A rusted, apple-green door amid a cluster of abandoned buildings caught my eye while driving through the village of Housatonic, Massachusetts. I couldn’t resist pulling the car over to take a closer look.
Curious about the place, I walked along the railroad tracks surveying the lifeless property that once housed Monument Mills. The Housatonic River was visible on the far side of the buildings. While not a scary place, I felt a bit uneasy amid the ghosts of the Mill’s past and hoped there weren’t any present-day rough characters lurking in the area.
Across the tracks from the mill, I noticed a weathered-to-perfection railroad storage building made beautiful by mottled earth tones, faded and peeling cream paint, and rusted roof supports.
On the other side of the river, the mill now houses a few artists and small businesses where I found a few doors in need of attention.
Monument Mills operated as a textile mill between 1850 and 1955 in the Housatonic village of Great Barrington, Massachusetts. Some 500 people, many of them Polish immigrants once staffed the mill. If you’d like to learn more about the mill, check out this wonderful article, A Bend in the River, by Robin Catalano.
Inspiration: Thursday Doors.
Capturing Moments 
That atmosphere cast by neglect and abandonment looks so creepy :). The title with reference to the movie had me almost imagining Brad Pitt popping up with fly rod to hand. Interesting how water was used as an energy source in those mill industries. Wonderful captures of a bygone era.
Thanks so much! The place was so intriguing I went back for a second look to see the buildings on the other side of the river. The haunting emptiness of the neglected buildings was creepy but then the setting by the river felt peaceful. One building had huge skeletons of arched windows. The view inside the building was of overgrown plants and the sky, as the roof was gone. I like your image of Brad Pitt popping up with fly rod in hand. Now that would have been a sight to see.
Donna
Such intriguing photos.
Thanks so much, Irene.