Photographing the abandoned and apparently haunted penitentiary at night was creepy, interesting, exciting, and sometimes challenging. The penitentiary has imposing Gothic stone architecture adorned with turrets and like a castle, and has an extremely violent history, with almost a thousand deaths within these stone walls. Photos were created with only a handheld flashlight in total or near total darkness. Tim Little and Mike Cooper also photographed here the same evening. The former West Virginia State Penitentiary, a National Historic Places Registered facility, operated by the Moundsville Economic Development Council in Moundsville, West Virginia, was built in 1866, just three years after West Virginia seceded from Virginia, and closed in 1995.
High up in the mountains above the parched sands of Death Valley are the Wildrose Charcoal Kilns, built in 1877. In these arid 8000 ft./2430m mountains, The ten charcoal kilns were built by the Modock Consolidated Mining Company. They were built to provide fuel for two lead/silver smelters––about 25 miles away. These 25-foot tall kilns were used only for a couple of years. And almost 150 years later, one can still smell the burnt charcoal. Long exposure night photo.
Abandoned airplane in this long exposure night photo showing the movement of the stars. These aircraft of yesteryear never fail to leave me in awe.
