New photographs of an abandoned farmhouse and collapsed barn

Black and white photographs of an abandoned farm with a ruined farmhouse and collapsed barn

I recently had the opportunity to explore and photograph an abandoned farm in Tennessee. On the grounds are the ruins of an old farmhouse, a partially collapsed barn, a still-standing shed (or possibly a garage), and parts of other fallen structures.

The abandoned farmhouse

Newspapers pasted like wallpaper, found on the walls of an abandoned farmhouse. Fine art photograph by Keith Dotson. Click to buy a fine art print.

The farmhouse is in ruins, but relatively intact, with sketchy floorboards in places and walls covered in scraps of wallpaper and old issues of The Nashville Tennessean newspaper (still published today as The Tennessean). The newspapers seem to date from the early 1950s. People often used newspapers as a low-cost form of insulation, and in some parts of the South, they were said to serve as a distraction for any evil spirits that might enter the home. 

There is still some old furniture strewn about the interior of the house, with car parts and rusty farm machines in the yard outside. Behind the house, the back porch is slipping down toward a tangle of briars and vines.

There's something quite poignant walking through someone else's house long after they're gone. This was once a place of life. People lived here, made love here, possibly gave birth here, raised a family here, possibly even died here. This may have been their dream home.

The house has received a surprisingly small amount of vandalism. There are some markings and graffiti on the interior walls, but not as much as might be expected for a house that's been empty this long.

Collapsing back porch of an abandoned farmhouse. Black and white photograph by Keith Dotson.

Old bottles lined up on the exterior wall of the old farmhouse. Black and white photograph by Keith Dotson. Buy a fine art print here.

Row of door frames on the abandoned farmhouse. Black and white photograph by Keith Dotson. 

Interior photograph of the abandoned farmhouse. Notice the scraps of newspaper and wallpaper on the walls. Black and white photo by Keith Dotson. 

Broken porch of abandoned farmhouse. Black and white photograph by Keith Dotson. 

Collapsing barn

Collapsed Wooden Barn. Black and white photograph by Keith Dotson. Click to buy a fine art print of this photograph.

Collapsed Wooden Hay Barn. Black and white photograph by Keith Dotson. Click to buy a fine art print.

Wooden beams from a fallen barn. Black and white photograph by Keith Dotson. Click to buy a print.