(WDKY-TV)– For Al Cox, the sight of an empty house is like a guiding light. He always gets out of his vehicle the moment he spots an empty house or other structure.
He stated that it was impossible to travel down a road without coming across at least one.
His pulse races whenever he sees a run-down building, and his camera begins to take pictures.
“It’s a whirlwind!”
Abandoned Kentucky is a Facebook community with more than 182,000 members, and the man from Lincoln County is just one of the thousands of amateur and professional photographers who share their photographs there.
Steve McManus, who has long had an affinity for vintage items such as the rusted 1928 tractor that sits in his driveway and functions as a lawn ornament, was the one who initiated the formation of this organization. He had no idea that so many people would be interested in viewing and discussing photographs of items that had been reclaimed by nature. He thought there might be as many as a couple dozen people who were interested.
McManus commented that there was “a romance about it.” It’s hard to believe that some of these buildings, which are so stunning in appearance, have been deserted and are being allowed to deteriorate. “Wouldn’t I like to repair this?'” is a concept that I believe is also present, even though it is an unachievable fantasy.
However, the majority of the sites are no longer accessible. or the amount is too high to save.
As Cox explored a home that had been constructed in the 1870s, he couldn’t help but wonder how it had deteriorated to such a state of ruin. It’s a shame. “He mentioned that this used to be someone’s house.” “There were many enjoyable times spent here.”
Because of this, he and some other people make an effort to preserve the homes by documenting them in photographs, which is the only method they are familiar with.
He remarked that there was “something about it.” It’s soothing to the soul. I’ve been caught outside in the snow, the rain, and the sleet. It makes no difference. It’s a good time.
The group operates under a set of guidelines, which include the following: never enter someone else’s property without their permission; always leave items in the same condition as you found them; and always keep the locations a secret. Members are adamant that they do not want to inspire criminals or vandals.
Cox peeked into the 1870s home via a window that had been broken and saw that there was a bed, a TV, a dresser, and vases on the mantle. There are still articles of clothing hanging in the closet. There are images of the family hung up on the walls.
He made the observation that it seemed as though they were present one day, but then all of a sudden, they vanished without a trace.
According to McManus, many times elderly individuals leave their homes to go to the hospital, and they never come back home again. It’s possible that distant relatives won’t be interested in making the time and effort to clean out a house or even put it up for sale if they have to do it themselves.
In addition, The Abandoned Kentucky contains thousands of photographs of abandoned buildings, such as churches, schools, farms, bridges, and tunnels– basically everything that has the potential to evoke feelings of melancholy. The location is evidence that attractiveness is relative to the observer’s point of view.
“A story can be found in everything,” remarked Cox. “I believe what I’m attempting to do with the images is bring the houses back to life.”