| T O P I C R E V I E W |
| deeredawn |
Posted - Apr 27 2009 : 12:59:28 PM
I'm a backroads kinda gal. I love the way the dust billows up behind my truck as I crunch along the gravel. I love the scenery. Whether it be a tree lined back road, with trees so thick you feel like you're in the middle of a magical forest, or a one lane cow path, heavy with tan dust. The flat farmland dotted with black and white holsteins.
Yesterday was a backroads kind of day. I was on my way home from visiting family and I turned left. It was a no name county road in the opposite direction of home. It went on for awhile and then i turned right. Thats when I first saw it.
I knew it was huge as I was cresting a hill when I noticed the top of it. Then on the downhill the entire place came into view. I can't explain what came over me next. Never in my life had I ever, EVER seen anything like it. It was straight out of a story book, but not necessarily a good book... maybe a book with a sinister twist. It was a brick house, 4 stories tall with vines growing all over it. 8' high windows, most of them busted out. A huge wrought iron terrace in front with a widows walk. As I parked the truck the impact of the house really hit me hard. I felt like I was drawn to it. Like it was begging me to notice it. I got out of my car paying NO attention to the "no trespassing" signs. I took pictures and noticed a placard on the side of it. Built in 1875. This thing was like stepping back into the past. No signage out front and from the size of it I pegged it for an orphanage. I drove around to the back side and felt chills up and down my spine. Huge doors heavily boarded up. There was a carriage house in back as well. I just kept staring at the road wondering why I had chosen that route. What had led me to this architechural beauty? Once again, around the front I noticed bronzed pavers in front of the terrace. I could almost picture a string quartet with men in tails and tophats, and women in huge dresses. I was horribly in denial about the real truth.
After obsessing about it the entire drive home I hit the computer to see what i could find out. It started out as a poorhouse. A place at the turn of the century for the destitute. From what I learned it was also a "dumping grounds" for severly mentally handicap and insane people. It was a complete dishonor to be so poor, you had to live at the 'poorhouse'. The employees would simply bury people in the surrounding grounds as they died. this was the excavators unfortunate discover while doing some renovating on and around the grounds there. It is rumored that in the 1950's, the elevator crashed with 6 young women inside. Everyone that has ever been in, or owned it has vacated it. It was last used as a haunted house attraction during Halloween before being shut down by the county as "unsafe". I still feel a huge connection to the place regardless of its history and hope to write about it someday.
Ahh, those backroads..... once again leading me on another adventure in Ohio!
Dawn #279
MJ's Heirloom Mavens-QMD
http://harvestthymefarm.etsy.com
http://harvestthyme.blogspot.com
~live big, ride hard, and shoot straight~ |
| 25 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First) |
| Rosemary Fox |
Posted - Jan 26 2010 : 12:27:11 PM
Hi Deeredawn...I am new to the forum as of today...liv way out here in Hawaii...hope soon to be on the mainland though. I love your story of the "poor farm"...I happened upon a place much like that here on Oahu a few years back. Only my place had been a home for wayward boys. I don't know if you are familiar with EVP (electronic voice phenomenon), but the next time you are out that way, you might see fit to bring along a little digital voice recorder. Get as quiet as you can and turn the recorder on. Ask some questions...give space for an answer...sometimes you can find some folks that are still lingering...pretty amazing. Aloha!
Love is the overwhelming desire to bring life into every situation... |
| Miss2Missus |
Posted - Jan 05 2010 : 10:01:19 AM
hey im glad i found this thread again. someone showed me this site about abandon buildings and i thought i would post here. if some already has sorry.
http://www.opacity.us/
Karen ^_^
http://frommisstomissus.blogspot.com/ |
| paintnpencils |
Posted - Jun 12 2009 : 6:51:24 PM
I love driving the backroads, Sometimes on my way home from work on my way to pick up my daughter from daycare I will take the long way or the stone roads, but the day befor yesterday I HAD to take the backroads home, because we got a flash flood, hailing thunder and lightning storm that just hovered over one small part of the county and it washed out some main roads, and there were a few people who had to be rescued from thier houses by boat! So it does pay off to know all the alternate back roads around. and of all the days my dad could have picked to ride his motorcycle! he was soaking wet and had to dump the water out of his shoes. at least he didn't get hit with the hail he found a place to wait out the worst parts of the storm.
each day is a new oportunity to create,improve, expand, and share. |
| deeredawn |
Posted - May 22 2009 : 09:03:32 AM
Ahh, that sounds soooo nice! We have a local tv station that used to have a gentleman that would go all over Ohio and find these neat little out of the way places to visit, eat shop... I can't remember his name, but there are like 6 books that he compiled prior to retiring.....Neil Zurker. Thats it! But I will definitely check out that book as well. That just might be my summer read this year!
Dawn #279
MJ's Heirloom Mavens-QMD
http://harvestthyme.blogspot.com
~live big, ride hard, and shoot straight~ |
| electricdunce |
Posted - May 22 2009 : 08:54:36 AM
The leaves have finally arrived here, they are not all leafed out, but we took a ramble yesterday down the backroads that have the "tunnel of trees".
Nothing is more luscious than when tyhe leaves come out and form canopies over the roads, the colors are so breathtaking. Sun's out today, we may have to take another ramble. When I first moved home to maine after a few years in Arizona I spend the first two weeks just driving around admiring the fall leaves , best time of year. Right now I keep spying litlle patches of forgetmenots, I've got to scatter some seeds in my yard, winter was pretty brutal to my perennials.
Have you read Blue Highways by William Least Moon, it is a wonderful book about his travels on the backroads of America. An older book, but very enjoyable reading. I highly recommend it!
Karin
Farmgirl Sister #153
"Give me shelter from the storm" - Bob Dylan
http://moodranch.blogspot.com
http://domesticnonsense.etsy.com |
| Alee |
Posted - May 22 2009 : 07:18:38 AM
Dawn you should talk to your local historic preservation society. Sometimes you can get government loans and grants to do projects like that.
Alee
Farmgirl Sister #8
www.awarmheart.com
www.farmgirlalee.blogspot.com
www.allergyjourneys.blogspot.com
Put your pin on the farmgirl map! www.farmgirlmap.blogspot.com |
| deeredawn |
Posted - May 22 2009 : 06:11:18 AM
Mary,
I know... I keep wondering what I can do to preserve it's history. Its in shambles. I can't even imagine the cost to repair. the windows! There are hundreds of em!
Dawn #279
MJ's Heirloom Mavens-QMD
http://harvestthyme.blogspot.com
~live big, ride hard, and shoot straight~ |
| marylucille |
Posted - May 22 2009 : 05:46:47 AM
Nice! You could have been describing the County Farm out here. It had exactly the same history, with the same kind of architecture. I used to drive past and dream about buying the place and making some kind of community center. I was shocked when I read in the paper a few months back that the person who owned it had quietly burned it to the ground. Now I wish instead of dreaming, I had worked to get it preserved as a historical monument.
Walk in Beauty; Work in Peace; Blessed Be. |
| Alee |
Posted - May 07 2009 : 7:42:32 PM
Yup! Same here!
Alee
Farmgirl Sister #8
www.awarmheart.com
www.farmgirlalee.blogspot.com
www.allergyjourneys.blogspot.com
Put your pin on the farmgirl map! www.farmgirlmap.blogspot.com |
| Miss2Missus |
Posted - May 07 2009 : 6:53:27 PM
sometimes after a harsh day at work i get in my car and really look forward to driving down a certin road or two then as i leave the parking lot i realize those roads are about 450 miles away :(
Karen ^_^
http://apple-and-eve.blogspot.com/ |
| Alee |
Posted - May 07 2009 : 6:42:06 PM
I totally understand, Karen! I love driving the back roads. It really helps me find my center. Just getting out and away from the noise- (mental and physical). I really miss some of my hometown backroads too!
Alee
Farmgirl Sister #8
www.awarmheart.com
www.farmgirlalee.blogspot.com
www.allergyjourneys.blogspot.com
Put your pin on the farmgirl map! www.farmgirlmap.blogspot.com |
| Miss2Missus |
Posted - May 07 2009 : 5:09:09 PM
Alee I'm glad to know that i'm not the only one who is dreaming of driving down the roads i'm not near. literally some nights i do dream about them.
Karen ^_^
http://apple-and-eve.blogspot.com/ |
| Alee |
Posted - May 07 2009 : 07:51:16 AM
When I get back to Idaho in a couple of weeks, there is a back road that I love. It has huge cedar trees and big ferns growing right up to the bottom boughs of the cedars. It looks like some primordial forest or maybe something you would see in a rain forest! I love it!
Alee
Farmgirl Sister #8
www.awarmheart.com
www.farmgirlalee.blogspot.com
www.allergyjourneys.blogspot.com
Put your pin on the farmgirl map! www.farmgirlmap.blogspot.com |
| farmmommy |
Posted - May 07 2009 : 07:01:38 AM
Hey Dawn...I'll go with ya!!!!! That's what I'll do!!!!! Since I unfortunatley cant make SF now....how about we plan for me to come later in summer??? I'll go over there with ya and we can explore!!!!! Lora can come down.....and that way there would be 3 of us....safety in #'s!!! I can see the local newspaper headlines now " Three Farmgirls arrested for tresspassing and breaking and entering old Knox County Poorhouse"....LMAO!!!! But really....it would be Spooky Fun!!! We could take a whole bunch of pics and make a "BackRoads Scrapbook" about our Farmgirly misadventures!!!! Let's plan it!!! |
| deeredawn |
Posted - May 07 2009 : 06:06:02 AM
I've had so much fun with the poorhouse that i cannot wait to set sail on a new journey and find something else. I've made a promise to ALWAYS keep my camera with me and ready to go. I think this may be a new hobby for me!
Dawn #279
MJ's Heirloom Mavens-QMD
http://harvestthymefarm.etsy.com
http://harvestthyme.blogspot.com
~live big, ride hard, and shoot straight~ |
| Miss2Missus |
Posted - May 06 2009 : 7:28:48 PM
I think everywhere has a building like that. One of those old beautiful buildings that just lets the ind run with creativness and at the same time chills you to the bone. we had one up in maryland, it was used as a mental hospital/tuburculos center. the myths and ledges that surrounded it are probabl nothing near the reality. but thats have the fun.
Karen ^_^
http://apple-and-eve.blogspot.com/ |
| deeredawn |
Posted - May 01 2009 : 06:51:23 AM
Oh Kris: go with your gut! I do that all the time and DH is always like, "how do you go thru so much gas???" lol! Its because I prefer the scenic routes!
Dawn #279
MJ's Heirloom Mavens-QMD
http://harvestthymefarm.etsy.com
http://harvestthyme.blogspot.com
~live big, ride hard, and shoot straight~ |
| kristin sherrill |
Posted - May 01 2009 : 06:29:56 AM
Those kind of roads just make you want to go see what's at the other side of the hill. That's the way they are in S. Ga. Just begging to be driven down. The part I don't like is when I came to a cross road. Which way to go then? I'd have to go the other way the next time. And there was always a next time!
Kris
Happiness is simple. |
| jpbluesky |
Posted - Apr 30 2009 : 11:38:06 AM
My mother always had a saying she used when she thought I wanted something too expensive....she would say "Are you trying to put us in the poorhouse?"
I hope you do get the chance to go inside someday.
Farmgirl Sister # 31
www.blueskyjeannie.blogspot.com
Psalm 51: 10-13 |
| deeredawn |
Posted - Apr 30 2009 : 11:11:03 AM
Rene', the funny thing is, your trees gorw straight up. Trees around her kinda "canopy" the roads. Dark and shady. If I could post pics here I would. But I will get one and put it on the blog someday. I like it tho. I'd like to explore that one!
Dawn #279
MJ's Heirloom Mavens-QMD
http://harvestthymefarm.etsy.com
http://harvestthyme.blogspot.com
~live big, ride hard, and shoot straight~ |
| Julia |
Posted - Apr 30 2009 : 11:05:32 AM
Ooo, like the picture Rene', can I come too?
For tomorrow and its needs I do not pray, but keep me, guide me, love me, Lord just for today.
St. Augustine
#440 |
| ruralfarmgirl |
Posted - Apr 30 2009 : 09:10:37 AM
thought this picture says it all... I love the invite of a road like this.............
Rene~Prosser Farmgirl #185
http://farmchicksfarm.blogspot.com/http://renenaturallyspeaking.blogspot.com/
Circumstances made us FRIENDS; MaryJane's has made us SISTERS :) |
| kristin sherrill |
Posted - Apr 29 2009 : 7:53:37 PM
I love back roads. I'd go that way any time. I also love dirt roads and I miss them. There are hardly any here. But in S. Ga. they have the best dirt roads ever. And lots of washboards, too. Very fun to drive on. And you can end up miles from where you started. So fun.
Georgia back roads are full of old abandoned wood frame houses. Just begging to tell about all the families that have lived in each one. They are beautiful places and so sad that they are left to just fall apart.
Kris
Happiness is simple. |
| Julia |
Posted - Apr 29 2009 : 11:14:44 AM
Oh Dawn! I just went to your blog. My Giddy Aunt, What a building! I has something smaller in mind in reading your post. I had no idea! I too, would want to know more. Let me know when your book comes out! 
For tomorrow and its needs I do not pray, but keep me, guide me, love me, Lord just for today.
St. Augustine
#440 |
| K-Falls Farmgirl |
Posted - Apr 28 2009 : 9:54:55 PM
Wow Dawn,.. That is incrediable.. I am drawn to old buildings too.. They All have a story to tell don't they.
Cheryl
Farmgirl #309
Klamath Falls "Charming Chicks Chapter" Mother Hen
Almost daily posts at:
http://www.k-fallsfarmgirl.blogspot.com/
Come visit the barn at http://barndoorcreations.blogspot.com/
Grandmas are mom's with more icing. |
