The Ingersoll Rand facility, slated for demolition, was the town's biggest employer for decades.
History always seems to catch Frank Greenagel's eye.
The amateur photographer over several decades has captured images of ancient Southwest ruins to grain elevators of the Great Plains, as well as a photographic inventory of historic and notable sites around Phillipsburg, where he resides.
When he received an invitation in the spring to tour the soon-to-be-demolished Ingersoll Rand site in town, Greenagel said he naturally grabbed his camera.
"I thought I might get a few good images from the visit," he said, "but the place was inspirational -- the light and shadows, the heavy structural elements, wood, brick and metal textures, even fine filigree in places -- it was a target-rich area for a photographer."
He gathered several hundred images from that and subsequent tours, compiling about 80 in his photo-essay book "Leave Not a Rack Behind." The book is almost entirely black-and-white images without commentary, providing what may be a final look inside the industrial buildings of what was for decades Phillipsburg's largest employer.
A developer has proposed building an eight-warehouse complex totaling 4 million square feet at Commerce Park, the 400-acre site in Phillipsburg and Lopatcong Township that included Ingersoll Rand. Demolition has begun but was recently stalled over environmental regulations.
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Greenagel in a statement said the book is "not meant to romanticize the remains or lament the loss, but to preserve a photographic record of a half-dozen, now mostly empty buildings."
But in the book's short foreword, he acknowledges that the images may hold a deeper meaning for some:
"The thousands of people who worked there will recognize and recall times and events, sounds and perhaps even smells that might lock onto an image here. For a few of the buildings one might infer something of the magnitude of the operation and the complexity of the drills, compressors and diesel engines that were manufactured here. Locals will understand. No one who did not grow up in the vicinity, who never worked here or had a close relative working at the plant can fully appreciate the centrality of Ingersoll Rand life to Phillipsburg in the 1940s, 50s or 60s."
Erin Murphy, a principal with developer Opus Investments, said the initial tour came from a request through the mayor's office and local historical society.
"It wasn't even a decision for us," she said. "The presence of Ingersoll Rand has had an impact on Phillipsburg and the surrounding area for over 100 years, and we agreed that it was important that it be preserved through photos and artifacts."
"Leave Not a Rack Behind" is available on Amazon.com and CreateSpace.com.
Steve Novak may be reached at snovak@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @type2supernovak and Facebook. Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook.