Explore the work
Different Stories. A shared purpose.
Through photography, genealogy, cemetery preservation, and living history, each story explores the connection between people, place, memory, and what we leave behind.
Photography
Documenting old homes, forgotten towns, and overlooked places while uncovering the stories that remain within them.
Photography
Documenting old homes, farmsteads, log cabins, and historic sites across rural America, preserving architectural details, craftsmanship, and the character of places connected to family history.
Genealogy
Focused on genealogy and historical research, exploring family histories and the lasting connections between people, place, and memory, and how those connections shape what remains today.
Genealogy
Researching family histories, ancestral connections, and the ives of ordinary people whose stories are worth remembering.
Preservation
Dedicated to cemetery preservation and headstone care, with hands-on cleaning, restoring, and photographing markers to update online records with accurate, current images.
Preservation
Preserving historic cemeteries and headstones through hands-on conservation, documentation, and education.
Living History
Hands-on involvement through reenactments, serving as a docent, volunteering with historical societies, and supporting Veterans to help preserve and share living history.
Living History
Bringing the past to life through historical interpretation, research, traditions, and everyday customs.
Meet
Laura Stotts
For more than a decade, Laura has followed stories wherever they lead, from abandoned homes and forgotten towns to historic cemeteries, family histories, and the lives of American veterans.
What began with a camera and a curiosity about the people who once called these places home became a much larger journey of preservation, discovery, and connection.
Her work is rooted in the belief that understanding the past can change the way we see the present, and that every life leaves something worth remembering.
Featured in
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Recovering Lost History with Laura Stotts
Laura joins Chris Farrell on Judicial Watch’s On Watch to share how Diary of Abandonment grew from photographing forgotten paces into a decade-long journey of preservation, genealogy, and recovering the stories connected to them.
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The Keeper of Our Stories - Fall 2026 Issue
An 18 page feature story on how a childhood fascination with empty buildings became a decade-long search for the people who left them behind.
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North Carolina photographer captures nostalgic beauty of abandoned homes
Laura Stotts was featured in The Epoch Times for her photography of abandoned homes, where her images spark widespread emotional response from readers who connected with the memories and histories reflected in the spaces.
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Tuskegee Airman Story
Coverage of Laura Stotts’ genealogical research connecting a 101 year old WWII veteran to the legacy of a Tuskegee Airman.
Rescuing Abandoned Houses
Exploring efforts to document and preserve disappearing historic homes and the stories they hold.
Photographer & Genealogist Feature
Highlighting cemetery preservation and genealogical research uncovering overlooked local history.
Facebook Hack Story
A North Carolina creator shares the impact of losing a platform to a Facebook hacking scam.
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Woman loses Facebook business account to person posing as social media influencer
Coverage of a Facebook hackking scam and its impact on a North Carolina creator, also covered by WBTV news.
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WW II veteran discovers possible connection with Charlotte Tuskegee Airman
Featured on Queen City News after research uncovered a possible connection between a WWII veteran’s mission and a Charlotte Tuskegee Airman who went missing during the war, suggesting their paths may have crossed decades earlier.
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Photographer discovers letter from World War II sent to Lincolnton
A handwritten 1944 WWII found inside a thrift store dictionary led to efforts to locate the author’s family and return a piece of history.
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Diary of Abandonment: Dilapidated Houses & a Divine Calling
An in-depth interview centered on the deeper meaning behind the work, where photography and family history intersect with personal experiences of trauma, addition, and healing
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Laura Stotts, the creative force behind Diary of Abandonment
A conversation exploring the journey behind Diary of Abandonment, documenting forgotten homesteads, rusted vehicles, and the stories uncovered through genealogy, personal history, and rural exploration.
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Laura Stotts: Forgotten Houses, WWII Letters, and What Abandonment Teaches Us
Interview with North Carolina photographer Laura Stotts on documenting abandoned places, artifacts left behind, and the personal stories they still hold.