I began my photography journey in 2004 with a simple point-and-shoot camera. By 2006, I had upgraded to a high end point and shoot, and by 2008, I transitioned to my first DSLR. Throughout that growth, the Westinghouse building was always there for me. It became my studio—a "home away from home." Whenever I met someone eager to explore their first abandoned site, this is where I took them. Even models loved shooting there, often running excitedly from one unique backdrop to the next.
Originally constructed in the late 1800s and abandoned around 1979, the building is likely the most frequented ruin in Cleveland. It is massive, offering everything from vibrant graffiti to pitch-black basements. Artists come to tag graffiti, leave physical art pieces, post poems or write statements as if the walls were their open journal.
Its popularity spiked in 2012 after the opening scene of The Avengers was filmed there, featuring Scarlett Johansson as Black Widow. Click HERE for blog.
Back in 2008, it was nicknamed "The Oreo Factory." As the story goes, a group used to meet there to share milk, cookies, and conversation, leading some to mistakenly believe the building actually produced Oreos.
Sometime around 2021, n a graffiti artist created a large tag in the exposed middle area that stated "Welcome to Doom City". This led to some newer explorers referring to the building as "Doom City".
In May of 2026, it was confirmed that Westinghouse will eventually be demolished as part of the "Midline Project". Westinghouse fans protested with signs HERE in this blog.
