On Good Friday this month a good friend and I photographed the abandoned Solvay Coke & Gas complex in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The 46 acre factory complex closed in 2003 after the EPA took control of clean up and demolition. There were a number of buildings on the property at its peak industrial niveau, but now only four remain intact. The northernmost factory with its dangerous drops, the labratory with its completely flooding basement, an empty rear storage unit, and the main administration offices all contain great photo opportunities. The labratory basement was completely flooded and will soon destabilize. When we visited the administration building basement we could see six inches of standing water and hear flowing water. Unless the water has been turned off I expect that the basement is completely flooded by now. That building will certainly meet a swift demise in the coming years. According to this Milwaukee Journal Sentinel article the location is being cleaned up to make way for homes. This development means that this factory will not last. The adventure and decaying toxic beauty made for a great photo set on Flickr.
