Mr. P. Explores

01/12/2026

A revisit of the abandoned and long since demolished Hess and Clark factory in Ashland, Ohio. Few factories are ever as unique as this old one was, back in the days before Covid. All of it gone now, as if it never was. Deleted from the landscape for a "data center" that never materialized. Taken on my old Nikon D300 in late 2019. Enjoy the look back!

A question for you all, if you explore and document; what is YOUR favorite place that has been torn down or is now otherwise unattainable? Let's hear yours! -Mr. P.

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01/11/2026

A look back on an exploration done in the winter of 2022, wandering through the massive husk of an abandoned and decaying church in Detroit, Michigan. Last I had heard, there were half-hearted plans to renovate and/or restore parts of this old beauty, but I've not heard much since a few years back. I sincerely hope someone can do justice by this grand old building, no matter what the use may happen to be. Meanwhile, enjoy the spread and have a wonderful Sunday! -Mr. P.

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01/10/2026

Looking back on the exploration we undertook in the winter of 2023 of Akron, Ohio's abandoned and since demolished Akron Baptist Temple, a huge church complex that took an entire afternoon to explore. In the here and now, its hard to imagine that this entire place is now gone. Enjoy the tour and have a fantastic weekend out there, all, wherever you are! -Mr. P.

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01/09/2026

Inside a small power plant that once ran a now-demolished bus garage in Detroit, Michigan. Rust, rust and more rust upon the still intact machinery that was at every turn in this building. A rarity for Detroit, as usually, this much metal would have been GONE, toot sweet, taken by scrappers. This was back in 2022, so I am assuming that it too is now gone, along with the nearby garage. It was a neat place to spend a warmish winter day; enjoy the short tour and have a great Friday, all! -Mr. P.

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01/08/2026

Inside a sprawling and decaying former motor company in Northeast Ohio, as explored in the winter of 2022. The old Hercules Motor Company factory in Canton started life in the 1850s as part of the Aultman agricultural works, later becoming an ice-machinery plant before Hercules moved in around 1915 and turned it into one of the city’s great engine-building complexes. From Fordson tractor engines in the late 1910s to industrial, marine, and military powerplants through the mid-20th century, the Canton works shipped engines all over the world. During World War II the plant ran 24/7, added new buildings, and employed thousands — including many women — producing engines for trucks, generators, landing craft, and armored vehicles. After the war, Hercules changed owners several times and stayed afloat mainly on defense contracts until production faded and the factory finally closed in 1999. For years the massive brick complex sat empty and decaying, a Rust Belt landmark with broken windows and a leaning smokestack — until preservation efforts saved portions of it. Listed on the National Register in 2005, part of the site has since been adapted into the Hercules Lofts, where the old engine halls now hold apartments instead of assembly lines, a rare industrial survivor carrying Canton’s history forward.

Enjoy the view and have a fantastic Thursday out there, all! -Mr. P.

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01/07/2026

The continued journey through a crumbling, decaying and long defunct and abandoned Cold War synthetic fabrics factory in the Rust Belt. Wandering through here on a very cold and viciously windy day as we did, this was a rough one, but the things we were able to take a look at made all of the numb extremities worth it. All sorts of old machinery, lighting and work spaces still relatively intact despite decades of sitting here through some rough climate shifts from summer to winter each year. Enjoy the next set, have a great middle to your week and see you on down the line in the next one! -Mr. P.

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01/06/2026

Sometimes exploring goes beyond just the things you see when you enter an abandoned building or a seldom-seem area on a forgotten backstreet. Sometimes it means chasing around a massive ore freighter as it navigates the twists and turns of the Cuyahoga River as it heads for the freedom of open waters on Lake Erie. It was a relatively warm December day as we followed the Sam Laud, a massive ore freighter, as it slowly inched its way towards its far off destination. You never realize just how much skill it takes to pilot a giant boat such as this down a river as difficult as the Cuyahoga as it flows through the Cleveland Flats. We also had a visit from the tugboat George Gradel, as well as from thousands of seagulls swarming the fish and gods-know-what-else was churned up by the slow moving freighter's propellers. Enjoy this set of photos from our several hours hopping around Cleveland to follow this big beauty out to the Lake! -Mr. P.

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01/05/2026

Hey all! Welcome to another episode of “Mr. P.’s Tales from the Road!” And a HAPPY NEW YEAR to you and yours! In this first episode of a new fifth season, I’m diving into what is sort of an obscure topic right here in my hometown of Cleveland, Ohio, and expounding on a place that is sadly now long gone (the remnants of which are also being torn down as we speak). A place of artistic inspiration, community togetherness and a spark of Rust Belt ingenuity that gave so many others joy and a little bit of gritty wonderment in a time when things were maybe not at their best. I’m talking here about the TEMPLE OF LOST LOVE, an underground art installation that once existed in the Cleveland Flats along the Cuyahoga River (under a bridge that is ALSO about to become extinct). A little known and interesting topic that I sort of fell down the rabbit hole on, so get yourself a mug of warm hot chocolate, nuke some taquitos in the microwave, settle in wherever you are, listen in and enjoy the show! Have a great week and we’ll see you in the next episode! -Mr. P.

Also now available on APPLE PODCAST!: ⁠https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/mr-p-s-tales-from-the-road/id1717990959

Also, check out the “Mr. Explores” SUBSTACK for articles and photos: https://mrpexplores.substack.com/

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https://open.spotify.com/episode/4QztviwLyFp2lsqpXGkKVv?si=ba7b42e37d6641bf

Mr. P.'s Tales from the Road · Episode

01/05/2026

Continued wanderings through a frigidly cold but endlessly interesting old storage warehouse in the Rust Belt. Pianos, organs, window frames and a plethora of other odds and ends filled this massive old warehouse. Enjoy the continued explore and have a good Monday out there, all. Stay warm! -Mr. P.

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01/04/2026

The Glendale Steps in Akron are a remarkable piece of local history; a 242-step sandstone stairway built in the heart of the Great Depression as a Works Progress Administration project to create jobs and connect neighborhoods on the city’s steep West Hill. Conceived in the late 1920s and constructed with hand-dressed stone by skilled laborers, the steps opened to the public in 1937–38 and were meant to link South Walnut Street down a 200-foot slope toward a planned park space on Glendale Avenue, offering both practical access and a graceful civic landmark. Designed with care and craftsmanship under the guidance of noted landscape architect Warren Manning and championed by community leaders like Gertrude Seiberling of the Akron Garden Club, the Glendale Steps fell into disrepair for decades before local residents began clearing and celebrating them again as a historic treasure. Recognized for their architectural and cultural significance with listing on the National Register of Historic Places, the steps today stand as a testament to New Deal era community building and Akron’s resilience, inviting walkers to appreciate their beauty and the stories etched into every stone. Always a fantastic place to go and spend a little time to enjoy the view and shoot the many views one finds while ascending/descending the steps! Enjoy that view and have a great Sunday out there, all! -Mr. P.

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01/03/2026

A summer wandering through an abandoned and largely empty old factory in Flint, Michigan. Empty though it may have been, there were still interesting shots to be had and some interesting graffiti to be seen. Even an empty shell can provide something worth pointing your camera at if you take a look around. This place was no different. Enjoy the photos and have a great day out there! -Mr. P.

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01/02/2026

The shell of an abandoned highway maintenance garage in the near-dead town of Desert Center, California. We made an attempt to enter this place to take a look around, but we heard angry voices arguing (we assumed perhaps drifters or homeless) as we stood shooting outside, and thought it best to perhaps not find out. Not a major place, but it had an interesting design. Enjoy and have a great day out there! -Mr. P.

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