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Post by brassmonkey on Sept 23, 2008 23:17:27 GMT -5
Here I plan to showcase abandoments, foreclosures or plain neglect of structures in Winchendon and the surrounding areas..
My intention is to photograph uninhabited structures that are either just sad or that pose a threat to teenagers looking to engage in mischief...
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Post by brassmonkey on Sept 23, 2008 23:28:42 GMT -5
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Post by brassmonkey on Sept 25, 2008 8:10:14 GMT -5
Our most recent high-profile abandonment-Toy Town Pit Stop, The Valero station. This building sat vacant for years-used to be a Texaco before it was bought and turned into a Valero by the most recent owner. Unfortunately, he claims that gas prices put him out of business. The owner and his family are very nice people who seemed to work very hard at this endeavor, but the fact that they only took Valero credit cards and had only full-serve gasoline priced up to a dime more than the other three self-serve stations in town didn't bode well for his business. One unique touch was the deli and the hot kitchen that would make you a hot breakfast. Now we'll have another abandoned building welcoming people into our town for some duration of time. I don't see anyone buying this place and doing anything with it in the near future. A whole lot of work went into it to make it into Valero. If I recall correctly, two garage bays were eliminated to make room for the deli, as is being done in most "service" station with the advent of the modern car that you really can't do anything to if you aren't a dealer.    Guess the cheap and trashy horse cutout didn't work in this case. Let's see how long this piece of refuse sits there.  |
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Post by brassmonkey on Sept 25, 2008 8:14:23 GMT -5
When we were shopping for our first house, we almost bought this house on Spring St near McDonalds, but it had $10,000 worth of sill damage in the front under the door. The seller offered to take $10k off the price in order to sell it, but my wife and I knew we'd never get around to fixing it and that it would only get worse, so we passed. Now I heard that it's been foreclosed on, and it's going to auction. Another eyesore on the main drag into town.  |
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Post by brassmonkey on Sept 25, 2008 8:20:31 GMT -5
This place is just a mess. Anybody know what it used to be? There are a whole bunch of toilets stored under it-yes, commodes.   |
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Post by brassmonkey on Sept 25, 2008 8:24:40 GMT -5
The Valero corner seems to be cursed. I don't know if it's the horrible traffic routing, or what, but business just can't seem to stay in business. The car wash is surviving, but he hasn't taken advantage of the storefront of the place yet or expanded in any way. He hasn't even hooked up the heater hanging in the automatic bay in order to stay open in the colder weather. I hope he survives, because I love the undercarriage wash in the winter months. This place has seen three different businesses fail in the short time that I've lived in Winchendon. It dos have a small apartment ovr the two garage bays, which appear to have a renter currently.  |
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Post by brassmonkey on Sept 25, 2008 8:54:20 GMT -5
This house is on Pond Street, and it consists of at least 4 apartments that are sitting vacant with furniture and dishes inside. It's a mystery of sorts, in that people just walked away from this house, even leaving two birds in a hanging cage to die. The birds are there huddled in a corner of the cage dead as anything.. There is food, dishes sitting in a dish drainer, and just weird circumstances all around.. Who would leave a house so hastily? All of the doors are wide open or at least unlocked and inviting to kids.. It was obvious kids had been throughout the 4 apartments. This is the apartment inside which the cage is hanging with the two dead birds in it and dishes stacked neatly in a dish drainer. It should be noted that this door was evidently kicked in, as the catch was lying on the first step of the staircase that leads to the second floor from just inside the door..:  There was a bulkhead on each side with the doors of both ripped completely off. The water in the basement was at least a foot deep, ruining the oil burner and the water heater, if electric:        I drove by a week or so after posting this, and the two front doors were resurrected and closed..   Unfortunately, I drove by today, which I don't have pictures for, and the doors were again open... |
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Post by brassmonkey on Sept 25, 2008 9:01:30 GMT -5
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Post by brassmonkey on Sept 25, 2008 9:04:53 GMT -5
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Post by brassmonkey on Oct 6, 2008 18:34:07 GMT -5
It's no secret that this boat dealership went out of business, but the condition of the building would indicate that it's been strapped for several years..  |
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Post by homebase on Oct 7, 2008 7:48:12 GMT -5
I should start taking my camera with me. I am also noticing an increasing amount of empty houses with no for sale sign or sign of maintenance.
I notices a house in Templeton that still had the Christmas lights on the house and toys in the yard that hadn't been kept all summer.
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Post by brassmonkey on Nov 26, 2008 10:05:01 GMT -5
I had been wondering just how bad home prices were taking a beating in this crappy town, but I hadn't seen any numbers. Well, that gray house pictured earlier in the thread that I mentioned that we almost bought-we almost bought it for $140,000.. Here it is for sale again, and it's lost $60,000 in value. What's that-43%....  Hope nobody was planning on a home equity loan for projects or home improvements..... |
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Post by homebase on Nov 26, 2008 12:01:37 GMT -5
I'm wondering if our property tax's will be adjusted to the lower property values.
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