Damaged by flooding in 1981, the former Austin Athletic Club in Austin, Texas, stood abandoned for 26 years. It was built in the 1920s, a time that conjures images of pommel horses supporting men with handlebar mustaches named Phineas (a popular name for handlebar mustaches).
It was the capital city's first rec center, serving the city for more than 5 decades, stretching back to a time when rec centers were used for exercise rather than D&D tournaments.
Deeming the building beyond repair, the city finally allocated the funds to tear it down in September 2007. Fortunately, a friend of mine dragged me there for an impromptu photo shoot the April just prior.
The ravages of time and water on the 81-year-old building's wooden structure did not disappoint in either aesthetics or perilous excitement, and I came away with a fair set of photos, which I've finally gotten around to posting here at the Roadside Resort.
