Wayne Mueller, Winston-Salem, N.C.
♦ Some older and obsolete buildings far overstay their welcome. I have been following the story of Salisbury’s Empire Hotel which opened its doors in 1855 and closed its doors in 1963. The interior of this obsolete structure as viewed in the photographic journey appearing in the Rowan Free Press gives strong evidence of deterioration.
http://t-mess.tumblr.com/post/385125119/empire-hotel-salisbury-nc-photos-by-tmess-from
One wonders about the Empire Hotel’s structural integrity. When I last saw this decaying building in the Spring of 2010, the rear external walls showed signs of bowing. I bring the Empire Hotel to your attention because our neighbor High Point recently suffered the collapse of the Kilby Hotel, a structure built in 1910 and jealously protected for too long by area preservationists. Luckily nobody was hurt during the collapse of this hotel some 55 years younger than the Empire.
Here is an article about the Kilby Hotel’s sudden demise at the hands of gravity and natural deterioration:
http://www.hpe.com/news/x2105768883/Part-of-Kilby-Hotel-wall-collapses#.U5o0qW0eyy8.email
Thank You.
