26 Old Abandoned Buildings in Oregon That’ll Amaze You

by | May 11, 2016 | News, Photography | 20 comments

As a kid, I loved digging in the dirt on my grandfather's property way out in rural Oregon. I would always find great pieces of history, like an old vintage 7-Up bottle.

These incredible old structures are frozen in time, and no matter what the history may be, there's always a story to tell inside those walls. Sometimes even if we don't know anything about who lived there, or what happened there, it's almost more fun to let it remain a mystery. Some of these buildings we don't know much about, other than the fact that they are somewhere in Oregon. A lot of these photos I come across on great photo sites such as Flickr, or browsing the web stumbling across another awesome photographer in Oregon.

We'd like to thank Abandoned Oregon via Facebook, and all of the photographers who get out there and take these great photos for helping with this article today!

 

1. Abandon school in Grass Valley

Neal Wellons / Flickr

Neal Wellons / Flickr

Here is a gorgeous school in Grass Valley. Unfortunately I don't know any of the history on this place, anyone else with some knowledge care to share?

 

2. Beautiful old farmhouse

home2

Danielle Denham / thePDXphotographer

Easily one of the most beautiful and enchanting abandoned homes I've ever seen in Oregon. This farmhouse sat somewhere between Gervais and Aumsville, Oregon and has since been moved to another location. I love the blue trim on this one! Danielle never disappoints with her incredible photos all over Oregon.

3. The Carson Homestead

Fascinating homestead in Beech Creek, Oregon. The Carson family lived here in the late 1800s, Danielle even found old paperwork here with their name on it! You can read more about them here at findagrave.com.

 

4. Creepy abandoned home

Thomas Shahan / Flickr

Thomas Shahan / Flickr

An amazing photo, evoking the chill and cold of the day at this abandoned home. The photographer did not disclose where this old mysterious home resides, but we do know its somewhere in Oregon.

 

5. An abandoned cement plant in Lime

Roadsidepictures / Flickr

Roadsidepictures / Flickr

First a town, later a factory: Eponymous Lime was incorporated in 1899 ((Lewis A. McArthur,Oregon Geographic Names, Sixth ed. (Portland, Ore: Oregon Historical Society Press, 1992), 508. )), amidst natural limestone deposits along the Burnt River in eastern Oregon. The rugged yellow hills that hem its steep valley hide it from the Snake River, just a mile or two to the east. You could probably, if feeling hale, stomp to the top of the slopes behind the abandoned ghost-plant and stare down at Idaho, yonder.

The plant itself was built by Sun Portland Cement Co. in the 1920s to provide concrete for the construction of the Owyhee Dam ((McArthur, 508.)). Read more here about this plant.

 

6. Home near Deschutes River

Jon Kraft / Facebook

Jon Kraft / Abandoned Oregon

It'd be interesting to know more about this old house. Jon captured an incredible photo here!

 

7. Aurora shot in eastern Oregon

mike

Mike Paek / Abandoned Oregon

The aurora he caught here is absolutely stunning! He put a red light in the old home for special effects.

8. Old log cabin

Leon Burkholder / That Oregon Life

Leon Burkholder / That Oregon Life

Here is an abandoned log cabin located 2.7 miles east of Mosier Oregon, along the old Gorge Highway which Leon captured Apr. 30, 2016. One of many great photos from Mr. Burkholder!

9. Old Methodist church

rose

Rose Surcamp / Abandoned Oregon

This fascinating old church sits in Grass Valley, Oregon. Incredible shot, I especially love the snow in this photo.

 

10. Old home in Kahneeta

Jon Kraft / Abandoned Oregon

Jon Kraft / Abandoned Oregon

Another old home from Jon.

11. The last dawn in Sherman County

Jason Rydquist / Flickr

Jason Rydquist / Flickr

Photographed in recent years after a hard summer thunderstorm. Look at that dark dry wood and neon green mosses soak up the night's rain and morning's sunshine.

This famous farmstead has since been leveled— only the windmill from which this image was photographed remains.

1892 Land Office Records attribute the homestead claim to John Donohue.

12. Orange Crush in Kent

Mike Edwards / Facebook

Mike Edwards / Facebook 

I've seen this old gas station photographed quite a bit! One of the coolest I've seen, Mike Edwards took this great photo, and he has easily become one of my favorite photographers!

 

13. Lost in the Ochocos

Mike Edwards / Abandoned Oregon

Mike Edwards / Abandoned Oregon

Lost in the Ochocos. Four Horsemen Hotel. The Four Horseman Hotel housed the miners for the Blue Ridge mine and other nearby cinnabar mines from 1930-1958. It now sits abandoned on the Blue Ridge site.

 

14. Cold memories from Dufur

Mike Edwards / Abandoned Oregon

Mike Edwards / Abandoned Oregon

I absolutely love the snow in this photo. Another great shot from Mike, this looks like a painting!

15. Sometimes the ol' piano plays itself

pdx

Danielle Denham / thePDXphotographer

Here's one I was able to see for myself. Part of this old home had been burnt down, and was quite fascinating. Just south of Corvallis with Danielle we came across this abandoned home, and found this incredible old piano.

 

16. Abandoned yet not forgotten

Ian Sane / Flickr

Ian Sane / Flickr

Located out in the middle of nowhere in eastern Oregon between The Dalles and Dufur this old Victorian home is as charming as ever, enticing photographers from all over the Pacific Northwest. The area is picturesque and quiet.

 

 

17. Old yellow on Eight Mile Road

8mile

Gary / Flickr

This home 'Old Yellow' sits on Eight Mile Road, near The Dalles, in central Oregon.

18.Big green in Astoria

astoria

Leon Burkholder / Abandoned Oregon

 

Doesn't have quite the same charm as The Goonies house in Astoria does it? There's something really eerie about this home to me!

19. Old rail station

railstation

Jay Dutson / Abandoned Oregon

This an old rail station is located between Sherwood, Wilsonville, and Tualatin on Tonquin Loop.

 

20. Pirtle Transfer Station

Here's a photo from Melissa, captured at the old Pirtle Transfer Station. This station is just south of Albany. Though not a super large building, you can tell it was once a beautiful hub along the Oregon Electric Railroad. Head over to her website (here) which you can see more.

 

21. Airlie House

Another great shot from Melissa of a charming old farm house on Arlie Road.

 

22. Chainsaw massacre in The Dalles

Anthony Krueger / Abandoned Oregon

Anthony Krueger / Abandoned Oregon

Windows Xp Wallpaper Meets Texas Chainsaw Massacre. 10 minutes out of The Dalles, Oregon captured May 11, 2016.

23. Hard times

Gary / Flickr

Gary / Flickr

Gary mentioned in this photo both the home and the old Chrysler are abandoned. The car has a cracked windshield and the body is in bad shape. Maybe the people were down on their luck and just left everything behind? Somewhere in rural Yamhill, Oregon.

 

24. Old farmhouse in Fisher Mill

Gary / Flickr

Gary / Flickr

The roof is caving in, but this abandoned house was once a beauty. The gate is for a new farmhouse down the drive. .... On a rural road near Fisher Mill, in Oregon.

25. Ol' mossy cabin

Gary / Flickr

Gary / Flickr

This old mossy roofed cabin has been abandoned for who knows how long. Captured near ZigZag in NW Oregon.

 

26. Abandoned on the tracks

Ben Carlson / Abandoned Oregon

Ben Carlson / Abandoned Oregon

Ben took this incredible photo recently! Can you say jaw-dropping? He writes:

The abandoned railcars sit on the abandoned side track across from the abandoned house. I've used a unique light-painting technique to illuminate and capture the subjects with multiple eight-second images that are assembled in a post-production process.

 

Have you visited any of these places we have listed? Do you have any photos you'd like to share with us? Feel free to drop us a line at [email protected] or join our group on Facebook (click here for link).


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Written By Tyler James

Tyler James, founder of That Oregon Life, is a true Oregon native whose love for his state runs deep. Since the inception of the blog in 2013, his unbridled passion for outdoor adventures and the natural beauty of Oregon has been the cornerstone of his work. As a father to two beautiful children, Tyler is always in pursuit of new experiences to enrich his family’s life. He curates content that not only reflects his adventures but also encourages others to set out and create precious memories in the majestic landscapes of Oregon. Tyler's vision and guidance are integral to his role as publisher and editor, shaping the blog into a source of inspiration for exploring the wonders of Oregon.

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