A man investigates an abandoned farmhouse built in 1890 with rotting food in the fridge
|More Info newsweek.com
Aman posted scary photos from inside an abandoned 19th-century farmhouse, where food was still decaying in the fridge.
Long Island photographer Bryan Sansivero has spent the last decade shooting structures slowly being reclaimed by nature.
The 36-year-old discovered the remnants of an ancient farmhouse in Maryland that he guessed was 2,160 square feet.
The 1890 building included the vestiges of multiple generations, including a horse-drawn carriage in the barn and children’s toys from the 1990s scattered on the floor.
Sansivero photographed the beautiful inside and posted the images on his Instagram feed, the most current on Saturday after exploring the building in May.
As he told Newsweek, he and a buddy discovered the ruin: “It is so well camouflaged that even the driveway is difficult to spot from the road. There are a few structures on the property, including a dozen or so automobiles, a barn, and a massive truck trailer, none of which can be seen unless you’re almost on top of them. Nature has kept it almost totally concealed from the outer world.
“There were at least three bedrooms, two bathrooms, a spacious living space, a kitchen, and other smaller rooms throughout the house. My thoughts as I walked about were a little unsettling. Something appeared strange about it being left the way it was discovered. Seeing the images and faces all throughout the house gave you the impression that someone was monitoring you. There were a lot of eerie dolls, but those aren’t the kinds of things that frighten me.”
Sansivero discovered property records suggested it was erected in 1890, and he estimates it was abandoned in the mid-2000s.
Family relics were strewn over the huge structure, including books, portraits, personal belongings, and furniture “
This house had numerous artifacts that had been passed down through generations. Photographs are usually the most private objects for me. These, more than anything, evoke melancholy in me. There was an image of a gravestone shot in the 1800s, followed by family photos that appeared to have been taken in the 1990s.
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“Seeing children’s toys such as games and dolls also might elicit a lot of emotions. Many of these toys dated from the 1950s. There was a lot of old stuff, including a bridal gown, and wedding photos were scattered around. “There was a horse-drawn vehicle in the barn that would have been utilized in the early 1900s,” he explained.
“In addition to being a farmer, the owner was a postmaster and mail carrier for decades,” Sansivero added. I believe he delivered mail in the buggy, but I’m not certain.”
Sansivero confessed when he examined the facility that the kitchen had one of the worst scents he’d encountered, due to food left to fester in the fridge.
“It smelt quite musky and moist,” he recalled. The kitchen was one of the most offensively odorous spaces I’d ever encountered. The refrigerator was still full, and decaying food was strewn over the floor. It smelt just like a moldy house that had been abandoned for almost a decade.
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“I assume it was discontinued in the mid-2000s. Based on property documents, but also on artifacts and papers left in the residence. I suppose it was abandoned since no one was left to collect the goods when the owners died.”
Sansivero verified that he always leaves things exactly as he found them, and he recently published a book on his website, American Decay: Inside America’s Forgotten Homes, which features stunning interiors from his research.
“I constantly leave everything behind, hoping that everything would remain as it was. It’s awful to see objects deteriorate, and it’s always tempting to want to save anything, but that’s what makes these locations so photogenic “He said.
He’s explored more than 100 buildings as part of his “hazardous pastime,” and he says the states of New York, Virginia, and Maryland are the greatest for discovering hidden jewels.
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Sansivero recounted some uncommon findings, adding, “I’ve examined houses that were erected in the 1700s, and certain objects dated back to the period of the revolutionary fight.” These antiques, whether in time capsule dwellings or in the possession of an antique collector, dated back to the 18th century. In one of the houses I visited, there was a handmade piano from the mid-1800s. The same one had gone for roughly $30,000 at auction.”
But investigating buildings with a lot of history has its own perils, as he revealed: “Most are risky and others are safe. The floors are frequently sinking in, necessitating extreme caution while stepping. There have been times when I was on the verge of getting hurt, but I’ve been quite fortunate so far.”
And, as Sansivero said, nothing is too startling anymore: “I’ve seen into abandoned research labs. Patient files in closed hospitals, artificial legs, coffins, and so on. If it’s weird, I’ve probably seen it before. I’ll simply say that it’s a dangerous pastime that isn’t for everyone.”
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