Friday, June 13, 2014

The Wind Tunnel Warehouse

This building is one of the things I love to write about most; the building sitting on the side of the road that thousands of people pass by everyday. I remember passing by this warehouse a number of times as a child. The road it's on is a cut through between two busy streets that we found ourselves on often. This was before I really was interested in exploring, but I remember wondering what the building used to be, and why it was abandoned.


Over the years I forgot about the structure, until the first spring break I had my license. Thinking that surely others had to be interested in what the building was, I headed over to see if I could find my way inside.



As luck would have it, I managed to find a door that was ajar. I carefully entered the warehouse with my friend at my back, thrilled that I was going to be able to see what had long been a mystery to me.


The place felt enormous inside. The main sections of the warehouse had gigantic circular holes in the walls, which had since been cinderblocked up.


I came to find out afterwards that this building was built in the 1940's. It used to be part of a large aircraft manufacturing company, who were instrumental in constructing aircraft for the United States Air Force during World War II. The reason for the large holes in the walls were because this structure used to be the wind tunnel area for testing the aircraft's engines. While most of the enormous complex was demolished and re- used as an airport, this building went on to be used by a number of machining companies before eventually being used as a warehouse.


From everything I have seen and read since my visit, it seems like the last time the building was actively being used was the 1990's. I couldn't find and information about why the building was abandoned however.


The structure still held one more secret. As we walked into one of the chambers, we saw the outlines of three cars. A Jeep, a Cadillac, and some kind of car from the 1920's or 30's. I couldn't believe somebody could let a historic vehicle like this just rot away. I was disappointed to find most of the cars had been run through by thieves, and the damage was probably more than the value of the vehicles.


After posting some photo's online, I found out that another explorer had found his way inside the structure a few years before me. After he had posted his findings online, he was confronted by local police officers who tracked the photographs back to him. He was charged at the owners request, but the case was eventually dropped. Still, a few members of the online exploring community were quick to mention it, and tell me that it would probably be in my best interest to take the photos down.


However, this incident was years before my time. It was before the online community had developed into what it was now, and I stubbornly dismissed their suggestions. Nothing ever came of it for me, nor the others who went after me. Since my visit nothing has happened with the structure, other than a "For Sale" sign being posted on the fence. I really have no idea what will happen with this forgotten piece of history. Nobody seems to care about the building's past, and probably fewer care about it's future. But considering what an eyesore the exterior is, and the fact it sits alongside a busy road, it will probably only last a few more years and then end up an empty lot.

6 comments:

  1. if i sent you my email could you give me addresses to these locations?

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    Replies
    1. Hey, was searching around. wondering if you ever found what the location for this place was.

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    2. Hey if you ended up finding the location I’d rly appreciate it if you could tell me too my Instagram is walle_mane_

      Thanks sm

      Delete
  2. Was this formerly an Eastern Aircraft plant? If so, my Mom worked in it...

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  3. Abandoned buildings cause sadness and grief for the past, which took time forever, good editEr
    leaving no trace.

    ReplyDelete