Columbus, Ohio
This monster of an abandoned factory complex was once the Columbus
Coated Fabrics plant. Which at one point employed more than 2,000
people. It sat empty for two years, after closing due to the
combination of strikes over the years and the economy. The
building was in the process of being demolished when it caught
fire in May of 2005.
The building's name has changed several times through the years, as
well as its products. The 700,000 square foot building opened in
1902 under the name of Columbus Oil Cloth. They manufactured horse
blankets and buggy tops. It wasnt untill 1929 when the factory
became Columbus Coated Fabrics, and expanded it's production to
upholstery and table cloths. During World war II the plant
manufactured life rafts, life jackets, and hospital sheets.
Whats left of the factory still holds quite a bit of exploration
value. Dozens of buildings, most with basements, catwalks,
multiple floors, huge machinery, and tons of items left behind
after it closed it's doors. It can be maze like as you try to
navigate through the many buildings, and the pitch black basements.
In one basement room the floor was covered with small, round,
colorful rocks. In some spots it was more than a foot deep withZ
these little things. We're not sure what they are. My best guess
was that they were some sort of byproduct from the latex dyes. If
anyone has a better idea as to what they might be, please email us
at greatlakesurbanex@gmail.com.
This building with it's size and complexity, along with it's rich
history, makes it a gem in the Columbus UE necklace. How ever,
the combination of partial demolition, and extensive fire damage,
has left this building in a dangerous state. Please, please,
please be careful if you should decide to explore here.
