QC/D on "Explore Cincinnati," Temporary Leave of Absence and "Can You Guess It?"

-Emily and Travis in the University of Cincinnati Bearcast Studio.
On Wednesday, July 29 I was a guest on "Explore Cincinnati." Along with hosts Travis Estell and Emily Schneider; I discussed The Banks project, streetcars, the origins of my urban exploration and this website. To hear the podcast of the episode, check out their website here and click "play" underneath "Season 3, Episode 6." Thanks to Travis and Emily for having me on, check out their site and support a great local program!

Temporary Leave of Absence



I'm going on a brief vacation. Everyone asks: "where you going?" I reply: "Detroit." It never fails, everyone then always says: "what, why!?" Well, when you're a photographer who loves history and photographing abandoned buildings, Detroit is like Walt Disney World for you. So, I'll be there exploring for a few days, working on an upcoming photo essay. In the meantime, check this out:

Can You Guess It?



This photograph comes from a recent exploration that will be featured on the website as soon as I get back from Detroit. Can you guess where it's from? Here's a few hints:

• It's related to Cincinnati history, but not in Cincinnati.
• May appear to be more affiliated with Cleveland than the Queen City.
• Is owned, but not maintained.
• Has no current tenant and was replaced in the mid 90's.

Good luck and look for a new post to kick off August sometime next week. Thanks for reading!

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Previous Update :: July 24, 2009 - Hudepohl: Tour 3

Hudepohl Brewing Company: Tour 3

Years ago the Busch Gardens theme parks in Williamsburg, VA and Pasadena, CA offered tours of their respective nearby Anheuser-Busch brewery's via a monorail. The tours took you through the brewery process and ended in a sample of free beer. Those attractions have long since closed (The Pasadena, CA park is gone entirely), but here in Cincinnati brewery tours still exist...kind of.



- A view of the Cincinnati skyline from the overgrown roof of the abandoned Hudepohl Brewing Facility.

The closest monorail is at Jungle Jim's in nearby Fairfield, OH, so unlike the Busch Gardens tours you'll have to walk. Oh, and, also unlike the Busch Gardens tours, this brewery is abandoned and has been since 1985.

I've covered the history and closure of the Hudepohl Brewing Company in two posts before this one, so if you want detailed information on it or want to see more photographs, I suggest you check out the original Hudepohl Brewing Post. This update will focus mainly on the photographs.




The building was split down the middle into two sections, a demolition move that was made in hopes of renovating the facility. The condo renovation is now halted. We had previously explored the Eastern half (pictured above) on our previous trips, yet on this hot, humid day we decided to check out the Western half.





Previously we had been unable to find a way up into this section of the building, most of the stairs and ladders had been removed, except for one, which we found. Ascending the stairs we found our way into an area that once housed offices and a small employee cafeteria. One of the most disappointing things about this building is the lack of historical items left behind, hardly anything gives you a clue to the fact that this once was a brewery. That would change on this trip.




Venturing into the former offices, we found a locked safe. Was there anything inside? We'll probably never know.

We then took another set of stairs down to what once must have been the shipping area. This is where we found the most relics of the former brewing company.




As drivers pulled their yellow Hudepohl beer trucks in and out of the facility, they would've passed these markings on the walls:







Departing the shipping/receiving area we made our way back to the stairs, cautiously exploring each floor as we ascended the building. Most of the machinery had previously been removed and the upper floors had been used as storage for different odds and ends. Since the center portion of the building had been demolished, doors that once gave way to offices and other rooms now gave way to a nasty fall:







After many uninteresting floors, we reached the top floor which featured an elevated ceiling and catwalks lining the entire room. With how big the space was, we began to speculate amongst our group that maybe this had been the bottling section of the facility. Climbing up to the catwalks gave us a birds eye view of the room:




While a faded sign on the catwalk walls read "tour 3:"




Kind of ironic considering this was our third time exploring the facility. Maybe the company had once offered tours of it's brewing facility to the public, similar to the tours formerly put on by Anhesuer-Busch, without the monorails of course.

The next stop on our ascent was the roof. We walked up the last flight of stairs covered in sweat thanks to the summer humidity, non air conditioned abandoned building, and bulky camera backpacks. Zach placed his hand on the door marked "roof," turned the knob and pushed only to find it wouldn't budge. It wasn't locked, just sealed by rust after all the years of neglect. We all tried giving it a good push before Zach said: "We didn't come all this way for nothing." Then, as if Chuck Norris himself were there, a good, hard kick was delivered to the rusted door revealing the Hudepohl rooftop.




Immediately adjacent to the rusty door, we found something really, really cool. A massive metal "H" and "L" were leaned up against the brick wall. These had once been neon lights that were once displayed on the other end of the building. We frantically looked around for the other letters. Leaning over the buildings edge, we found them...




The view from the brewery's western roof:







While peering down on the other sections of the brewery with our cameras, we saw a sign on a wall that read "Brewing Control." We decided to head back down to the other half of the facility in an effort to find this never before seen room. Maybe, the old brewing control panel was still there?

On our way to "Brewing Control" we came across a previously unseen employee locker room:







We realized we were on the wrong floor and would have to ascend another flight upwards.




This floor had no way over to the brewing control room either. We were thoroughly confused. Over the years the plant had many additions added to it, making the building hard to navigate. We had to once again venture the bottom floor to another staircase which finally led us to the brewing control center.




However, it would turn out to be a disappointment. No elaborate control system or button panels. Nothing really remained except some trash and a "levelometer."




Yet, there was still one more area in the brewery that was unexplored: the basement! We grabbed our flashlights and ventured downwards.




The basement proved to be uninteresting. It had thoroughly been cleaned out by scrap thieves and had water leaking everywhere. Despite the fact that the facility was thoroughly trashed and neglected, with hardly any hints of it's former past remaining, we did manage to find one hidden treasure in the depths of the basement:




We climbed back up to the main floor, packed up our gear and headed out. Hudepohl had been thoroughly explored and we all agreed it was time to give it a rest. This will be the last time I post any photographs of this place for awhile. Currently, the Hudepohl building awaits a future. Will it be turned into renovated condos? Demolished for a new Brent-Spence bridge alignment? The building sits idle as explorers come and go and the city staples "public nuisance notices" onto it's doors.

To read about the history of the building, the company and our past explorations here, check out the original Hudepohl Brewing Company Post.




Additional photographs can be found in the Queen City Discovery Photo Gallery - Hudepohl Brewing Company

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Previous Update :: July 19, 2009 - A Super Villain's Secret Lair.

A Super Villian's Secret Laboratory

Again, Zach took an opportunity in New York. Who can blame him though? Great pay, great experience and all in a great city. The main downside was he would be missing out on any further Queen City exploring for awhile. We wanted to send him off the right way, by exploring/photographing something new in the area, something none of us had previously seen.



-Was this former distillery a front for the secret laboratory of a super villian?

We had spent the earlier part of the evening driving around, looking for something new to explore. After scouting out a few locations on our watch list, nothing really seemed too promising. The sky was gray, the Reds were losing and not at home, no other events were going on downtown and I stepped in dog shit on the lawn of an abandoned church. We stopped by our old standby, the Hudepohl Brewing Company, to show the former brewery to Sarah from Brewtiful Cincinnati, who is currently working on a book about Cincinnati's brewing history. Hudepohl was hotter than hell and we had seen most of it already. We said our goodbye's to Sarah and her husband, then looked for a place to eat (By the way, Walt's Barbeque is highly recommended).

The sun went down rain drops started to fall as we exited I-75 just north of downtown. A barking dog greatly inconvenienced us as we approached the collapsed gate of a large abandoned industrial building and office complex. Not wanting to wake the locals, we decided to save this location for another time. We seemed to be out of luck and almost out of time, when we remembered a building just across the highway.



-The scent of the nearby Jim Beam plant filtered down as rain started to pour.

Driving Northbound on I-75 is really the only way to get a good luck at this place. As you approach it, the buildings go from best to worst. You see the bustling Jim Beam facility, then that slowly turns into closed, dilapidated buildings before ending with a scrap yard of vehicles. Once you're up close and off the highway, the building is bordered by a rail line.




The front end of the building touts a sign advertising an automobile repair shop, across the street a few drunks stumble out of a bar towards cars blaring rap music, but along the rail line, boarded up windows and doors adorn the building. Climbing up onto what was once a station platform for receiving freight, we came across a hole in the sheet metal facade.



-Climbing the fire escape up the "Gibey's Gin" tower.

The front yard was trashed. Construction equipment, scrap wood, buckets and automobiles were everywhere. Since the downstairs looked occupied and we didn't want to disturb anyone's property, we decided to climb the crumbling fire escape.



-Graffiti atop the tower.

As we climbed the fire escape, graffiti covered up the remains of a faded moniker reading "Gilbey's Gin." Upon reaching the top, broken glass and busted doors gave way to nothing but a certain fall and a likely serious injury, neither of which we cared to encounter. We just enjoyed the view of the partially abandoned complex and it's surrounding industrial neighborhood.



-Overlooking I-75 and the surrounding scrap yard from the tower.



-Rail cars fly by at night.

Cautiously retreating back down the fire escape, we reached the rooftop of an adjoining building and followed the catwalk which lined the tar and gravel surface.



-Rooftop catwalks make for interesting climbing.

Catwalks lead to other rooftops. Rooftops lead to passages overlooking the adjoining rail line. These areas were probably once used to fill rail cars from above. We followed along the passage until entering a hole in the wall where a door once stood.



-Secret Laboratory?

We entered a room with a tiled, checkerboard ceiling. Judging by the equipment found here, it was once a laboratory of sorts. However, I think it's more interesting to think that this may have been the lair of some evil super villain.




The light from the outside flood lights poured into the "super villain hideout" as if it was daylight. Nothing really remained to indicate who the former tenants were and what kind of work was done here. A network of empty rooms gave way to a door marked "exit."




Following the stairs downward past the "exit," we reached a dead end of bolted doors. Retracing our steps, we found ourselves back on the rooftops. This time we were going up, instead of down.




Ladders often appear rusty, but that can be deceiving. The one pictured above was secure and not too tall (heights are not one of our biggest interests). Now we were viewing the complex from the other end.




We questioned the history of this building as trains crawled by on one side, cars speeding by on the other. A more elaborate analysis of the abandonment of industrial places can be found on Zach's website, Local . Architecture Cincinnati.




A debate arose, call it a night or venture further upwards? A ladder, with a protective ring, was fastened to the side of the three story tower section pictured above. The view and photographs from such a location, could be promising, but the exposure to anyone looking our way could make passersby think we were up to no good as opposed to honest urban exploration photography.



-Would we continue the climb, continue the adventure?

Well to be honest, it was hot and starting to rain again. It was also already midnight and Zach still had to pack for his departure to NYC. We all agreed the time spent lugging our backpacks, tripods and selves up the ladder wouldn't yield that good of a view or very good photographs. We instead decided to call it a night and return to Seicer's apartment, the command center of our exploring operations.

From the roof of Seicer's residence, we celebrated exploring a new location and had a little send off for Zach featuring local favorites Christian Moerlin and Little Kings for those old enough to partake, Mcdonald's Sweet Tea for those who weren't. Even when you feel down and out and think there's not much more to see or explore around the area, you just might find something new.



-The view from the top of our base of operations.

One last thing, You can now follow the adventures of Gordon Bombay and the QC/D crew instantly by following Queen City Discovery on Twitter!

Previous update: July 14, 2009 :: Exploring Duck Creek

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Exploring Duck Creek

Photographs and text by: Luke Field
On behalf of Queen City Discovery.

Not too long ago a former classmate and I had a chance to explore about a mile stretch of Duck Creek - a relatively unknown waterway in the Oakley area. While the Mill Creek on the west-side of town and Deer creek on the east are perhaps better known, Duck creek rarely seems to draw much attention.



- The earliest mention of the creek I've come across is its inclusion in a 1860 railroad map of Cincinnati.

The Duck Creek corridor was once a well-traveled pathway into the city of Cincinnati. I first came across mention of the area while browsing Jake Mecklenborg's Cincinnati Transit website. He linked to a website, duckcreek.org, that does a wonderful job of exploring the history of Duck-Creek Road. This artery bordered the creek for much of its length, and ran roughly the same route as I-71 now does.



- Several notable Cincinnati landmarks are situated along this corridor, including the old Bicycle Playing Card factory.

The creek itself is a small waterway that cuts through Oakley area on its way to the Little Miami River. It once formed part of the dividing line between the cities of Cincinnati and Norwood. Much, however, has been covered by the highway construction of I-71. What natural portions of the creek remain continue to be converted into concrete channels, and flood controls have reduced the creek to a trickle.



- Construction appears to be active along the creek just east of Ridge Ave, converting the natural waterway into a concrete trench.

Duck Creek road remains only in small sections, often dwarfed by its large brother, I-71. This one particular stretch of the road contains a large number of Spanish-styled stucco houses - a interesting architectural pocket, barely visible from the highway.




While new sections of concrete continue to be added to the creek, many of the concrete retaining walls have been in place for years. During much of the hike we were bordered by six foot tall
concrete walls - canvases for years of urban artwork.







As the walk continued, the creek was crossed by an old (but active) railroad. The bridge over the creek provided for a few nice photographs, as did the interesting masonry of the railroad tunnel beyond.













Throughout the walk I was continually struck by how peaceful the creek continues to be. The evening sun setting on the layers of aging graffitti softened what might otherwise be a harsh, utilitarian waterway. And the historic remnants of the transportation lines that bordered the creek - the roadways and railroads- combined with the layers of more contemporary built elements and art pieces - all combined to create a rich palimpsest. This mixture of fragments from different times - some dating back nearly a hundred years - created a very self-reflective setting.







Places like these hold a very strong draw for many people. And I believe that as as the urban environment continues to be redeveloped and as the scale and speed of our transportation systems continues to increase, these urban vestiges become even more important us. Such small reminders help to ground us in both place and time - reminding us that things are not always so large, so fast, and so intangible.




As an architecture student, I often though about how to reengage these fragments of time - how to occupy a place like this. I never quite came to any conclusions. A fine line seems to exist between explorations and exploitation - between preserving something and ruining it. For now, simply walking and photographing seems harmless enough, I hope.




A few months back, Queen City Discovery hosted a contest called "Share Your Own Discovery" in which readers of the site could write in with their own ideas for an article to be featured on the site. The winner was Luke Field, who authored the above article. To see Luke's website, check out LukeField.com.

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