The remains of a South Jersey Farm 

Abandoned Farm House by Richard Lewis

Abandoned Farm House by Richard Lewis 2016

I noticed this old abandoned farm house by accident while driving. I just happened to glance at the side of the road and saw it at the end of a long and very overgrown driveway.

The house is a typical early to mid 19th century South Jersey farm house. The right-hand side (top photo) was probably the original house and the left side was most likely added years later. Parts of that addition might actually be an older 18th century house, but that would be difficult to tell without going through it in detail.

I went back to this house before dawn to photograph it and caught some beautiful early light at sunrise. It seems a little surreal to see this kind of elegant light falling on such a dilapidated structure.

As bad as the house was, the condition of the rest of the farm was worse. A foundation was the only thing left of a large barn. Nature was doing a good job of demolishing the other outbuildings.

The interior of the farm house was in really bad shape. I had to be careful of my footing and decided not to go upstairs. I may work up my courage to do that on a future trip if I find myself out that way again.

The preservationist in me dreads seeing three siding types on this old home, especially the ugly red asphalt siding that seemed to be popular at one point in the New Jersey Pinelands. My artist side could not help falling in love with the color scheme and textures that this re-muddling has created.

Rear View of an Abandoned Farmhouse by Richard Lewis

Rear View of an Abandoned Farm House by Richard Lewis 2016

I was in the middle of a long one-minute exposure in another room when I noticed the golden dawn light filtering in through the front door. I had to stop what I was doing to shoot this instead. The warm red light falling on this ruined home highlighted its desolation.

Front Hallway at Dawn by Richard Lewis

Front Hallway at Dawn by Richard Lewis 2016

Stepping outside during the sunrise brought even more feelings of  desolation.

Morning Light on an Abandoned Farm House by Richard Lewis

Morning Light on an Abandoned Farm House by Richard Lewis 2016

While there is a strange beauty to capture in abandoned buildings, I also want to find their personal history, or the ghosts, as I called it in my post about the Pennhurst Asylum. These next photographs shows remnants of the people who lived here. What was it like cooking in this simple kitchen? Why is there a mirror by the sink? Who picked the paint scheme for the front hallway? Just how comfortable was that plush furniture in the parlor?

Abandoned Farm House Kitchen by Richard Lewis

Abandoned Farm House Kitchen by Richard Lewis 2016

View Towards the Kitchen by Richard Lewis

View Towards the Kitchen by Richard Lewis 2016

Abandoned Farmhouse Parlor by Richard Lewis

Abandoned Farm House Parlor by Richard Lewis 2016

Old and abandoned farms like this one are evidence of a changing landscape. I’m a landscape photographer by passion and, until recently, passed by many old buildings while seeking the more natural subjects like forests, streams and mountains. Now those abandoned structures are grabbing my attention. They are also part of the landscape and in some cases, the people living in and using those buildings caused the landscape to become what it was through farming or industry. I’m finding myself driven to record them with my camera and hopefully do justice to their history, good or bad.

Enjoy

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