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Officially dedicated in 1839, the Greenmount Cemetery in Baltimore is the final resting place to over 65,000 people. It was modeled after the Mount Auburn cemetery in Boston, which started the rural or garden cemetery movement in the United States. Rural cemeteries were intended for public enjoyment before the widespread development of public parks. Greenmount is a fine example of funerary architecture and sculpture that has been long lost in contemporary times...
Visiting some of the large industrial sites in Germany left quite an impression on me, as many had been converted into parks and museums open to the general public. I remember asking, "how could this be?" I was astounded to see these massive, decaying brownfields turned into centers of culture, amusement, and thriving businesses. In the United States, it seems like most of these kinds of places are the exact opposite, unless the existing structures have been completely leveled and remediated.
While exploring some places in Mississippi, we came across this decrepit sign for Royal Land - an amusement park that has been closed since the 1970s. When I returned home I wanted to know more about it, and found this wonderful history...
We had planned to hit up the old American Brewery in Baltimore a few years back, but sometimes it's a wiser decision to stay out. The exterior of the building was beautiful, but upon stepping inside one of the gaping holes, it was clear we were not alone... some murmuring was silenced, and a shuffling sound emanated from deep inside the black space. Bad vibes. Never made it back to shoot the inside... ah, well. Heading down the street, a dark castle-like facade rose from the top of a nearby hill. Bright white letters read "Baltimore Cemetery" across the stone, but the cemetery definitely looked very old, and appeared a bit "distressed" as we cruised through.
