Ghost Towns Require an Eerie Type of Maintenance
The town of Bodie, California, located in the eastern Sierra Nevada, has been abandoned for over 100 years. In the 1880’s, Bodie was a thriving town of nearly 10,000 residents and now is riddled with abandoned homes, warehouses, hotels, saloons and other buildings. Bodie is now a state park and is managed by Brad Sturdivant and his staff. They focus on the most important elements of the buildings – the foundations and roofs. Why? Because to keep tourists coming to the town the buildings need to stay standing. There is a real twist to the type of maintenance the state performs on Bodie’s many buildings; they must maintain them to not only remain standing and functional, but also to appear like they are about to fall flat on their face. An odd challenge, but one that Bodie’s caretakers take seriously. You can read more here.
