Abandoned homes tell the tale of an advancing leviathan

Highland Road in what now is the City of Port Washington is a trail of abandoned and abused houses. The homes in the once quiet countryside were sold to a developer by owners who were faced with the choice of accepting generous offers to sell, living beside what will be one of the largest data center complexes in the world or seizure of the properties by eminent domain. The homes were hurriedly vacated, some with furnishing and other items still inside, and have since been damaged in police and firefighters training operations. They will soon be razed as construction of the Vantage Data Centers complex commences.   Photos by Bill Schanen IV and Sam Arendt