During a recent trip to visit Erin in Pittsburgh, our friend Shannon stole me away for the afternoon. Erin was working, and with never having spent much time in Pittsburgh, Shannon offered to tour me around.
After having our first location's attempt ruined by torrential rains, we ended up on the other side of town. The moment we turned the corner, I knew we had arrived. Across from a barren, littered piece of property, this enormous, intricate church sat peacefully.
As Shannon explained, this is one of Pittsburgh's most "famous" spots to explore and photograph. It is wide open, at least for the time being, but often becomes home to squatters.
The detail in every column, archway, and stairwell was mind-blowing. It always saddens me to see such gorgeous pieces of architecture become unloved, and simply left there to crumble to the ground.
Although Shannon has visited this property more than once, the thought of the bell towers had never come to her. "Are they climbable? ...can you still get to the top?" I asked. She replied that she had never tried, and had not a clue. Let the hundreds of sketchy stairs begin!
Once reaching the highest-obtainable point of the Western bell tower (there were two), I noticed something on the roof, leading up to it's peak.
A ladder. An aluminum extension ladder, laid and affixed to the roof, as I've seen and climbed a handful of times before. I couldn't exactly tell where or how it was attached, but after triple-checking it's sturdiness, I began my ascent. When reaching the top, I was glad to know that the only thing holding this ladder to the roof was indeed another ladder.
Be sure to check out Shannon's Flickr for more outstanding shots from all around the Midwest. And a huge, hilarious "thank you" for this incredible image of myself:
Until next time, Pittsburgh...
- Jason Unoriginal
ahhh the ladder holding the other ladder! love it.
ReplyDeleteSO sketchy! ...but that's JUST how I like it. =]
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