Robinson Switch, A Town Forgotten

I spend a lot of time traveling on county roads, byways, and the old U.S.highways that existed as the main thoroughfares before the interstate system. I enjoy my time on the road searching out the forgotten bits of Americana that still exist.

On one of these trips the other day, I had planned to document an old country church with a Victorian steeple that was leaning and bound to disintegrate shortly. I woke up well before dawn and started the trek (confirmed by satellite imagery) in order to capture it just as the sun crested over the horizon. When I arrived, however, I found that the church had recently succumbed to a controlled burn and all that was left were a few charred cinders and some brick footers.

A little disappointed, I pulled out my map data and decided I would save the day by traveling some unexplored (for me anyway) country roads looking for interesting objects to document for a project I am working on. While I was scanning the map, I realized I was not far from the town of Lowndesboro, AL and that meant that the town of Robinson Switch was nearby as well. I had heard of the Ghost Town, but had not had the opportunity to visit the location. Well, given the time I had after the disappointment with the church, I figured a Ghost Town would be the perfect solution for the great early morning light.

I drove over to the town, expecting it to be hard to find, especially with all the summer growth. It wasn’t. The town itself is actually right on a well traveled road a few hundred yards off a secondary county road. The road was Alabama Red Clay, but that’s not to be unexpected when traveling this far out in the rural country. I recorded as much of the town as I could without risking myself, my gear, and my legality. The area looks as though its being used for dumping lately, which I found a bit disappointing. After finishing up, I spent the rest of the day traveling back to my home documenting several other rural object enroute, but the Town of Robinson Switch will certainly be a highlight of the time I spent living in the deep south.

To see more images of Robinson Switch as well as the story of my time there, please visit my site.

Garrick Morgenweck is a commercial, documentary, and adventure photographer currently based out of Enterprise, Alabama. He is also a Critical Care Flight Paramedic with the United States Army. Having served three combat tours, he brings a unique experience and focused ethic to his work. Part photojournalist, part fine art photographer, his style brings dynamic movement and unique perspectives to any assignment.