Abandoned Houses

When we call a place home, instead of a house, we’re ascribing a sort of positive emotion to it. But on the flip side, a windowless, empty house can evoke melancholy, sad, and even spooky emotions as our brains wonder why the people left in the first place. Mortgage costs are boring, it must be ghosts.

Most of us find architecture fascinating. The built environment around us reflects the history and culture of a place that can shape our experiences and perceptions of an area. However, not all the buildings stand the test of time and many are left to decay. For some, they become unwanted ghosts of the past; for others, they are objects of mystery and awe.

I found this abandoned old house in the forest near my house [960x540] [OC] by logwater on Flickr.

I wouldn't be caught dead in this town.

When a house has been abandoned, Joyce Carol Oates writes, you can be sure there’s a sad story.

At the crossroads of memory and imagination, abandoned homes can comes back to life. You can practically smell the home-cooked meals, hear the faint murmur of bedtime stories, and taste the fare of dinner parties gone by.

Our fascination with architecture runs deep. We pay attention to the structures around us because of the way it shapes our experiences and tells stories about the culture. To really understand our environment, we can explore cities by strolling down the main streets and learning about history by admiring famous landmarks. For some of us, however, the view from the bottom and from a safe distance is simply not enough.

David McDonald Photography

A collection of super cheap houses from around the U.S.. They might be haunted but I don't even care.

Ryan Koopmans traveled through an area once known as the Russian Riviera to capture the haunting beauty of a bygone era