An End To Discrimination

I couldn't think of a more fitting image to post for today to tie into the Supreme Court decision regarding DOMA and gay marriage in California. 

The Walker Building at Georgia's Central State Hospital was designed for white males with mental disorders. During the early 1900's, the "coloured" male patients admitted to this asylum were placed in overcrowded tents, while they received a lesser quality of treatment. 

Today, we thankfully live in a country where the law does not segregate or discriminate people based on race or sexuality. 

June 26th, 2013 is a great day for the LGBT community.  

Photo: "Beauty and Grandeur"

Construction stopped on the Hartsville Nuclear Plant in Tennessee in 1983, part way into the building process. Once the Tennessee Valley Authority received reports depicting the actual need for nuclear power in the 80's, which was dramatically less than anticipated, the project was cancelled. 

Photo: "Fading Away"

The classically influenced and Gothic Revival style Psychopathic Building, known as Polk, on the Western State Hospital campus in Tennessee was constructed in 1932 to assist with overcrowding in the main hospital. The four story building was designed by a Memphis architecture firm and cost  $500,000 to build. 

Photo: "A Forever View"

The Polk Building at Western State Hospital in Tennessee was added to the original Kirkbride campus in 1932, to assist with overcrowding.

 

Photo: "Least Resistance"

Babcock Building at the South Carolina Lunatic Asylum

It's natural to get stuck in a routine, to be so comfortable with something that change becomes frightening, but I truly believe that every ended opportunity leads to another open door full of possibilities. It's not often what we expect, and sometimes not what we think we want, but sometimes it's the best thing for us. 

Photo: "Among the Giants"

Fog at sunrise, Hartsville Nuclear Plant

Construction plans for the nuclear plant in Hartsville, Tennessee began in the 1970's, in preparation for the predicted need for nuclear power in the 1980's and beyond. When reports were presented depicting the actual demand for that type of power, the Tennessee Valley Authority realized the demand wasn't as high as predicted and cancelled the construction of the plant in 1983. 

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Photo: "Someday..."

For many, it's hard to comprehend how someone could feel at peace inside an abandoned location, especially an asylum. Though many of these places were saturated with dispair, loneliness and depression, where patients were sometimes mistreated, asylums are also a major part of America's history that should not be forgotten. The serenity I find inside these places comes from the lessons we as humans have learned about care for the mentally ill, from the stories of those who were patients or staff that the images help tell, from the incredible architecture and the beauty in having an opportunity to document something that will soon be lost forever.