On Seminole across the street from the former Motor Lamp factory is the massive Dominion Forge Complex. Once home to giant stamping presses that fabricated parts for the automotive industry, the complex today is used as a warehouse. Stories have it that the presses were so huge and powerful that they shook the ground and caused so much noise to the surrounding neighborhood, that they had to be shut down at 5:00 pm.
An old map of the complex
The “Machine Shop” building
The “Cold Trim” building
The other side of the “Cold Trim” building. The small bump out led to the offices, that have long since been demolished.
Art Deco Influences are visible on the trim on the main facades of the building fronting Seminole.
The rail spurs visible in the map are still active and still in use.
I’d love to get in and explore this complex. It is however still very much in use.
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I've had the privelage of being inside the depths and corners of this building as I used to work security there on the midnight shifts. Not only is it creepy as hell, it's quite interesting and fun to explore. Like the ime I discovered a flase wall, opening up to a spiral wrought iron staircase to the second and third floors (once all glass) as well next to the stair case an old fashioned elevator. I also had the keys to the upstairs of the old machin shop bldg. This is the old locker room and shower area..... it is still seemingly in the state it was when abandoned so many years ago.....old work boots and various other affects laying around....and again, creepy as hell. It was fun to explore on a nightly basis...so many nooks and cranies simply forgotten about over the years as a wharehouse.....
Apparently I missed some letters while I typed hehehehe oops...
I have a few pictures of this complex from the other end, when we entered from the rail road tracks. We were exploring around the outside and had to run away when we saw some people :)
Maybe this will be a place worthwhile to place a phone call to and ask permission to photograph? I can do the legwork for this if you'd be interested..
A bit more for ya.... DF was the first Forge in Canada and was established at the request of Henry Ford to make parts for his operations to save from shipping across the river. DF became more diversified in the 30's and 40' and WW II sure helped the cause.... in the 60's they were booming with about 900 employees... come 1987 a labour dispute put a hold on all HOT forge operations but the bosses still did the COLD forge works... finally in 1989 they shut her down for good.... I'm not to sure when the Hearn's boys took the property over but I remember as a kid the property being pretty empty and scary looking..... anyway just my 2 cents....
A security guard once told me that he worked there as well, and your description pretty well mirrors what he recounted to me, including the bit about the abandoned locker room. He also claims that the building is "haunted". I know that sounds pretty wild but he seemed to really believe what he was saying. I've worked in the formerly abandoned Kelsey-Hayes buildings back before they were either raised or converted to other uses (ie. 1991-92). And they creaked and groaned and made all kinds of wierd noises even in a light wind, so who knows what is going on at Hearn's as well.
hmmm wonder who that security guard could have been...... oh well ;)
His first name was Ryan. You think you might have known him from when you worked there?
This is another account we serviced when I first started working in 1985. We had to back our truck in between the buildings, and then back in to the maintenance shop to make deliveries. As mentioned the company closed after the labour dispute. I only have memories of the times I was in there, no photos. Never thought to try to get photos as we were too busy earning a living.
yeah I think I know him pretty well.... hehehehheheeh
Hello...I worked in the cold forge for a few years...also worked in the board and upsetter shops,The people who I worked with are among the best I ever have...there was a sense of lets get it done....more like a team almost family....