By Daily Mail Reporter
Published: | Updated:
In its heyday the White Pines resort in Poconos was a haven for garment workers who could relax with their families, enjoy sports and shows.
Today, all that is left is a series of crumbing buildings, damaged by the severe Pennsylvania winters that have hit since it was forced to close in 1990.
Philadelphia photographer Matt Hurst has documented the dated decor of the forest resort, where members of the International Ladies' Garment Workers' Union would come to relax.
Abandoned: White Pines in Poconos used to be a resort for union workers
Expand your horizons: Lectures and workshops were available for the holiday-makers
Dated: A heart-shaped hot tub on a platform is still at a now deserted honeymoon resort nearby
Abandoned for more than 20 years, the Pennsylvania resort stands as a reminder of mid-century style, according to the Huffington Post.
Block concrete buildings give way to dark wood interiors and bright orange soft furnishings. At a nearby honeymoon retreat, fake foliage still hangs around a plastic heart-shaped hot tub, raised on a green-carpeted platform.
'I was immediately attracted to and intrigued by the Brutalist architecture of the main building,' Hurst said.
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'While the facilities here are not scheduled for any demolition that I am aware of, the elements are doing their part to hasten its demise.'
At its height, the garment union had 451,000 members, who were able to use the forest resort at subsidized cost.
Summer sports, theater shows and concerts were put on for the workers and their families, as well as enriching lectures.
Retreat: Cabins for vacationers are still nestled in the forests
Music: The vacationers may be long gone but a piano remains
Contact: In the days before cell phones, union workers would have used this phone box to call home
Drained: Murky shallow water is all that is left in the resort pool
Honeymoon suite: Fake foliage can be seen creeping into this room for honeymooners
It even earned the praise of Eleanor Roosevelt, who wrote after visiting it in 1945: 'You could not put children in a more favorable environment.'
After being inspired by the derelict 'worker's paradise', which he noted was free from the usual graffiti and vandalism, Hurst also photographed a nearby resort for honeymooners, which included heart-shape hot tubs and red bedroom walls.
However, White Pines reflected a transition in history that appealed to the photographer.
'The transition of White Pines from a thriving, modern "worker's paradise" to crumbling ruins depicts both the difficulties the region has faced in attracting clientele as well as the struggle of the organized labor movement in the United States,' he said.
Full house: Tens of thousands of union members and their families visited the resort
Debris: The fake logs from an electrical fire are left on the floor of one of the resort rooms
Broken: A plastic heart-shaped tub has been ripped from its fittings
Games room: Mildewy seats are lined up next to a bar
Forgotten: The once-thriving resort has been deserted since 1990
Damage: Glass in the windows of many of the buildings has been smashed
Ghost towns: The once bustling buildings now remain empty
Return to nature: Weeds and grass are slowly taking over the walk ways
Desolate: Bits of piping and dead leaves litter an entrance hall
Wild: Trees encroach on the main brick built building
Oppressive: The brutalist look to the resort is what first attracted the photographer
Smashed: The broken glass and blinds at this window allow a glimpse into the dark interior
Chilling: Frost-covered plants and greenery grow under a broken ceiling panel
End of an era: As membership dwindled, the resort closed in 1990
Erased: Stains can be seen on the carpets and creeping up the walls of the club house
Dated: The wood paneling and burnt orange soft furnishings hint at an earlier era
Grime: Dirt obscures the large windows that would once have offered views of the surrounding woodland
Disrepair: Large chunks of the ceiling litter the floor of some rooms
Rusting: Harsh winters have rusted the doors to one of the resort's buildings
Cut off: A broken telephone has been dumped with other debris on the floor
Broken: Parts of the union's resort have been unable to weather the Pennsylvania winters
Left overs: An assortment of furniture and broken off ceiling are scattered on this floor
