For my Halloween set this year, we'll be taking a look at the abandoned Bishop Tube factory in Malvern. This site has quite a history- it began life as a mill in the mid-1700's. It grew and evolved over the years before finally becoming Bishop in 1954, which is when the current buildings were built. While the 1700's mill itself is gone, some parts of the foundation remain under this building.
Bishop closed in 1999, and the building has remained abandoned since. There are plans to develop the property into townhomes, but that is meeting resistance from the neighbors who are concerned about contamination from the industrial use.
Expect another upload set from here later tonight!
Old light pole that had fallen down. I'm sorta surprised that bulb hasn't broken yet.
I think this window was where people checked in while entering. I couldn't get inside this part as the door had rusted shut. Thankfully the rest of the building didn't even have doors.
Some of the siding falling off the warehouse.
It's a little strange seeing the window frames still totally intact but with all of the glass busted out.
Another room that had collapsed completely. I would have suspected this was done by a demolition crew, but seeing how they didn't clean up nor did they get the rest of the building, I think it must have been natural.
The same room, as viewed from the entryway.
A smaller room just off the warehouse. There were no windows, but a nice hole in the roof let in a lot of light.
This room hadn't collapsed yet, but I figure it's only a matter of time. The years really have taken a toll on this building.
Some very low hanging lights. I think there might have been work benches under them originally.
Collapsed portion of the building. I think a higher wall fell on top of this.
Part of the roof had rusted through in here. Snow was melting off the surviving part, so it sounded like a waterfall.
It was relaxing in an eerie sort of way.
Side room off the warehouse. I'm guessing this was another office.
Courtyard between the factory and warehouse buildings.
The doors can't rust shut if they're not in their frames!
The check-in window again. I'm pretty sure this is where clients went to pick up the tubes.
Also I should clarify: by tube factory they mean a place that made metal pipe, not radio tubes. The name is a little vague.
This building was basically separate- the part that connected it to the warehouse collapsed. It looks like maybe a machine shop.
I'm guessing this was a loading dock.
Evidently this door was not wide enough
Looking down into the basement. I was too chicken to go down there myself, but I hear that's where most of the old 1700's structure is.
I didn't check for myself whether or not there were zombies in there. As long as they don't bother me I won't bother them.
The trenches in the floor were from a more recent EPA clean-up where they removed contaminants from the soil beneath the building.
Looking from the offices down to the delivery doors.
The warehouse itself. There was nothing left in here, which was a little disappointing. These photos are going up in reverse order, so this was actually the first room I saw.
It was disappointing to see a big empty space when I first walked in, but the rest of the building was really cool.
A dark room off to the side. First time I went here it was on a whim, so I didn't have a flashlight or anything on me. The next set you'll see is from my second trip here.
One of the more heavily graffitied office rooms. Of the places I've explored, this had the most vandalism.
It was also the creepiest place I've done too. Something about this place was just really unsettling.
There's an employee restroom up here. There was a much larger bathroom on the floor below for the factory workers that also served as a locker room.
This hallway connected the offices to another building which I'm guessing was more of a warehouse.
This upload set will focus primarily on the second floor office portion of the building. The last 19 years haven't treated this place well.
Somebody's making themselves at home here.
I think this would have been a common room. It had a glass door and a bulletin board, maybe a conference room?
The original lights in the office portion were left up and covered over at some point when they added a drop ceiling.
The opposite corner of the building. I almost got caught getting this photo, so I went around and through the fence on the other side of the property.
The collapsed part of the building. This really doesn't look like a natural collapse, but I feel like it definitely wouldn't have been a partial demolition.
Inside the addition room off to the side. The roof has failed a few places here as well.
The major difference between now and the 2010 photo I linked was the removal of the elevated walkway down the middle of the building. I'm guessing it was in the way of the cleanup process.
Another room off to the side of the factory floor. I think it might have been an addition.
A lot of what you see on the floor here is from the EPA cleanup a few years back. it used to look like this.
Gettin' comfy, part 2
There were two large rooms, separated by this glass partition.
The floor tile warped and got brittle with water damage. It crunched loudly when we walked across.
There's what appears to be some kind of conference room, maybe an employee dining hall, just off the factory floor.
More toilets on the other end of the locker room. I guess they weren't as fun to break as the sinks or urinals.
All the sinks have been destroyed too. That wall tile must be pretty good to survive all of this.
The urinals have been busted up. The toilet behind the partition seems to have been spared the damage.
Other lockers were still standing. Something was wrapped in cloth between two rows here. I didn't take a good look at it, so I don't know what it was. Hopefully not a body.
Locker rooms have been trashed.
Electrical systems. The wiring's been stripped out by looters. "And some free advertisement for Acme too! (Although I don't think that's what the vandals were going for, although it's fitting considering their headquarters are in Malvern)."-AFB
I think this room may have been a welding shop. These labels would indicate they kept gas canisters here.
The other bathroom, which is in much worse shape.
Little hallway leading to two bathrooms.
Some smaller rooms next to the warehouse I missed on my first visit. "Moldy insulated fiberglass toilet seat pads, for your comfort and convenience!" -l_dawg2000
Looking into the check-in hallway. It looks like the truckers would go to the window on the left.
The return trip a few days later. Quite a creepy face on that wall.
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