oranje - recent posts from my current home

Tuesday, August 21, 2007

Heppenstall

I happened to have my camera with me on my way up Hatfield Street last weekend. Just another defunct steel mill, on the Allegheny in Pittsburgh.

In this case, they are tearing down the remains of the buildings.





Posted by at
Labels: , ,

2 comments:

Unknown said...

"Just another defunct steel mill, on the Allegheny in Pittsburgh."

Thanks for the pics. I just finished scouting the Net for my dad's old workplace and came across your blog.

Dad worked in that mill for over fifteen years. The mill was where a turning point in my life occurred. With steel imports rising, the mill closed, my dad lost his job and went on to become an alcoholic. We were doomed as a family at the point.

A few years later, the divorce happened. Dad left to live on the streets. Mom hooked up with another man. And me and my brother--still minors at the time--were left to fend for ourselves in apartment with an eviction notice on the door.

That mill means a lot to me. Nearly 30 years later, and its name remains embedded in my memory. Had it avoided its rusted, shuttered fate, my family would still be whole. I'd still be in contact with my folks. And I'd have never left Pittsburgh.

Thanks for preserving some of my history with those shots. Even rusted hulks have meaning.

7:07 PM
Susan Constanse said...

I wish I could say that you're welcome. Somehow, that doesn't seem appropriate. If you care to, there is also a video up at YouTube:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wEbczvA18cU
I am truly sorry for your loss.

7:27 PM

Post a Comment

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)