Whittier, Pt. 2a: The Buckner Building

Here is a special Halloween bonus set of pictures from the Buckner Building -- the creepy abandoned building in Whittier. Remember that this thing is full of toxins including asbestos and lead paint, all of which continues to decay and decay and rot and blow around in the rooms so not only are you trespassing, you are risking long term health issues with extended exploration. Further, in some of the pictures you can see calcium deposits leeching from the beams and growing in the form of stalactites. Please note that as water seeps into the cracks in the beans and freezes it expands, weakening the structure. It was rightly pointed out that one modest earthquake could send major portions of the building toppling down.



Regardless, the amount of graffiti and man-made destruction is what you would expect for a building of this type and upkeep. There are no panes of glass in the window frames and the arctic winds cause what few doors are left to smash against their frames. The floors are icy and fallen beams and electrical systems lay on the ground with nails and wires sticking straight up; wear thick soles and walk gingerly. Because of the cold it was a challenge to keep my viewfinder from fogging up -- breath control did little good as the heat from my face caused condensation to develop.



I went by myself at first -- not recommended -- and made a plan to stick to the areas where a source of daylight was within ten feet. The decision was mostly practical as I had no flash on me and no flashlight to guide me. This limited me to the western side of the building and use of the rickety external stairs -- also not recommended. It must be said, however, that with the Buckner being the tallest thing in the area the views are lovely and unobstructed.