Red, White and Blue Freedom






The symbol of freedom, pride and perseverance.

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Queens Parkway Hospital

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The long-abandoned Queens Parkway Hospital in Forest Hills is finally set for demolition, marking the end of a saga that began over 15 years ago. Nestled in a bustling residential neighborhood off the busy Grand Central Parkway, near P.S. 196 elementary school, the hospital served the community for roughly four decades before shutting its doors in 2008. The closure was part of a broader initiative led by the New York State Commission on Healthcare Facilities in the 21st Century, also known as the Berger Commission. The commission identified Parkway as one of several hospitals with an excess of unused beds, prompting the state’s Department of Health to mandate its closure. Despite a series of legal battles by the hospital’s owners to keep it open, the courts ultimately upheld the decision, sealing Parkway's fate. The hospital's troubles were further marred by scandal. Robert Aquino, Parkway’s CEO, and former State Senator Carl Kruger were both imprisoned after investigators reve...
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The Former Fusion Paperboard Plant (Part 1)

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  148" Trim Inverformer Paper Machine for Multi-Ply Recycled Boxboard I’ll never forget the day my friend J and I wandered onto that sprawling 400-acre property, following the path of a disused rail line. It felt like stepping into a forgotten world where time had simply stopped. At first, we passed by the front building without giving it much thought. J mentioned there wasn’t much to see inside, so we moved on. Little did I know, years later, I’d discover that the building was a treasure trove of abandoned saw machinery and other relics, left behind as if frozen in time. Mill Raw Water Intake Building But that day, our curiosity led us further into the property. We stumbled upon an older structure tucked along the fence line of Papermill Pond. It didn’t look like much at first glance—just another weathered building in a sea of overgrown grass and rusting metal. We decided to take a closer look. Inside, we found black plastic piping snaking through the space, and then, to our amaz...
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The Abandoned Kingsbridge Substation No. 3

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  I finally made it to the place I had been dreaming about for years. Ever since I found out the substation by the Harlem River was still standing, I had been trying to visit. Every time I came up from Brooklyn, though, the main gate was locked. It had become a routine—checking in once a year, hoping for a change, only to be disappointed. But today was different. Funny enough, I almost didn’t go out at all. I had been putting up with the noise of kids playing next door, and their summer fun was starting to grate on me. I’d had enough of it. I needed to get out of the house, and this time I was determined to see if the gate would finally be open. When I arrived, I started by photographing the building’s exterior. The gate looked like it might still be an issue, but I wanted to document what I could. While I was snapping shots, a guy pulled up on a motorbike. We got to talking about photography and our shared passion for preserving old, forgotten buildings. He told me he’d seen local...
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The Story of the Tiffany Mill (Quinebaug Mills)

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  In July 2024, the historic Quinebaug Mill met its fate, reduced to rubble after standing for over a century. Despite plans to transform the site into residential apartments, the project fell through. The primary roadblocks were a mix of logistical challenges and financial impracticalities. The Town of Killingly’s sewer system, already nearing capacity, couldn't accommodate the additional strain a large housing development would bring. Alternatives, like installing a private septic system, proved just as unfeasible, leaving developers with few options. In the end, the mill’s long decline culminated in demolition, another chapter closed in the story of New England’s once-thriving textile industry. Unlike many abandoned mills that became storage spaces for forgotten relics or junk, Quinebaug Mill was eerily empty. Its interior, stripped of its former industrial vibrancy, showed little evidence of its past life as a cotton mill. Decay had taken hold—moisture had compromised the wood ...
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Former Empire State Dairy Company

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Update May 2024:   The Highland at 2480 Atlantic Avenue, the site of the landmarked Empire State Dairy Company complex in East New York is now available for leasing. The site has undergone a massive redevelopment. Check it out sometime. The exterior scaffolding and netting are now down. The Architecture The property in question encompasses 0.72 acres, bordered by Schenck Avenue to the west, residential properties to the south, Barbey Street to the east, and Atlantic Avenue to the north. This site boasts a rich history of diverse commercial and industrial uses. Dating back to the 1890s, it served as a dairy bottling facility before accommodating companies such as the Royal Plastics Corporation and/or Allied Tile Co. After the cessation of dairy operations, businesses that utilized petroleum products, solvents, and hydraulic fluids occupied the site, leading to subsurface contamination over time. The dairy complex has remained vacant since around 2020, and after the owner of Ro...
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