An abandoned building, the Vernonia lumber mill (originally owned by Oregon-American Lumber Company) was built in the early 1920’s. It has been left to stand against the ongoing forces of nature and time. The building is located in a small park within the city limits of Vernonia, Oregon, better known more recently (if at all), as one of the film locations for the 2008 vampire movie, Twilight. Beyond that celebrity distinction, it’s a nice old town with a good coffee shop among other local businesses.
Rebecca and I went hiking in the park where we first discovered the old building. All we saw at first was a tall, bland wall facing our direction. From the path there was a dirt walkway to an open doorway. Stepping inside, it was quite a surprise! In a large area maybe 100 feet long by 50 feet wide (These are only approximate dimensions taken from memory), and the graffiti lined all the walls to the top where no ceiling existed. There too, a young man had set up his drum set in the middle and was practicing his craft.
I took quite a few photos of the graffiti strewn walls, a few I have included here. If you are in the area, check out the town of Vernonia. Here’s directions to the park I mentioned, the building is about a 5 minute walk along the lake to the entrance.
I did make a final print for sale from this location for those who may be interested:
