A proud chapter in the story of American industry came to a close when an abandoned paper mill in Richmond, VA was re-purposed into loft-style apartments.

Richmond, a city of approximately a quarter-million, is the state capitol of Virginia and the former capitol of the Confederate States of America. Founded in 1737, Richmond has long been a center of economic activity though some of its more traditional industrial pursuits – railroads and tobacco processing, for example – have largely given way to post-industrial profit hubs in the legal, financial and governmental sectors.

Pulp Friction

In 1880, the world’s first cigarette-rolling machine was invented roughly 200 miles west, in Roanoke. One might surmise that this abandoned paper mill, photographed by Joel Handwerk of Lithium Photo, produced rolling paper for the local tobacco firms. Smoke ’em if you got ’em!

That’s just an educated guess, mind you. As the photographer paid a visit to the site long after the mill’s machinery had been removed, actual day-to-day functions at the factory are no longer obvious.

Hard Cover Story

Still, it’s hard to disguise a paper mill. “The overall structures have a layout that is consistent with the manufacturing purpose,” confirms Handwerk, who fortuitously chose to carry out his mission of urbex photo-documentation on a bright, sunny day.

“The upper floors are wide open and feature yellow safety pillars and painted-over window panes,” the photographer adds. Enough natural light does manage to get through, however, while the blacked-out windows provide contrasting shadows and dark backgrounds. Handwerk’s images explode off the monitor screen in a dramatically detailed succession of interior scenic vistas.

The Paper Choice

“The basement level provides access to an area that feels somewhat like catacombs,” mused Handwerk, who presumably escaped the aged structure well before twilight fell  and the graveyard shift punched in. A wise move, to be sure – abandoned buildings hide a host of dangers at any hour of the day or night, and it’s not as if anyone’s overseeing what you step onto, into, or off of.

Other hazards urbex hobbyists need to be cognizant of include slick oily floors, rotted wood staircases, loose or missing railings, exposed nails, toxic black mold, unremediated asbestos, and corrosive spilled and/or leaking chemicals just to name a few. Some of those hazards were less obtrusive when Handwerk conducted his photo shoot as the former factory had already been extensively gutted.

Bound and Determined

Kudos to Handwerk for not revealing the building’s name and exact location in Richmond. Sure, graffiti has its place as both an art form and as a valid means of cultural expression but time and time again, graffiti is accompanied by pointless vandalism and destructive metal salvaging. The damage can’t always be attributed to the graffiti artists directly but all too often it occurs in conjunction with their activities.

“This structure is currently being renovated into apartments,” according to Handwerk, quoted from the time he took and posted these images. Residential loft-style apartments now occupy the renovated remains of this former paper mill.

Book Marked

One clue to the former mill’s identity can be found at the Facebook account of The Paper Company Apartments, located on Hull St in Richmond’s Old Town Manchester district. Check out the brickwork in Handwerk’s photo above, and the wall depicted on the front page of Property Results LLC‘s website for The Paper Company Apartments below.

Note the presence of occasional pale blue and orange-tinted bricks common to both images. Coincidence? Perhaps – or perhaps not. In any case, it’s good to see this rough old relic of industrial Richmond make a successful leap from economic engine to residential retreat, hopefully inspiring further efforts at industrial rehabilitation. And that’s a wrap. (all images © 2017 Joel Handwerk)

Obesity epidemic notwithstanding, the world boasts more abandoned sugar mills than you can shake a peppermint stick at.

The former Delta Sugar Company mill in Clarksburg, Yolo County, California was constructed between 1934 and 1936… it took two years because the mill was transported by railroad, piece by piece, from its original location in Utah. By the early 1990s the mill became uneconomical to operate and in 1993 it was closed.

After lying abandoned for over 7 years, the “Old Sugar Mill” began to show some signs of life when some sections were upcycled into a grape-crushing and wine-tasting facility for several local wineries. Kudos to Flickr user Mark Brooks (cal_gecko), who exquisitely photo-documented the complex in late July of 2010.

Falling Like A Domino

The iconic Domino Sugar Refinery in Brooklyn, NYC’s Williamsburg neighborhood was built in 1882 on the site of an even earlier sugar mill that opened in 1856. At one point the plant employed over 4,000 workers and supplied half the sugar consumed in the United States. By the year 2000 when the factory closed, however, only 225 employees still worked there. The Domino Sugar Refinery was sold to developers in early 2014 and the wrecking ball began swinging in October.

Sugar Beaten

The Great Western Sugar Company mill in Longmont, Colorado closed in 1977 and – possibly due to the dearth of wineries in the region – has sat derelict and abandoned for well over thirty years.

The factory opened in 1903 and processed locally-grown sugar beets. Rumor has it the mill is haunted, perhaps by sweet-toothed ghosts. Flickr user Sheila Dee (sheiladeeisme) visited the decrepit factory in January of 2013.

American Paia

Paia, on the island of Maui, Hawaii may be “The World Capitol of Windsurfing” but the town of 2,668 (as of 2010) has another claim to fame: it’s where the once cutting-edge Haiku Sugar Mill processed sugar cane into brown sugar.

Opening in 1861 and powered by a steam engine, the mill only operated for 18 years and has sat abandoned for well over a century. These days its ruins are a popular wedding photography and reception venue. Flickr user Maria Caridad snapped some of the more obscure areas of the abandoned mill on June 28th of 2009.

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Taking Their Lumps 12 Bitter Sweet Abandoned Sugar Mills