Sad Beast of a House in the Southern Wild

[Mira]

On my way home from the now infamous quarry I've been showing you my friend took me by this house where, since she knew the owners, I wasn't even trespassing for a change.

I have such conflicted feelings when I am near a place like this, and they are legion all around me.
One of course is the beauty, and it grabs me, and I don't want anything to happen to it.
Another is the history, so obvious, so poignant, so transient.
A third is the harsh knowledge that it's wrong and sad to have so much deterioration and dangerous, unsanitary leftover breeding ground for trouble all around us. All of you know all about it, wherever you are.

While my chain is already pulled, I JUST a few minutes ago found out that the ice house in Asheville I photographed and brought to you is razed. And the buildings I photographed next to it had all their graffiti sprayed over, and now there are impenetrable rails around those and where I took photos right after Christmas no one is allowed to tread.
It's a way to get out the homeless, and also a way to keep folks like me safe

I feel like my photos are very precious to me now, almost holy, and infamous to boot.

Now, back to the house we saw.













The last one actually looks sort of OK - but I cropped it to be more pleasing and I lost the huge vulcher that was sitting like a black trashbag in the upper branches of the tree.

[bluedigger]

1. It reminds me of the house my GGF built in Pinhook City.

(Pinhook City is part of the metropolis of Bryants' Pond, ME)

"Gramps" was a sawmill worker and built a house sometime between 1900-1920, I guess. It had shingles like your house above the first floor, but each row was a different pattern, and had fairly elaborate porch decoration. I was told the style was "Carpenter Gothic", but I don't know.

Gramps lost three fingers working at the sawmill, and always had cold Moxie in the icebox. His sons teamed up and bought him all the fixtures for a plumbed bath in the Sixties. They were still in the crates in the barn when he died, because the two-holer outhouse was good enough for Gramps.

I hate seeing old homes like that neglected.

[Callalily]

2. Glad to hear that you were

not trespassing and didn't have to worry about someone with a shot-gun sneaking up on you!

Photo 2 is shouting out a story! It certainly appears to have been a very warm and inviting place it's day.

It's wonderful that you had a chance to documents these old relics.

[Dalai_1]

3. The gingerbread

....on the third picture is lovely...many times when you find old houses if you can see underneath them you might
find some lovely old framed pictures..sad they are left behind..
Great finds, Mira, and of course the photography is wonderful

[JDPriestly]

4. Sad. Think of the love that went into the woodwork, the

details.

And think of the love that was lived in that house.

[dmoyer]

5. cool photos

thank you for sharing-

you will probably like this website if you haven't seen it before
right up your alley

http://abandonedporn.com/

keep on taking photos!

[Mira]

6. Thank you so much for the link - I'll get lost on that site

I can tell already.

And WELCOME to DU

[Spitfire of ATJ]

7. This dates back to lead in paint.

[AndyA]

8. It's sad to see houses in this condition.

One wonders what happened that the owner just left for the last time and never returned? All the memories inside those walls, it was once someone's happy home, and they must have been so proud of it.

Structures aren't alive, but they do seem to die slowly when abandoned. It's like whatever energy was there when it was in use dissipates and the long, slow decline begins.

I think these old places have a lot of character, more than any new house could ever have.

[justiceischeap]

9. I use Google Earth to find photos and map locations of abandoned homes

so I can go out and photograph them. I also keep an eye out when I go on my weekend excursions. What I think is even sadder than these abandoned homes is the people who vandalise them.

[AndyA]

10. Vandalizing abandoned homes is just awful

I bought a house this past summer, and while looking I came across several that were owned by Fannie Mae. The plumbing had been winterized, utilities were off, and there they sat. Some had the central A/C units outside stolen, likely for the copper inside. A couple had broken windows, which had been boarded up.

These houses show horribly, and that's part of the reason they're priced so low.

I think the banks and Fannie Mae, etc., would be better off paying people to live in them and fix them up while they're for sale. They would be less likely to be vandalized with occupants, it could give a few people jobs and a place to live, and they would sell for more money, which would increase the value of all houses in the neighborhood and lower the loss for the bank.

Considering the banks are largely responsible for this mess, they ought to participate in correcting the crisis their greed created.

I've seen a few videos on YouTube where very nice houses had been destroyed by vandals tearing out the walls to strip the copper plumbing from the house. That will make it almost impossible that the house will ever be lived in again, due to the expense to repair just the plumbing and drywall.

One urban explorer has a saying, "I leave behind only my footprints, and I take with me only the memories, video, and photos." That's the way it should be.

[justiceischeap]

11. I agree and the folks that take copper are referred to in the Urbex community as scrappers

Those of us that solely want to document these abandoned buildings and homes don't much care for scrappers and taggers.

I came across a couple of homes in Ellicott City this past weekend that are abandoned and were surrounded by very high chain link fences. There really wasn't any way to get into them unless you cut the locks or fences. That is another banks could employ but they don't want to put any more money into it.

[toby jo]

12. I moved into a 1-room schoolhouse that was abandoned, looked even worse than these

but it's a beaut now.

These old homes have gorgeous, graceful bones. Thanks Mira.

How to download photos? I need some help here.

[Mira]

13. I no longer remember

how I figured out photobucket. They hopefully walk you through creating an account and getting started.
If I could do it, how hard can it be?

But the idea is to get a (free) account a www.photobucket.com. Upload a photo into your newly created album there, and then you will next to the photo see 4 links. Get the second one from the top - the direct link.

Paste it into a black message on DU - go to preview - and see if you uploaded it.
Good luck. And Patience.

[toby jo]

14. ! okey dokey

[Mira]

16. I meant "blank" message,

sorry for the typo.

[Paladin]

15. Good Ones

Good shots. Thanks so much for sharing. Reminds me of a lot of old places I see in central Texas.

[ljm2002]

17. That's a great series of photos...

...if I had to pick a favorite I guess I'd pick #3, because it captures the beautiful architecture and the advanced state of decay while being almost an abstract composition.

But I don't think it would have the same effect without the context of the whole set. Very nice!

[sinkingfeeling]

18. The first one reminds me of my house before I began restoration in 1996.

[Mira]

19. Congratulations

I suspect you went through many tribulations and hope you reaped serious rewards on many levels.
Before and after shots???

[sinkingfeeling]

20. I'm still going through tribulations. Made a big mistake: do the exterior before the interior.

I had the old siding taken off in 2011. The poor, old thing had no insulation and no sheaving, so when the siding came off, you were looking at the lath holding the plaster! So, insulated, sheaved, and put on James Harding Cement Board siding. Then noticed all the plaster walls had cracks from that effort! Now, I have to replaster/repair and repaint every room!

I don't think I have any online pictures of it, but will try to look sometime today.

Here's a picture of it right before the new siding project:



And here it is after new siding, and the restoration of the porches, etc. being done:



And here's a little detail:

[Mira]

21. You just made my day! I understand what you are saying about the tribulations

I've re-done some houses myself over time, but nothing like bringing an almost corpse back to life with so much love and dedication.
Be very proud!

[sinkingfeeling]

22. My front porch's paint was identical to your Pic #3. It took 3 guys a month to strip

it off. Of all the projects, I'm proudest of the front porch although it cost me $18,000!

[GeoWilliam750]

23. Very good luck to you

Is this Southeastern Indiana?

[sinkingfeeling]

24. Northwestern Arkansas.