Abandoned structures typically go unreported until they become problems in a sparsely populated province with hundreds of empty residential and business premises.
However, some people—like Holly McKay—make it their hobby to investigate and record them.McKay describes her home community of Grand Bay-Westfield as “cottage country, with a lot of history and old farms.”
“The further you get in rural areas, the more places people have allowed to collapse, with no sign of owners anywhere for years and years.”
Using his iPhone, McKay documents abandoned locations before they are demolished or remodeled. This is one of his interests.She had recently driven past a mid-19th century house in Grand Bay-Westfield that, even by the standards of abandoned farmhouses in the area, was remarkable.
McKay, who would prefer to remain anonymous, stated, “It’s a historic property, not just an abandoned house.” McKay was watching over the neighboring farmer’s property, who is worried about trespassers and vandals.
McKay claims she only snaps pictures and doesn’t interfere with anything when she visits a location.
The farmhouse held artifacts that dated back a century or more. It was abandoned several decades ago when its elderly owner entered a nursing home. They included 19th-century horse trappings and leather yokes as well as furniture that looked to be vintage velour from the 1970s.
An abandoned building exploration is not a germophobe’s hobby.
Although the house appears to be structurally sound, McKay claimed that the top levels are “infested” with animals. She’s trodden in a lot of “raccoon poo” and the mummified remains of at least one beast.
But among the filth, there are also old books, papers, and furniture that have remained undisturbed.
According to McKay, the local historian Harold Wright calculated that the nails used to build the farmhouse were from the 1840s.
A building may be boarded up and abandoned for a variety of causes, such as an owner’s passing, a sharp fall in a family’s wealth, or the slow desiccation of a once-vibrant neighborhood.
Even though they are “sad,” McKay believes that these structures offer a unique window into a lost history.
“These houses have stories,” McKay remarked. “They’ve got such a history, such past lives with people.”
It feels like you’re about to enter a museum. It is indeed a treasure.