About the Project

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Portland, OR, United States
We are embarking on a project to document historical downtowns in America before they crumble. Many downtowns in former industrial towns and cities, such as Detroit, St. Louis, and Camden, NJ used to be booming industrial towns. Now storefronts stand abandoned and rotting, no one walks around and there are few cultural activities. We plan on photodocumenting large and small declining cities and towns alike, mostly in the Rust Belt and Texas. We are also interested in finding solutions that revitalize and restore these crumbling downtowns.

Monday, May 30, 2011

Clay City

Clay City, Indiana.

It could be one of any small midwestern towns. Population 861, but it's the self-proclaimed Mayberry of the Midwest.

A Google Earth tour of downtown Clay City reveals that this downtown is not abandoned. There are businesses present, but the appearance seems run down, a shell of its former glory. But the derelict nature of this main street presents a great opportunity for revitalization. Most buildings appear intact, waiting for the type of investment that would make this a charming downtown area.

This seems possible as Clay City was recently included in the Indiana Main Street Program.




A pocket park in this vacant lot would be an affordable way to add amenity to the neighborhood.

Solid architecture in Clay City can benefit from facade improvements.

Intact, and interesting row of storefronts. Widened sidewalks and street trees would improve the look and feel of the downtown area.
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