Inside the Ruins of an Abandoned Electronics Factory: Victoreen Instrument Company

Victoreen Instrument Company once supplied equipment for the Manhattan Project. The former electronics factory is now a ruined shell awaiting the inevitable wrecking ball.

Abandoned Victoreen Instrument Company in Cleveland Ohio

A short drive from the incredible abandoned Newburgh Masonic Temple lies the the ruined headquarters of Victoreen Instrument Company.

Abandoned Victoreen Instrument Company in Cleveland Ohio

Built in 1925, the crumbling brick structure originally housed Clark Controller Company, which manufactured electrical controls for cranes, presses, mills, and other industrial machinery.

Abandoned Victoreen Instrument Company in Cleveland Ohio

When Clark Controller Company merged with A. O. Smith Corporation in 1965, the factory was sold to Victoreen Instrument Company.

Abandoned Victoreen Instrument Company in Cleveland Ohio

Victoreen has a long and complicated history dating back to 1928, when it was founded by John Austin Victoreen, a brilliant physicist, engineer, and inventor.

Abandoned Victoreen Instrument Company in Cleveland Ohio

The company specialized in the production of x-ray dosimeters and other devices that measured the intensity and dosage of X-ray exposure.

Abandoned Victoreen Instrument Company in Cleveland Ohio

In the early 1940s, Victoreen became a contractor for the United States military. The company developed portable devices that measured radiation exposure for use in the Manhattan Project and during Operation Peppermint. After World War II, Victoreen supplied equipment used during the nuclear tests on Bikini Atoll.

Abandoned Victoreen Instrument Company in Cleveland Ohio

The company saw many changes throughout the 1950s and 60s, including numerous acquisitions of, and mergers with, other electronics companies.

Abandoned Victoreen Instrument Company in Cleveland Ohio

In 1965, Victoreen Instrument Company moved its headquarters to the now-abandoned factory on Woodland Avenue. It occupied the space for nearly 30 years before relocating in 1994.

Abandoned Victoreen Instrument Company in Cleveland Ohio

In the years since Victoreen left, the property has changed hands several times.

Abandoned Victoreen Instrument Company in Cleveland Ohio

Abandoned Victoreen Instrument Company in Cleveland Ohio
An artifact from 2007

Abandoned Victoreen Instrument Company in Cleveland Ohio

Plans for demolition were approved in 2009.

Abandoned Victoreen Instrument Company in Cleveland Ohio

Portions of the structure were razed. Rubble and an outer wall mark where they once stood.

Abandoned Victoreen Instrument Company in Cleveland Ohio

Abandoned Victoreen Instrument Company in Cleveland Ohio

Demolition work ceased in 2014 after a fire broke out. The blaze was extinguished before it could spread throughout the building.

Abandoned Victoreen Instrument Company in Cleveland Ohio

Abandoned Victoreen Instrument Company in Cleveland Ohio

Quite a bit of furniture and other objects remain inside the old factory, but all the manufacturing equipment has been removed.

Abandoned Victoreen Instrument Company in Cleveland Ohio

Abandoned Victoreen Instrument Company in Cleveland Ohio

Many of the massive rooms are now empty except for rows of pillars and a layer of fallen ceiling tiles covering the floor.

Abandoned Victoreen Instrument Company in Cleveland Ohio

Abandoned Victoreen Instrument Company in Cleveland Ohio

Though demolition has been temporarily halted, it is likely that the remaining structure will be torn down before long. Until then, nature slowly creeps back in.

After exploring the ruins of Victoreen, I headed across town to visit the abandoned industrial complex of Warner & Swasey Company.

Abandoned Victoreen Instrument Company in Cleveland Ohio

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Abandoned Victoreen Instrument Company in Cleveland Ohio