By Jess Parsons
On July 2nd, 1918, a TNT plant in Syracuse, NY exploded. 50 people died and countless others suffered permanent injuries. Originally, the plant was a limestone quarry, but it transformed into a munitions factory during World War I and became one of only 18 suppliers of artillery shells for American troops. After the disaster, it was abandoned. Today, all that remains is the original, 75-feet-tall, limestone rock crusher.
Image courtesy of Adventures in New York
Known solely as “The Rock Crusher,” explorers from all over Central New York visit this 1,000 acre site. Some come looking for the tunnels thought to be haunted by those killed in the explosion, while others prefer to hike the endless desire paths formed by mountain bikers, runners, and walkers. Though some locals frequent this site to enjoy its natural beauty, many are deterred not only by its history but its eerie seclusion.
The Dead End / Path leading to the Rock Crusher according to Google Maps Street View, April 2023
Close by, there are neighborhoods full of middle-class families who are thankful to live near a unique historical site. Many residents walk their dogs on its trails, and the local police and firemen once had their own shooting range and a designated area for target practice (an interesting fact to examine with its militaristic history). However, it is most notorious for partying.
For generations (since the 1970s, if not earlier), young adults and teenagers used The Rock Crusher to party and called it their own. Contrary to what one may assume, the gatherings here were intimate, consisting of small bonfires with friends rather than big local blowouts. According to an interviewee, those who found solace here were typically neighborhood kids with rougher home lives and less restrictions because of the freedom it provided. Its remote location prevented police from frequenting often, so friends drank, smoked, and graffitied in peace. Thus, around 8pm each weekend, small friend groups would flock here to let loose until about 1 or 2am.
Images of graffiti courtesy of Adventures in New York
Syracuse experienced a heroin and fentanyl crisis in 2016, and grungier white suburban youth were most susceptible. The kids who frequented the Rock Crusher were those who were affected. Its lack of surveillance attracted dealers, and the space became one riddled with paraphernalia. As the epidemic spread, the Crusher and its identity suffered. Heartbreakingly so, I remember the police were called to the dead end more and more often as overdoses spiked. Tourists still visited during the day, but at night, it was no place to go.
Around 2017, surveillance cameras were installed, and the partying and drug-use dispersed. There have been a few cases of individuals going missing since then, but otherwise, the Crusher is mostly peaceful.
The lefthand image is from July 2011 and the righthand image is from April 2023.
Today, there are efforts to preserve the Rock Crusher as a historical site. Whether or not these initiatives succeed will depend on the community’s resolve to maintain the Crusher as a safe space for visitors. As seen on reddit, the Crusher holds a place in many people’s hearts and will continue to do so for decades.
This is a really interesting local perspective Jess, thanks for sharing.
When I first read the history of the Rock Crusher, I was expecting that the subject of the remainder of the blog post would be about the ethics of founding a new place in a location where a tragedy took place. I was a little surprised that wasn’t the case, and that instead it transformed into a place where young people gathered to party and socialize. Maybe it’s been long enough that people don’t feel as much of an emotional connection to the place, or perhaps the very nature of the tragedy young adults who purposely wanted to show a certain irreverence.
I also find this place fascinating because it’s a clear example of how a clearly defined and small place can change drastically throughout its history. Initially it was a limestone quarry, and then a munitions factory during World War I. After the explosion, for many people it likely became a reminder of the tragedy. I imagine this respectful attitude was held for a while, but eventually it was transformed again, into what seems to be a gathering to express counter-culture. Finally, with the 2016 opioid epidemic, it became a much more dangerous and surveilled place. It’s an interesting example of how a the physical structure of one location can be largely unchanged for over 100 years, but during that time, what “kind of place” it is can drastically change. Going from a place of production to the site of a tragedy to a trendy hang out spot to a sketchy gathering place for drug users. It’s really cool to hear about such a local example that I surely wouldn’t have heard of otherwise.
Hi Jess,
I really enjoyed this post. I found it so fascinating how one site can have so many identities throughout the years and mean so much to so many different people. I think you did a good job explaining how the Rock Crusher transitioned through its different eras. I will be interested to see how this landmark evolves. My guess is that if Syracuse decides to move forward with the preservation of the the Rocker Crusher as a historical site, it will be curated to display the original accident in 1918, and its’ uses and identities since then will be lost/written out of history.
Jess, reading your blog post “The Rock Crusher: Through a Local’s Eyes,” I was struck by the evolution of the place. It’s interesting how a quarry through disaster and abandonment would come to attract people for various reasons. I immediately thought of Jane Jacob’s diversity of use. Additionally, it was intriguing that despite its multipurpose use the site is attractive to some visitors and not to others. You presented how the history and remoteness of the place can ward people away. That remoteness invited exploration for adventurers and freedom for the neighborhood kids. The shifting of the place’s meaning with the heroin and fentanyl crisis demonstrated yet another evolution for the Rock Crusher. There was still Jacob’s diversity of uses with tourists during the day but the drug use altered its nighttime hangout identity. This return of the Rock Crusher as a place of peace and a historical site is interesting in terms of preservation. From the pictures you posted, the graffiti evidence of the party nightlife of the Rock Crusher still stands. While efforts work to make the place historical, it will continue to hold and preserve its more recent uses.