Abandoned - The story of a forgotten America.

Winding Gulf Churches

Mining in the Winding Gulf coalfield of West Virginia began in the early 1900s, producing low-volatile smokeless coal, including metallurgical coal suitable for use in steel making. Mining was centered on the thick Beckley seam until it was economically exhausted by the 1950s, and the Pocahontas seam until the late 1980s.

But after the coal seams were exhausted, these coal camps were all but abandoned and today, only a few reminders of this booming era remain.

I was pretty excited to come across two notable churches in the Winding Gulf that are still extant.

Exploring the Old Hospital on College Hill

Years ago, when I first started to explore the coalfields of Appalachia, I would venture down the Tolsia and King Coal highways toward Williamson, West Virginia. Atop College Hill was the old Williamson Memorial Hospital, a place that I had long wanted to venture inside of. On April 11, 2021, I finally had my chance.

The History of Lake Shawnee

The abandoned Lake Shawnee Amusement Park in southern West Virginia is probably home to more ghostly tales than any other place in the region—but they are just that, stories told as truths that have at times come at the expense of Native Americans.

New River Gorge’s Industrial Transformation

The introduction of the railroad to West Virginia’s New River Gorge turned the area into a globally significant coal mining region.

Louisville & Southern Railroad Lexington to Lawrenceburg Division

Derelict Railroad Cars in Kentucky

Many years ago, I hiked out to these derelict cabooses, passenger cars, and miscellaneous cars along the former Louisville & Southern Railway Lexington to Lawrenceburg Division in central Kentucky.

Presidents Park

With the inauguration of United States President Joseph R. Biden, Jr. today, I wanted to share a history and gallery of 43 crumbling effigies of the presidents of the United States that stand in a field near Williamsburg, Virginia.

A White Christmas at Limeville

It’s been a long ten years since we had a white Christmas down in northeast Kentucky. I took advantage of the serenity and beauty to stop at Limeville.

Granny’s House

The aptly nicknamed “Granny’s House” is an abandoned circa 1840 Colonial-style residence filled with furnishings and antiques in Massachusetts.

Church of the Transfiguration Collapse

Regretfully, the roof of the long-abandoned Church of the Transfiguration in Buffalo, New York collapsed during a storm yesterday.

Essex County Home and Farm Home Building and Milk Building / Dry Store Building

The Essex County Home and Farm

It’s not common to come across an intact county home and farm, but a well preserved and unique example lies tucked away in a remote corner of New York thanks to a preservation-minded caretaker.

Totuskey Creek Store

The Totuskey Creek Store is an abandoned mercantile stand along the still waters of Totuskey Creek near Warsaw, Virginia.

Exploring the Poplar Hill Mansion

See what’s inside Poplar Hill, an abandoned mansion most famously owned by the Dunnington family in rural Virginia.

The Brumaghim Family Farm

Nestled within the verdant expanses of upstate New York, one finds a solitary remnant of the past, an abandoned dwelling dating back to the 1880s.

Ventures Into a Collapsing Abandoned House

Have you ever crossed the threshold into a house teetering on the brink of oblivion, its very foundation clinging to life by the narrowest of margins?

Renovation Progress at the Morris Memorial Hospital Site

My journey through West Virginia a few days ago took me by the former Morris Memorial Hospital for Crippled Children in Milton. I had been wanting to conduct aerial photography of the site for some time and see how much progress had been made in converting it into the Grand Patrician Resort & Spa!

Tennessee State Penitentiary Tornado Aftermath

Tornado Destroys Tennessee State Penitentiary Overnight

A storm in Nashville produced two tornados, killing 19 individuals and destroying many buildings, including parts of the Tennessee State Penitentiary.

Tailings

After losing my first drone, a GoPro Karma, to a tree and ultimately Tupper Lake in the Adirondack Mountains of New York over a year ago, I have been itching to get back in the air. And since that faithful day, I’ve been wanting to capture this massive tailing pile and concentrating plant. I finally got the chance to yesterday after a fresh snowfall blanketed the region.