Pine Bluff - Part 2

I was still taking pictures in downtown Pine Bluff when another train whistle shattered the quiet morning air, so I hurried back over to the train station. I had another idea for a composition there and just needed another train to pass by. So I got to the station, set up the tripod and the camera. I got the focus set just as the last car on the train (with perfect comedic timing) hurried down the tracks.



I gathered all the camera stuff back up and went back to the car. I drove around downtown, passing by this old building. It looks like it's being used as a restaurant (The Duck Inn Chateau). I'm assuming that they offer cheese and quackery on the menu.



And then a stop here as well:



After that I went by this sort of alley, which ran behind several old buildings. The backsides of the buildings were full of interesting colors, textures and details.













Then I went by Saenger Theater, which was at one time one of the most opulent buildings in the city. The theater was built in 1924 and was called the "Showplace of the South."



The theater closed in 1975, and has been left empty and alone for a few decades since. It's a beautiful old building that is full of history.

opulent

Next door to the theater is an old building which looks like it has been left abandoned for awhile. The doors and windows are covered with boards that have been painted to look like doors and windows.



And then I heard another train whistle. So I again packed everything up and made the return trip to the old train station. This time I arrived just as another freight train was passing by the station. I managed to get the camera and everything set up in time to get a few pictures, this time with the passing train reflected in a window.



There must have been some sort of traffic jam on the rail lines, since the train rolled to a stop in front of the station. The train blocked a nearby intersection, and the train crossing warning bell loudly echoed off the nearby buildings.



After having spent too much time loafing on the platform, I got back in the car and then passed by this old building.



And since the backdoor was open, I decided to have a little peek inside. The roof and ceiling of the building had all rotten and collapsed, covering the floor with debris. But standing up against the wall in bright red was this old sign.



There was some trash left on the old sign, water bottles and tin cans of food. I'm guessing that maybe some people had been hanging out here (or trying to camp), although the building was silent and empty on this visit.







One interesting detail here was that the second floor and roof of the building were both gone.



But although the actual floor of the second floor is gone, this door still stands ajar above the debris-strewn ground below.





Wonder how long ago this furniture store was open?



Nearby is the old Crown Motel, which has closed and is now boarded up. In front of the building is the old swimming pool, filled in with dirt.





And every time I'm here, I always try to drive by the old Knox House. It was built back in 1885, and still looks elegant even if it is slowly falling apart. Apparently it isn't actually abandoned, someone still lives in the back part of the house that has been sectioned off from the front. There were cars parked in the carport, and a dog in the yard.



Later on I had to quickly stop and get a picture of this rusty blue car parked in front of an old house with peeling yellow paint. The car is probably a 1984 Oldsmobile Delta 88.



And a bit later I had to make another quick stop, at this old church that had some gorgeous old stained glass windows. I tried but wasn't able to find out anything about its history.





On the edge of town, there was this interesting old house.



And one last shot from Pine Bluff, from the Arkansas Railroad Museum. The museum is a large building that was constructed for the Cotton Belt railroad in 1894. Inside are many old historic trains, including a few steam trains. Loafing in the museum is probably allowed.