This week Cee’s Fun Foto Challenge is All about buildings: Old buildings, Barns, Sheds, Houses.
I like photographing old things; old buildings, old boats, old bridges. Seems like almost everyone with a camera likes to photograph old barns, especially if there are rusty old tools and implements in the scene. Add an old horse and you’re really in business.
I ran across some old buildings right here in Hercules, California where I live. Most of Hercules’ old buildings sit atop a hill near the shore of San Pablo Bay on a small tract of empty land. The fronts look out on a residential neighborhood. These buildings date from the days when the major employer in the area was the Hercules Powder Works which manufactured explosive powder.
My favorite of the old buildings is the Masonic Lodge, which sits across the street from a sleek, new restaurant with a chic glass enclosed patio that overlooks the old building and the bay beyond. It’s quite a contrast to the restaurant a few steps away.
Street view of the Masonic Lodge
The old building is giving way to creeping vines. Nature is in the process of reclamation.
Doorway of the Masonic Lodge
What’s really cool about this building is that from the street it’s just a long squat building but if you look at it from the recreation trail in the rear, you see that the Masonic Lodge is actually multiple stories built into the side of the hill.
Masonic Lodge – rear view
Masonic Lodge – rear view taken on a foggy morning
About a mile away tucked between a wetland and one of the neighborhoods is a mysterious building, from the looks of it an old home. It sits on blocks telling us that the building was moved from a previous location.
Back porch?
The windows on this building seemed to scream for some editing license.
The Hercules Powder Company helped provide gunpowder for the war effort during World War I. Business was booming and profits were exploding through the roof.
Meanwhile over in Wyoming a fellow named Moulton was building one of the most famous barns in the world in the shadow of the Grand Tetons (Below and featured image)
To view Cee’s photos and those of other contributors please follow the link to Cee’s page.
Wooden buildings can ‘easlily’ be moved I guess. In my brick bullding-country we very seldom see this 🙂 Cool images!
Thank you. In the San Francisco Bay Area, brick buildings are no longer allowed because they don’t hold up well in an earthquake. Now for the brick look a brick facade is added but the bricks add no structural purpose.
It’s rare these days but every now and then you’ll see a house on a gigantic truck bed being driven down the road. Haven’t seen one of those sights in decades.
I LOVE this theme – old buildings and houses just have a way about them. Especially love that last shot!
I guess that the wear of time adds visual character. The last shot of the Moulton Barn I took while standing with I would say 50 – 75 photographers all pretty much in a line. Funny thing when we first started clicking away someone noticed and called out that with the rising sun to our backs we were casting shadows into the photo. Everyone had to take a few steps back and start again.
LOL! 🙂 That’s funny – glad someone noticed it before you got home and looked at the pictures
I’ve been down that aggravating road before. 😒
What a magnificent gallery of photos for this week. I really like your first photo of the barn. Gorgeous lighting 😀
Thank you Cee. That barn is one of the most photographed in the world. At dawn you’ll find a long line of photographers with everything from Nikons and Leicas to cell phones.
Lovely gallery, especially the featured house. What a spectacular landscape as well.
Thank you so much and thank you for visiting.
My pleasure ❤️
Great work!
Thank you Brian. Much appreciated.