Have you ever wondered what the abandoned places we stumble upon can reveal about their past occupants? These deserted homes hold a sense of mystery, inviting us to ponder the stories of those who once lived there and the reasons they abruptly departed. Let’s dive into the intriguing and sometimes eerie discoveries made in these forsaken properties.
Time Capsule Home, Ontario, Canada
Ontario, Canada hosts a forgotten, run-down house that has remained untouched for nearly four decades, frozen in time since 1985. Inside, you’ll find a treasure trove of memories, photographs, and family heirlooms, painting a vivid picture of the Polish immigrant family who first called this place home in the early 20th century. However, this decaying residence also conceals an astonishing secret.
As you step inside, you’ll witness the chaotic state of the house, with pots and pans left in the kitchen sink, decrepit furniture scattered around, and outdated appliances like an antique sewing machine and an old clothes wringer abandoned in various corners. The property’s roof leaks, exposing its contents to the elements, hastening their decay.
Remarkably, some items have defied the ravages of time, including a once cutting-edge record player, a glamorous evening gown, and a 1952 liquor permit, shedding light on alcohol regulations in post-prohibition Canada. Among the surviving relics are mid-century school and college books, once belonging to younger members of the family.
However, the most jaw-dropping discovery in this forsaken dwelling was the unearthing of a whopping $6,800, comprising American and Canadian dollars, neatly bundled with rubber bands and marked in pencil. This concealed stash piqued curiosity when freelance photographer Dave from Freaktography.com stumbled upon it. To this day, the purpose of this hidden fortune remains a tantalizing mystery.
Circus Mansion, New York, USA
Photographer Bryan Sansivero stumbled upon an exquisite Jacobean Revival-style house nestled in the Catskill mountains of New York, a relic from 1925 that has been abandoned for quite some time. While the reasons for the hasty departure of its last occupants remain a mystery, the remnants they left behind offer intriguing glimpses into the lives they might have led, while also raising more questions about their identity.
Upon stepping inside, one is immediately struck by the fluorescent yellow walls, which, though peeling and decaying, present a surprising contrast within this elegant upstate New York residence, given the traditional arched doorways and the grand sweeping staircase.
Venturing up that staircase reveals an even more peculiar sight – a circus-themed room. Bursting with vibrant primary colors and whimsical harlequin patterns, entering this room feels like entering the Big Top. Whether it once served as a highly themed nursery or was merely an artistic whim of the previous inhabitants remains a mystery. However, after sitting abandoned for so long, this dilapidated circus room exudes an eerie aura.
The second staircase in the house takes on a distinctly more sinister character than the main entrance. Forgotten croquet balls strewn across the steps create a conspicuous tripping hazard, suggesting an intentional arrangement and adding to the overall circus-like ambiance of the house. The once-vibrant rope handrail adds to the enigmatic atmosphere, leaving us pondering the purpose behind these unusual choices.
Payphone House, Florida, USA
This Colonial Revival home, located in Jacksonville’s historic Springfield neighborhood and dating back to 1908, was beautifully captured by Leland Kent of Abandoned Southeast. This Florida residence was once the property of David Swearingen, who worked as a locksmith for the Southern Bell telephone company until he tragically succumbed to Covid-19 in 2020. While David and his family have since left this house, there are numerous artifacts inside that harken back to his profession.
Notably, the home’s grand antique staircase is adorned with a curious collection of 13 payphones, serving as a testament to David’s career. His expertise in master keying and the design of complex systems for institutions like the Florida School for the Deaf and the Blind, Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office, and others made him an industry-leading specialist. In fact, David went on to establish the Florida Public Telephone Company. Evidently, payphones were not only a part of his professional life but had also found a place in his personal domain.
Another intriguing discovery in this abandoned property is a collection of slightly eerie miniature mansions, including one modeled after the famous attraction at Disneyland California. While these spooky collectibles likely had innocent origins, perhaps acquired for David’s son, William, they certainly add a touch of the uncanny to the abandoned house.
And the payphones don’t stop there. In the garage, one can find boxes upon boxes containing the tools of David’s trade, including various payphone handsets, locks, and keys. David seemed to embody the notion of “bringing your work home with you.” Alongside these tools, a few more payphones are tucked away among abandoned boxes of belongings, leaving us to wonder if the phone company might still be in search of them!
Historic Home Renovation, Unknown Location
Although not precisely an “abandoned” home, the experience of this couple is the kind of thing you’d expect from a horror story. After recently purchasing their new home and eagerly settling in, Courtney and Matt received a letter addressed simply to “the purchaser” from the “last surviving member” of the previous owners of the 130-year-old estate, the Madisons.
This mysterious letter contained a series of instructions for uncovering hidden rooms, chambers, and compartments throughout the house. The couple shared their astonishing discoveries in a series of viral TikToks. The first video shows them revealing a cache of unopened spirits, wines, and beer concealed behind a sliding panel behind a mirror in their front parlor. Among the dusty finds were a 1970 French rosé wine, a 1989 Cabernet Sauvignon, and a vintage bourbon.
Their bathroom also held its secrets. Behind a wall of wooden paneling, Courtney and Matt stumbled upon a mysterious crawl space. Across from the toilet, a small, strange door led to an enormous trunk room that they had no knowledge of when they purchased the house.
But the surprises didn’t end there. As documented in their videos, Courtney and Matt continued to find antique furniture, peculiar decorations, and even a creepy music box that played the wedding march. The identity of their enigmatic informant remains a mystery, but their house is undoubtedly a treasure trove of historical secrets.
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‘Hoarder House’, Georgia, USA
This weathered house in Louisville, Georgia, with its impressive 15-foot ceilings, floor-to-ceiling windows, and pine floors, was once a true southern belle. However, over the decades since its last occupants departed, it has deteriorated into a decaying shadow of its former grandeur. Remarkably, the house seems frozen in time, resembling the 1980s, and it conceals some unexpected relics, beautifully captured by Leland Kent of Abandoned Southeast.
The property’s final owner is believed to have been Ms. Eve Griffin, a familiar figure on the lounge music scene in the 1960s and 70s. In 1987, Eve purchased the house for $29.5k (£23k), intending it as a retirement residence after her successful singing career. Over time, the house earned the nickname “hoarder house” from Eve’s neighbors as they watched it gradually fill up with old toys, clothing, and furniture.
Left abandoned in its cluttered state, the house remains a testament to Eve’s unique taste. The once-elegant living room still features a green brocade sofa and luxurious window drapes but is now marred by fallen plaster and adorned with a peculiar collection of stuffed animals and dolls, creating an eerie contrast against the backdrop of decaying opulence.
The other rooms in the house are even more overwhelmed by clutter. Some, like the first-floor bedroom, are so densely packed with boxes, old clothes, and broken furniture that it’s a challenge to locate the floor beneath all the debris. It makes you wonder what other vintage treasures might be concealed within this chaotic mess.
19th-Century Farmhouse, Maryland, USA
Nestled in the heart of Maryland, this forsaken Victorian farmhouse seems to have been utterly forgotten by time. Swallowed by overgrown vines and shrubs, it’s almost camouflaged within the landscape. The house, with its deteriorating chimneys, peeling clapboard, and decaying screened porch, may have just a few years left before it’s entirely reclaimed by nature. Let’s take a glimpse inside…
This farmhouse itself has roots dating back to 1890, and most of its furnishings appear to be from around the same era, with the exception of a few mid-century modern chairs and two wooden console TV sets harkening back to the 1980s. The home is undeniably losing the battle against the elements, with peeling paint and plaster covering every available surface, giving the entire space a melancholic, decaying aura.
However, the ambiance takes a sinister turn as we move to the farmhouse’s upstairs bedrooms, each of which harbors some profoundly eerie-looking dolls. For instance, there’s an old pram containing the head and torso of a baby doll that seems to have lost both its arms and legs, adding to the room’s unsettling atmosphere, in stark contrast to the Victorian furnishings.
Things get even more bizarre in the adjacent master bedroom, with the presence of an inexplicably creepy dollhouse. The previous doll’s lack of limbs is more than compensated for by this peculiar structure, featuring doll arms and legs appearing to crawl out of its windows and a disembodied doll face peering from the attic. These findings are nothing short of spine-tingling.
Abandoned Clockmaker’s House, New Jersey, USA
This 19th-century cottage in New Jersey, once the residence of a mysterious clockmaker and collector of curios, now sits abandoned, frozen in time much like the halted clocks it holds. This charming home, dating back to the 1820s, represents one of the few surviving examples of Jersey Dutch cottage architecture. In the 1980s, it earned a spot on the National Register of Historic Places, meaning that local authorities maintain the garden and the exterior, preserving its historical significance.
However, the interior of the house tells a very different tale. Over the course of two centuries, the property changed hands multiple times, but its last inhabitant left abruptly, leaving behind most of their belongings. As a result, the house is brimming with antique furniture, artwork, and ephemera, the majority of which hails from the 1800s. This accumulation of historical artifacts imparts an eerie, romantic atmosphere to the place.
One noteworthy gem in the clockmaker’s collection is the antique piano, one of two situated in the living room. The other is an exquisite square piano, crafted with great precision in fine flame mahogany around 1830 by the esteemed New York City maker William Geib. It features intricate gold marquetry, ornate drawer handles, fluted legs, and an ebony and ivory keyboard. Above this smaller model, you can spot a 20th-century carriage clock, one of many found throughout the house.
The collection also includes the items adorning a dusty desk, such as a vintage radio equipped with a horn loudspeaker, a 1930s Art Deco General Electric Vortalex desk fan, an old marking machine, and several storage boxes. On another desk in the same room, you’ll come across the tools of a horologist’s trade, along with a truly impressive assortment of antique timepieces.
Boarded-up Historic Home, Unknown Location
This abandoned home, as shared by Escape_z on TikTok, is a captivating relic of the past, with its boarded-up windows and overgrown vines. This stately pebbledash house likely served as an elegant residence in its prime, but it has been left empty for an extended period, preserving a frozen snapshot of history filled with dusty remnants left behind by previous occupants.
Upon entering the house, your attention is immediately captured by a pastel-colored antique wood-burning stove and adjoining oven, complete with a bread-warming drawer and a coal scuttle. Atop the oven, you’ll find an impressive collection of Royal Doulton ornaments, likely of significant value, and an ornamental carriage clock.
The main living area of the house also showcases a fascinating assortment of antiques, including an upright piano. On the piano bench, there’s an unexpected sight – a fox fur donning a top hat, adding a touch of whimsy to the surroundings. The living room is filled with more vintage china, framed pictures, and antique furniture and appliances, such as a sewing machine, radio, and grandfather clock.
As you venture upstairs, you’ll discover further antique furnishings, including a beautiful Victorian vanity adorned with family photos that seem to date back to the turn of the last century. In other bedrooms, an impressive collection of early 20th-century toys, dolls, and children’s books awaits, alongside a couple of slightly eerie marionettes. The children who once lived here were certainly in for a unique and fortunate experience!
1950s Mansion In The Woods, Unknown Location
When stringermedia stumbled upon this abandoned mansion in the woods while flying his drone and decided to take a closer look, he discovered a once-magnificent house that appeared to date back to the 1950s. It was evident that the mansion had been abandoned for at least two decades, according to the TikToker’s estimation. While the exterior of the Spanish Colonial-style property seemed to have weathered the passage of time relatively well, its interiors told a very different story.
With windows and doors left ajar, the house had been exposed to the elements for an extended period, leading to moldy ceilings and peeling wall paint. The interior was cluttered with a mishmash of items, including boxes, suitcases, old clothing, and other debris scattered throughout. Among the belongings, there were several old books, including a genuine antique book of poetry from 1904.
Another unexpected discovery was a first-edition book titled ‘Suicide’ – not exactly the kind of thing you’d expect to find in an abandoned house. The house gave the impression that it had been vacated hastily, and the previous occupants didn’t have the time to pack or store their belongings properly.
In the backyard, another surprise awaited – an old pickup truck slowly succumbing to rust, with the detachable part of the truck bed resting beside it. It was evident that the property’s previous owners had another getaway vehicle, but it remained surprising that no one ever returned for this one.
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