Sitting at the end of Fifth Street in Mansfield, Ohio is Westinghouse Building A. In the 1950s, it was a hub for one of the largest appliance manufacturers in the US. 70 years later, the building sits vandalized and empty, next on the list for demolition. The Ohio Department of Development Brownfield Program is going to fund the project in addition to contributions from Mansfield City and Richland County funds. According to the Richland County Land Bank, 11 Contractors have submitted bids to demolish the site.
I had the opportunity to enter the building a few weeks ago when the building was initially being surveyed. After signing a liability waiver and being told to watch out for glass, I was given free run of the building to take photos to my hearts content.
Abandoned buildings were my first love when I started to get into photography. This project was a fun deviation from my commercial work and reminded me why I loved shooting buildings in the first place. I very much enjoyed taking artistic liberties with the editing process of these photos compared to the usual technical process of creating real estate photos. The window views aren’t perfect, but neither is the building. I wanted the colors to be messy and intense with shadows overpowering some of the shots.
Overall, I really enjoyed photographing this building, and I hope you enjoy these photos just as much!
You can click on any photo to enlarge it. I will be making a limited number of prints for sale; all print and digital licensing inquiries can be made using the contact form here 🙂
