kingsbury ordnance plant

AN EXPLORATION OF THE PAST

Bomb shelters, ammunition storage bunkers, grass igloos, and high explosive factories: just a few components of the war effort that took place in the United States during both World War II and the Korean War. Due to unmanageable contamination and costly maintenance, many former ammunition factories were abandoned, and remain derelict and forgotten.

Located in LaPorte County, Indiana, the Kingsbury Ordnance Plant is only one of approximately seventy-three different plants constructed throughout the United States during this time period. Although many of the buildings once located on the some 13,000 acres no longer exist, I photographed the majority of the plant’s remains in 2011 for historical documentation.

This series of images provide a rare glimpse into some of the operations executed at the plant. They represent symbols like the American war effort and women entering the workforce for the first time. They also exemplify the country's lack of proper environmental remediation.