CONESTOGA MOTOR INN II, LANCASTER

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Pt. 1 of 3

Note: These shots were taken on May 11, 2008 with a Canon Powershot point-and-shoot.

Several buildings sprawling over a 28-acre lot, the former-Conestoga Motor Inn was an Amish Country resort for several decades. My parents grabbed their first anniversary dinner together there in 1963. Now completely razed and gone forever, the images here show my traveling from the oldest building and its kitchen all the way to the fantastically unique pool and hotel room building. A very spooky place to explore, it was also one of my favorites to date. (ID# 05.11.08 Conestoga Motor Inn)

THE HISTORY (in brief): Vacant since 1989, the resort opened as Conestoga Motor Inn and has also operated as Sheraton Conestoga, Conestoga Resort Inn, Shawnee Lancaster and Lancaster Farms Resort. The complex dates to 1950 when Carl E. Pyle built the 20-room Conestoga Motor Inn. Later, the resort operated as a Sheraton, but lost that affiliation in 1984 and was rechristened Shawnee Lancaster Resort in 1986. After it closed in 1989, the property changed hands several times, with failed proposals to turn it into a Christian conference center, a supermarket or a sanitarium.

CONESTOGA MOTOR INN I, LANCASTER

(click image to enlarge)

Pt. 1 of 3

Note: These shots were taken on May 11, 2008 with a Canon Powershot point-and-shoot.

Several buildings sprawling over a 28-acre lot, the former-Conestoga Motor Inn was an Amish Country resort for several decades. My parents grabbed their first anniversary dinner together there in 1963. Now completely razed and gone forever, the images here show my traveling from the oldest building and its kitchen all the way to the fantastically unique pool and hotel room building. A very spooky place to explore, it was also one of my favorites to date. (ID# 05.11.08 Conestoga Motor Inn)

THE HISTORY (in brief): Vacant since 1989, the resort opened as Conestoga Motor Inn and has also operated as Sheraton Conestoga, Conestoga Resort Inn, Shawnee Lancaster and Lancaster Farms Resort. The complex dates to 1950 when Carl E. Pyle built the 20-room Conestoga Motor Inn. Later, the resort operated as a Sheraton, but lost that affiliation in 1984 and was rechristened Shawnee Lancaster Resort in 1986. After it closed in 1989, the property changed hands several times, with failed proposals to turn it into a Christian conference center, a supermarket or a sanitarium.

BALTIMORE PURE RYE DISTILLERY III

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Pt. 3 of 3

More brilliant broken glass found in the staircases on-site, the Baltimore Pure Rye smokestack (sans the horrendously ugly cell phone tower attachments), a vintage scale and two lovely textures. (ID#: 09.13.09 Baltimore Pure Rye Distillery)

THE HISTORY (in brief): In the 1930's, shortly after the 18th amendment was repealed, two distilleries were built in the countryside east of Baltimore. The area is known as Dundalk. The topsy-turvy shuffling of market positions that marked the post-prohibition scramble is well illustrated by these two plants, located virtually next-door to one another. One distillery was built on farm land just off Sollers Point Road in the 1930s. It's hard to believe today, but the population of Dundalk at that time was less than 8,000, mostly employees of the Maryland Steel Company at nearby Sparrows Point. The Baltimore Pure Rye distillery closed in 1957 when Seagram's, as it's known to most people in the area, purchased it to produce Paul Jones and Four Roses. For more, go here.

BALTIMORE PURE RYE DISTILLERY II

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Pt. 2 of 3

The storage facilities unveiled a cool old stencil used to mark barrels back in 1984 as well as a creepy angel doll. I mean, all dolls are at least partially creepy with some being more so than others! (ID#: 09.13.09 Baltimore Pure Rye Distillery)

THE HISTORY (in brief): In the 1930's, shortly after the 18th amendment was repealed, two distilleries were built in the countryside east of Baltimore. The area is known as Dundalk. The topsy-turvy shuffling of market positions that marked the post-prohibition scramble is well illustrated by these two plants, located virtually next-door to one another. One distillery was built on farm land just off Sollers Point Road in the 1930s. It's hard to believe today, but the population of Dundalk at that time was less than 8,000, mostly employees of the Maryland Steel Company at nearby Sparrows Point. The Baltimore Pure Rye distillery closed in 1957 when Seagram's, as it's known to most people in the area, purchased it to produce Paul Jones and Four Roses. For more, go here.

BALTIMORE PURE RYE DISTILLERY I

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Pt. 1 of 3

The former whiskey distillery is completely gutted but the whiskey storage buildings, in particular, were unique. Don't be fooled by the scale of the top left shot; that's looking up at about 4 floors of whiskey barrel storage. Ah, the drunken laughs, fights and debates all the whiskey ended up playing a part in over the years! (ID#: 09.13.09 Baltimore Pure Rye Distillery)

THE HISTORY (in brief): In the 1930's, shortly after the 18th amendment was repealed, two distilleries were built in the countryside east of Baltimore. The area is known as Dundalk. The topsy-turvy shuffling of market positions that marked the post-prohibition scramble is well illustrated by these two plants, located virtually next-door to one another. One distillery was built on farm land just off Sollers Point Road in the 1930s. It's hard to believe today, but the population of Dundalk at that time was less than 8,000, mostly employees of the Maryland Steel Company at nearby Sparrows Point. The Baltimore Pure Rye distillery closed in 1957 when Seagram's, as it's known to most people in the area, purchased it to produce Paul Jones and Four Roses. For more, go here.

LANCASTER MALLEABLE (04.13.08)

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Lancaster Malleable Castings Co., Lancaster, Pennsylvania, closed in March 2003 after 93 years of operation. The foundry employed approximately 200 people at closing time. These photos were taken within 2 of the 3 final buildings to be razed on the property, which are now completely gone for good. Apparently the company was a major polluter in our area, so good riddance to them.

These photographs, like the Stehli shots from 2008, were all taken on a point-and-shoot Canon PowerShot camera before I bought a dSLR. After all, it's not what you shoot with – it's knowing how to shoot that matters. (ID#: Lancaster Malleable 04.13.08)