Republic Steel, East Thomas Plant :: Walled in and Waterlogged

Remains of the Republic Steel, East Thomas Plant in Birmingham

Trying to describe the status of the remains of this building is more than a small chore, and one which I could not adequately complete. 

  As I approached the end from which I photographed, stomping through the overgrown brush and walking up to the window, I heard a loud splash as a turtle abandoned its perch atop one of the pipes. Shortly thereafter, the moving water subsided, and no further signs of life emerged.

  When I visited the Republic Steel, East Thomas plant (located on the grounds of Wade Sand and Gravel in Birmingham) two years, I photographed this same building (on the blog, in the gallery), but this time I wanted to capture a more all-encompassing view. This oddly shaped photograph is a composite of ten or more photographs, which normally I would have cropped but decided I liked the turn-out and ought to leave well enough alone.

Neighboring Morris Avenue Facades, Birmingham

While the eastern end of Morris Avenue is a rather historic part of the city (photos from which are the subjects of other blog posts, here), significant portions of the western half are rather derelict (and truth be told, more to my photographic liking). Years of long use appear to have taken their toll on these buildings. Yet the grates and boards that bar entry from their weakened wooden doors appear to have been sufficient to keep out too many of the elements, both natural and human, in the form of graffitos and indigent folks, of whom there is no short supply with this building's close proximity the both the bus terminal and the old railroad tracks that split Birmingham's northern and southern halves. 

Dilapidated Storefronts of First Avenue South

The dirge has likely sounded for this once-burgeoning business district. It has now become a playground for miscreants and would-be artists. The breaking of a new day serves only to shed light on new painterly masterpieces that were sprayed on between between dusk and dawn.

Canon Rebel T2i, EF 50mm f/1.8 II, 1/250s @ f/8, ISO 200

Canon Rebel T2i, EF 50mm f/1.8 II, 1/320s @ f/8, ISO 200

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