Delco Manufacturing Plant
Rochester, NY

In the beginning of the 20th Century, Rochester was one of the largest hubs of industrial manufacturaing in Western New York. As the automotive industry boomed in the 1940s and 1950s, companies like Delco built large facilities like this one on Lyell AVe. in Rochester. As manufacturing declined in the 1970s and 1980s, Delco sold the facility to multiple owners who divided the giant complex into partitions. Most of these smaller companies in turn abandoned their shares of the complex and the Delco plant became a spot for local drug addicts and teens. In June 2003, a pair of drunk and high teens started a magnificent seven-alarm fire that leveled half of the complex. The City of Rochester demolished what was left of the charred building, but two-thirds of the complex still remain. Still a haven for drug abusers (as evidenced by several hypodermic needles), the Delco plant is experiencing rapid environmental damage and decay. Almost every surface was glazed with ice, and gaping holes in the roof let in snow. Someone had apparently shot out a few windows with a handgun. Car parts littered one area that seemed like a garage. Creaking stairs and splintering floors tell us that humans are not welcome here. Let's begin the tour...