Places That Were

South Bend, Indiana once thrived as a major industrial city. Since the 1960s, manufacturing jobs have steadily disappeared, leaving the Rust Belt city riddled with abandoned factories and homes.


After stopping in Buchanan, Michigan to see the ruins of Clark Equipment Company, I headed to South Bend, Indiana to wrap up another exciting day of my Rust Belt exploration road trip.


My first stop was an abandoned fire station. I'd never been inside one before and could hardly wait to see what it was like.

This particular fire house was built in 1894 and was originally designated as South Bend Station Two. In 1922 the building was remodeled and became Station Four. It closed in 1975 and now stands vacant and boarded up with much of its roof missing.

The garage door was propped open, leaving a gap through which I could see the tires of a vehicle parked inside. As I approached, I heard music blaring and the sound of someone moving around. Despite my curiosity, I thought it best to turn around and leave the old fire station and its occupant in peace.


I made my way to the abandoned factory building once occupied by Southbend Escan Corporation. The first floor windows were covered with weathered plywood panels, but many on the second and third floors were wide open, allowing the fading daylight to seep into the factory's dark interior.



Beside the main building lies the ruins of another structure, mostly destroyed. All that remains are crumbling brick walls and a concrete floor covered in heaps of brick, wooden pallets and other detritus.




The company was founded in 1898 as Malleable Steel Range Manufacturing Company, a producer of coal and wood burning kitchen stoves. The factory moved to the now-abandoned location in 1908. In the 1930s, the company shifted its focus to larger-scale ranges for hotels and restaurants. It also produced cooking equipment for the armed forces during World War II.




The company changed its name to Southbend Escan Corporation in 1982, when it merged with Escan Metal Canada. The following year, all manufacturing operations moved to facilities in North Carolina.



Another of South Bend's many abandoned industrial spaces is the Wilson Brothers Shirt Company compound.


Founded in 1864 in Chicago, Wilson Brothers produced shirts, underwear, socks, pajamas, and neckties.The company moved to South Bend in 1883, allegedly to employ the wives of the men who worked in the nearby Studebaker plant.


Wilson Brothers flourished in the early 1900s, employing about 2,200 workers by 1930. During World War II, they contributed to the war effort by producing approximately 3.5 million pieces of clothing for the US armed forces.


Financial hardship in the '50s led to a merger with the Kentucky-based Enro Shirt Company in 1957. Unfortunately profitability continued to suffer and the South Bend factory closed in 1975.

The old industrial complex was bought by local Bill Anksorus in 2007. Rather than demolishing the buildings, Anksorus is having them carefully deconstructed so that the unique materials, including old growth wood beams and rare varieties of brick, can be reclaimed and repurposed. The University of Notre Dame has already bought tens of thousands of yellow bricks from the old structures to use for maintenance of its own buildings.

Materials reclaimed from the Wilson Brothers facility can be purchased via this website: http://www.southendreclaimed.com/south-bend-indiana-reclamation/

South Bend has many other abandoned industrial and residential structures, which I did not have time to visit.

A redevelopment effort is currently underway, breathing new life into some of the old buildings, while others are being demolished to make way for new construction. Of the more than 1,300 abandoned homes that existed in South Bend in 2013, over 800 have been demolished or repaired.

The grounds of the old Studebaker plant were recently transformed into Ignition Park, a technology park intended to draw new industries to the city.


As the sun set on another day of exploring, I said goodbye to South Bend and continued east into Ohio, where I came upon the incredible ruins of an abandoned greenhouse. Click here for the article. You definitely don't want to miss this one.


Thank you for joining me on my exploration of South Bend. If you enjoyed it, please share it on Facebook.


Until then, click here to read about more awesome places I've explored.


Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/placesthatwere

Instagram: http://instagram.com/theplacesthatwere

Twitter: https://twitter.com/placesthatwere/

Tumblr: http://placesthatwere.tumblr.com/

Google+: https://plus.google.com/u/0/+JimSullivanPlacesThatWere/posts

EyeEm: https://www.eyeem.com/u/placesthatwere

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/jimplicit

Thank you!

The Palace Theater, once a grand venue for motion pictures, vaudeville acts and stage plays, fell victim to Gary, Indiana's tragic decline. The ornate playhouse now stands abandoned and ravaged by scrappers and the elements.


After exploring the ruins of Gary Public Schools Memorial Auditorium, I had one more stop before I'd leave Gary and continue east: The Palace Theater.

At the time of my visit there were no fences or No Trespassing signs. The entrances to the theater and backstage area stood wide open.

The interior was cavernous and pitch dark except for a little bit of daylight spilling in through the doorways and a hole in the roof. Still I was able to capture a few decent long exposure shots.

A piano remained in the orchestra pit, dusty and weathered.

A tattered backdrop hung over the stage, a faded image of Morocco, left from the final production before the Palace Theater closed for good.


The audience seating had been destroyed over the years and lay in decaying chunks across the floor and balcony.


The balcony level has become unstable after decades of decay and the railings are gone, making it a hazardous place to venture in the dark.



Toward the back of the building a set of stairs led down to a basement submerged in standing water.


I climbed the staircase to the upper floor and was surprised to find that it housed apartments.




Time has not been kind to them.



Most of the units were rather small and several used Murphy beds as a space saving technique.


Mineral deposits hang from the ceiling of the upper level in tiny stalactites from years of flooding.


The Palace Theater was designed by architect John Eberson and built in 1925 in Gary, Indiana's Emerson neighborhood. It seated an audience of 3000 and featured live stage shows, vaudeville acts, and motion pictures.

John Eberson was famous for creating atmospheric theaters, which became popular in the 1920s. Atmospheric theaters were designed to resemble European courtyards or gardens and to make the audience feel like they were immersed in the scene rather than observing it from afar.

The curved ceiling of the movie palace was painted the dark blue of an evening sky and projectors cast wispy clouds onto it.


Low-voltage chandeliers were meant to mimic starlight. Alcoves along the walls contained stuffed birds and statues that one might find in a Spanish courtyard.


After US Steel drastically decreased its workforce in the '60s, the city of Gary, Indiana experienced severe economic decline and increased crime. Attacks and muggings became common in the area.

In 1968, Aldrid Black, a high school sophomore was stabbed to death in the lobby of the Palace Theater. The venue quickly developed a reputation as a place of violence and drug dealing. It finally closed in 1972 after a young woman was attacked in the restroom.


Several short-lived attempts to reopen the theater occurred in 1975 and 1976, but both failed due to financial difficulties.


In 1987 a group of investors planned to renovate the Palace Theater and neighboring storefronts at a cost of $500,000, but the plan never came to fruition.

In 2002, when the Miss USA pageant was held in Gary, the theater's front windows were covered in plywood painted to create the illusion that it was still operational. The marquee out front announced "Jackson Five Tonite". The lettering remained for many years until it was gradually brought down by the wind. If you look closely at the marquee, you can still see the faint silhouettes of the letters against the white background.
 

It is sad to see the once-exquisite movie palace in such an advanced state of decay and it seems unlikely that it will be renovated and reopened anytime soon. It would take a lot of work and funding to breathe new life into Palace Theater, and given the city's continuing decline, it would be a risky investment.


After exploring the Palace Theater, I said goodbye to Gary, Indiana and made my way to the sprawling ruins of Kingsbury Ordnance Plant, a World War II-era ammunition factory. I can't wait to tell you all about it in my next article. To receive an email announcement, please subscribe to Places That Were.

Thank you for visiting. If you enjoyed this article, please share it on Facebook.

Until next time, check out my previous posts about the incredible places I explored on my Epic Rust Belt Road Trip.

And feel free to follow me on social media:

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/placesthatwere

Instagram: http://instagram.com/theplacesthatwere

Twitter: https://twitter.com/placesthatwere/

Tumblr: http://placesthatwere.tumblr.com/

Google+: https://plus.google.com/u/0/+JimSullivanPlacesThatWere/posts

EyeEm: https://www.eyeem.com/u/placesthatwere

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/jimplicit

500px: https://500px.com/placesthatwere

Thank you!

City Methodist Church of Gary, Indiana is arguably the most beautiful example of urban decay in the Rust Belt. The Gothic Revival structure, which stands in ruins after decades of neglect, arson and vandalism, is stunning to behold.


After exploring an abandoned power plant in the Chicago suburb of Dixmoor, IL, I continued east to Gary, Indiana. I knew it was the epitome of a Rust Belt city: a declining population, job losses, a reputation for high crime. But nothing could have prepared me for what I'd find there.


Driving into Gary, Indiana is a strange, unsettling experience. A third of the buildings there are abandoned. What were once homes and businesses are now vacant, crumbling structures, their walls tagged with graffiti and overtaken by creeping ivy and weeds. Windows are boarded up or shattered and gaping.

As someone who is fascinated by abandoned places, I was excited to explore the history of this city, but my enthusiasm was overshadowed by an unexpected and profound despair. It is hard to witness such desolation without feeling a sense of hopelessness.


The daylight was fading fast, but I was determined to explore at least one site before nightfall.


When I pulled up to the ruins of City Methodist Church, a few kids were hanging out in front of the school across the street. On the next block over stood a row of modern homes. It was strange to see the overgrown, collapsing ruins of the old church alongside a well-kept residential neighborhood. It is a common pattern throughout the City of Gary.



At the time of the 2010 census, the population was 80,294, a 55 percent decrease from its peak of 178,320 in 1960.


As of 2013, the Gary Department of Redevelopment has estimated that one-third of all homes in the city are unoccupied or abandoned.

City Methodist Church is one of Gary's most recognizable landmarks. Standing abandoned since 1975, it has become a symbol of the city's decline.


Hauntingly beautiful, the old church has been featured in many movies, including the 2009 remake of "Nightmare on Elm Street" and "Transformers 3."



Construction of City Methodist Church began in 1925 at a cost of $650,000 (equivalent to over $8.8 million in 2016 dollars). The U. S. Steel Corporation contributed 50% of the building cost.

Due to rising expenses and planning errors, the church was built smaller than its original specifications, but is still an impressive structure.


The leadership of City Methodist Church was progressive for its time. During an era of segregation, people of any color were welcomed into the congregation.

By 1973, church membership dwindled to 300, down from a high of 3000. In 1975, the church closed and has remained vacant ever since.

City Methodist Church and many other historic buildings were badly damaged in the Great Gary Arson of 1997. Large portions of the ceiling have collapsed.


The sun set as I finished up exploring the old church. After an exhausting day of travel and exploring, I was ready for a good night's rest. I could hardly wait for the next morning, when I'd explore the massive abandoned Horace Mann School.


If you enjoyed this article, please share it on Facebook. While you're at it, feel free to subscribe to Places That Were and follow my social media:

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/placesthatwere

Instagram: http://instagram.com/theplacesthatwere

Twitter: https://twitter.com/placesthatwere/

Tumblr: http://placesthatwere.tumblr.com/

Google+: https://plus.google.com/u/0/+JimSullivanPlacesThatWere/posts

EyeEm: https://www.eyeem.com/u/placesthatwere

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/jimplicit

500px: https://500px.com/placesthatwere

Thank you!