creek was built in 1896.  Bypassed by a new bridge in 1980, it has been abandoned to the elements and is slowly decaying alongside Devil's Hollow Road.  Join us today as we check out this neat old structure.

Abandoned "Sonic" Drive-In Restaurant, Clarksville, Indiana

The "Sonic" fast food chain expressed a period of explosive growth in the late 90s, followed by what seemed like a rather quick decline in the late 2000's.  In the southern Indiana, there are now four closed former Sonic locations.  One in New Albany, two in Jeffersonville, and this one in Clarksville.  The buildings are strange and unique, which is why we decided to feature the one shown here.

Abandoned and ruined house, Clarksville, Indiana

We don't really have much information on this house, so we will let the pictures speak for themselves.  Located in Clarksville, in Clark County, Indiana, this house has clearly seen better days. Its in such bad shape, that I initially thought that it was a barn.  Everything is fleeting.

Ruins of abandoned Tunnel Mill, Charlestown, Indiana

 

Located north of Charlestown, Indiana, these ruins are all that remain of the historic Tunnel Mill.  Now a national historic place and Boy Scout Camp, conservation efforts are finally underway.  Follow along with us as we explore this neat and unusual piece of local history.

Restored Train Depot, Jeffersonville, Indiana

 

Located in Jeffersonville, Indiana, this orphaned building is all that remains of a once bustling depot area.  Recently restored, it is in lovely shape and shows off what can be done when conservation and preservation are a community's objectives.

Abandoned Circle Road Bridge, Harrison County, Indiana

Located in Harrison County, Indiana, this is the old abandoned Circle Road Bridge.  It was replaced in 2002, though apparently left just as it was.  We checked it out on a recent trip through the area.

Old Bullitt County Jail, Shepherdsville, Kentucky

Located in downtown Shepherdsville, Kentucky, this neat sandstone structure is the former Bullitt County jail.  Constructed in 1891, the jail was in constant use until its replacement in 1947.  Originally built in an open area, it has seen the community grow up around it, and nowadays it is nested in the backside of another county building.

Hobbs Memorial Chapel, Anchorage, Kentucky

Anchorage, Kentucky, is located in the eastern part of Jefferson County.  Largely hidden from view, the Hobbs Memorial Chapel is all that remains of a beautiful church that burned down in the 1954.  It has since been conserved, but not restored.  Join us as today we examine this unusual locale.

Abandoned Time Clock Building, Indiana Army Ammunition Plant, Charlestown, Indiana

Located on the grounds of the old abandoned Indiana Army Ammunition Plant (INAAP), this is the time clock building for the whole plant.  While much of the production side has been condemned, this building has been largely left alone.  The following photos have been taken over the span of a few years, and show that neglect is taking its toll regardless.

Abandoned House, Rural Kentucky

On a recent drive through the country, we stumbled past this lovely house.  Its a bit of a fixer-upper, needing some paint here and there.  Most people would drive right by, never stopping.  We decided otherwise, and this is what we found....

Amtrak Train Car, converted into office, Louisville, Kentucky

Located in downtown Louisville, this Amtrak car is hidden amongst vines and industrial buildings.  Little known, it has been preserved and converted into office space, invisible to those who don't know where to look.

Powder Plant Igloo Explosion on April 27, 1966 at INAAP, Charlestown, Indiana

Igloo 5186 Q, sibling of the now missing Igloo 5185 Q.

 At about 9:00 on April 27, 1966, the earth near Charlestown Indiana erupted in a volcano like explosion.  In one instant, 175,000 pounds of gunpowder exploded, ending three lives and shattering windows three miles away.  This is the story of what happened that morning, and what is left today.

Abandoned World War Two Bailey Bridge, Shelbyville, Kentucky

Located in downtown Shelbyville, Kentucky, this abandoned bridge is hidden amidst trees and terrain.  Hiding with it is a strange secret, that it is unlike any other bridge in the state of Kentucky.  How so?  Its a relic of World War Two, a portable Bailey Bridge, designed to be installed by combat engineers in the middle of a battle.  How it got here is unclear, but it doesn't seem to be going anywhere anytime soon.

Abandoned Knightridge Space Observatory, Bloomington, Indiana

 Abandoned in the woods near Bloomington Indiana, this old space observatory is slowly fading into ruin.  Long since abandoned because of its location, this strange relic stands guard in an empty lot outside town.

Iraq and Afghanistan War Memorial, Jeffersonville Indiana

Memorial, along with two flag poles.  The monument weighs more than ten tons.

Installed in October 2012 along the waterfront in Jeffersonville, Indiana, this is probably one of the first permanent public commemorations of America's recent wars.  How a society remembers its conflicts is an interesting subject, one we can only scratch the surface of here.  Early war memorials focus largely on largess, with themes of glory and patriotism.  More recently, a toned down scheme has taken over, with the goal being reflection upon those who served.  Regardless, here is a photo spread of this interesting memorial along the river.

Demolished Iron Front Facades on Main Street, Louisville, Kentucky

Louisville has several claims to fame, most involving athletics.  An outlier, perhaps, is Louisville's pride in its iron front buildings along main street.  Much effort is put into preserving them, even if that means that only their facades survive, as is the case along part of West Main Street.  Join us today as we look at these strange structures.

Forgotten Graveyard under a Baseball Field, Jeffersonville, Indiana

In the midst of construction work for a new pedestrian bridge in Jeffersonville Indiana, a Civil War Cemetery was rediscovered.  While its existence wasn't a mystery, its exact location was.  As it turns out, children had been playing baseball on top of a graveyard for the better part of a century.

Abandoned bridges on River Road, Louisville, Kentucky

Tracing the Ohio River along the northern boundary of Jefferson County, Kentucky, River Road has a large number of abandoned and bypassed bridges.  Today we will explore a few, starting with this vintage stone structure crossing Goose Creek.

The Great Pyramid of Bedford-Needmore, Indiana

Largely forgotten in the woods of rural Indiana, the Great Pyramid of Bedford-Needmore is a monument to poor planning coupled with government spending.  Little more than a disorganized pile of stones, this is all that remains of $700,000.00 effort to build a limestone "amusement park" near the so-called Limestone Capital of America, Bedford Indiana.

Demolished Anatok Plantation Mansion, Bardstown, Kentucky

Located in Bardstown, Kentucky, the historic Anatok plantation house was built in 1847.  By the time you read these words and see the pictures that follow, it may have been torn down.  These are photos of its final days, waiting as the wrecking crew guts it, tearing it down, brick by brick.  If the current court order is pulled, the house will again face demolition. 

Ruins of Frankel Memorial Chapel, Louisville, Kentucky

 

Built in 1905, the Frankel Memorial Chapel was located in the rear of the Adath Israel cemetery in Louisville, Kentucky.  After years of apparent neglect, the roof of the building collapsed during sort of repair attempt in the summer of 2012. The debris has all been removed, perhaps for recovery and reuse, but the building itself is still little more than a shell despite the passage of almost a year.

Abandoned Storage Units, Jeffersonville, Indiana

We've been to a lot of interesting and strange places while working on this site, most of which were notable only for what we saw.  These abandoned storage units, on the other hand, were truly scary to wander through.  It felt like a creepy movie; every door, every aisleway.  This is what we saw that day.

Abandoned Modern Living Building, Portland - Louisville, Kentucky

 

 Located in the Portland neighborhood of Louisville, Kentucky, the old Modern Living furniture store building has long been a local fixture of the area.  Long since abandoned, the former storefront building has been turned into a warehouse.

Abandoned bag loading building, Indiana Army Ammunition Plant, Charlestown, Indiana

 

Located in Charlestown, Indiana, on the grounds of the old Indiana Army Ammunition Plant (INAAP), these strange ghostly shells are all that remain of the buildings where gunpowder was loaded into fabric bags. 

Jesus, hidden in a remodeled Church, La Grange, Kentucky

Located in what used to be the sanctuary of a beautiful historic church, this giant mural of Jesus the shepherd is now hidden from view, the whole building having been remodeled into office space.  Join us as we explore this church and the and the fascinating way that it has been saved through re-purposing. 

An Abandoned Rural Drive-In Theater

We stumbled upon this abandoned drive-in in the backwoods of rural Indiana.  Only the main building consisting of a snack bar, restroom and projection room remained, but to our surprise it was full of interesting artifacts from an age of Americana long gone.  In this post we'll first take a brief look at the rise and fall of America's drive-in theaters, and then check out what we found inside this particular facility.  Stay tuned and read on.

Abandoned Breeden's Bridge, Leavenworth, Indiana

Joining Harrison and Crawford counties, Breeden's bridge is located near the town of Leavenworth, Indiana, crossing over the Blue River as it winds towards the Ohio River.  Abandoned since the mid 1980s, its rusty skeleton provides an interesting backdrop to a popular swimming spot for locals.

The Lost John Pectol Road Bridge, New Albany, Indiana

 

The world around us is always changing, never to be nailed down.  A building is built one day, while another is leveled that same day.  Our memories and our photos try to document what we see, but even they fade.  This, is the story of a bridge that we missed.

Abandoned Ouerbacker Mansion, Louisville, Kentucky

Crumbling in western Louisville, the abandoned Ouerbacker Mansion is one of the most at risk architectural treasures in the region.  Built in the 1860s, this building is on the few remaining local examples of the Richardsonian Romanesque style. 

Abandoned Silver Creek Railroad Bridges - New Albany, Indiana

Over the stream of Silver Creek near Floyd County's Loop Island a pair of abandoned railroad bridges sit vacant and until recently were mostly forgotten.  The two bridges were one of my favorite areas to explore in Floyd County, but are now set to be turned into "rails-to-trails" incorporated into the Ohio River Greenway Project.  The bridges were dangerous to cross, and still are, but were close enough to each other to make a nice afternoon adventure.

Abandoned Lock and Dam Valve House, Leavenworth, Indiana

Abandoned but largely intact, this old building in Leavenworth, Indiana was the valve control house for the now demolished Dam 44.  Built to withstand flooding and hard use, this structure has survived nearly forty years of neglect.

Abandoned Quinn Chapel Church, Louisville, Kentucky

Located near the intersection of 9th and Chestnut Streets in downtown Louisville, this abandoned Gothic Revival church most recently housed the Quinn Chapel African American Methodist Episcopal Church.  Today it sits empty, decaying near two of the city's busiest streets, rarely noticed except by the occasional passersby.  But, it wasn't always so...

Ruins of abandoned industrial site, Louisville, Kentucky

 At one time, Louisville Kentucky was a thriving industrial town.  Even today, there is a fair amount of manufacturing capacity scattered throughout the town.  But like all towns in the rust belt, abandoned factories are scattered throughout its boundaries, like headstones in some industrial-age graveyard.  The set of ruins that we are examining in the photo set are of an unknown origin, but like many others we've seen lately, they are on their way out.

Abandoned Sulphur-Bedford Road Bridge - Trimble County, Kentucky

The old Sulphur-Bedford Road bridge was built in 1901 next to a mill dam and was used until its closure in 1999.  A new concrete bridge has been built since the closure, but the iron truss bridge still sits there on the Little Kentucky River next to the old dam.  The bridge's narrow wooden deck, which was later covered in asphalt, is now deteriorating without maintenance.  Even though 14 years is a relatively short period of abandonment in comparison to some other locations we've visited, the use of this bridge well beyond its intended lifespan gives it the appearance that its abandonment has been much longer.

Fort Knox tank graveyard - Fort Knox military base, KY

Every Memorial Day the Fort Knox military base opens up their restricted areas for several hours to civilians to have access to the over one hundred cemeteries on the post.  While the primary purpose of our trip was to check out the cemeteries, we ran across quite a few of these abandoned tanks along the sides of the road while we were driving.

While most of the public is familiar with Fort Knox as the location where the U.S. Treasury has their bullion depositary guarded, it is also a military base that housed the Armor School up until 2010.  The road we were driving was right on the border of the area used for artillery and armor fire, which explains why the tanks were close by.  While many of the tanks we passed did have more extensive damage, indicating they may have been used as hard targets, these tanks didn't display any signs that they were on the firing line.  These tanks may have been used in recovery exercises, or their time may have never came to be used as targets.

Ruins of the Whitewater Canal - Brookville, Indiana

The Whitewater Canal was a long term project in the state of Indiana, requiring eleven years of construction after the groundbreaking, being completed in 1847.  Spanning 76 miles, the canal required a lock and dam system to raise and lower boat traffic a total of 491 feet.  Many sections of the canal were wiped out later that year after a major flood in the Whitewater Valley.  Today sections of the canal do remain and some of the 56 limestone locks are still standing.  There is also a restored section of the canal with a functioning lock.  A gallery of this restored lock can be found at the end of the post.

Abandoned Philip Morris factory, Louisville Kentucky

Cigarette maker Philip Morris closed its production operations in Louisville in 1999.  After more than a decade of disrepair and abandonment, the city has decided to raze the final remaining structures on the site.  Updated 10/24/13 with more photos.