Update: Demolished in the summer of 2016. That quiet spot in between the slaughter house and the refrigeration plant always seemed to boast the most lush flora around Armour. It’s weird seeing the site stripped of vegetation now, as it was always so heavily concealed by nature.
Tag: Armour Meat Packing Plant
Up Above the Boilers, Armour, September 2014
Update: Demolished by implosion in the summer of 2016. Climbing the rickety stairs, we emerged up above the boilers, which you can above, with the coal hoppers on the right. There were a whole forest of pipes up here, probably covered in asbestos insulation, and their use is a mystery to me. I assume all…
The Boiler Room, Refrigeration Plant, Armour, September 2014
Update: Demolished by implosion in the summer of 2016. The giant boilers, once searing hot, were being ripped out one by one, by someone. They’re now buried under the rubble from the implosion. Below, here’s a boiler that was dragged a little ways before being abandoned. Above, the pipe that led to the other smokestack…
The Smokestacks, Armour, September 2014
Update: Demolished by implosion in the summer of 2016. The smokestacks were perhaps the most iconic portion of the Armour Meat Packing Plant from the exterior, but they cast a looming presence from the interior, as well.
Armour Revisited for the Final Time, September 2014
Update: Demolished in the summer of 2016. Back in late 2014, I had an opportunity to tour the Armour Meat Packing Plant with the permission of the owner. Now that the plant has been imploded, I assume it is alright to share these photos of what is now gone. The slaughterhouse is being demolished piecemeal,…
Armour, Revisited, Early June 2016
Update: Demolished in the summer of 2016. After the dramatic implosion of the refrigeration plant at Armour in April, demolition is continuing, slowly but surely. It’s actually interesting to look at the building now, released from the heavy vegetation that normally obscured it. The twin smoke stacks are buried somewhere in this pile of rubble….
Armour Meat Packing Plant Coming Down
Update: Demolished in the summer of 2016. On Saturday, probably in order to avoid interrupting traffic on nearby I-70 or the surrounding industrial areas, the first half of the Armour Meat Packing Plant, one of the coolest ruins I have ever had the opportunity to explore, was imploded in a giant cloud of dust. I…
Armour Meat Packing Plant, January 1, 2016
Update: Demolished in the summer of 2016.
Checking in on National City
Update: The packing plant was demolished in the spring of 2016. I went and checked in on that little bit of purgatory, that portion of National City that runs into East St. Louis on the north side of I-64/55. Things are not good. While the Armour Meat Packing Plant still sits in isolation in thick…
Armour Meat Packing Plant, Surviving Another Season
Update: Demolished in the spring and summer of 2016. I’m always amazed to see the Armour Meat Packing Plant still standing whenever I drive by. It must be on its last leg, as the new bridge is opening soon and the property values are supposed to rise. We’ll see.