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Author name: Laura S.

Photographer, writer, and researcher of abandoned places, history, and people.

Chesterfield, Idaho: Ghosts in the Snow

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Snow crunched under my feet as I stood at the edge of Chesterfield, a Mormon ghost town in Caribou County, tucked away in a part of Idaho that seemed to be forgotten. It had snowed more than I had expected or prepared for, lacking proper boots, and when I stepped off the pavement and sank knee-deep, I knew I’d have to be content photographing  the sagging cabins and red-brick buildings from a distance. Stepping back to Chesterfield Rd., I took in a clear view of all 27 buildings still standing—dark silhouettes of log cabins and brick homes frozen in time like sentinels of the pioneer spirit. The crisp air felt heavy with stories of pioneers whose lives were memorialized beneath the frost.

Martha’s Log Cabin

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In the rolling hills of Stokes County, North Carolina, a modest log cabin stands as a testament to a family’s resilience, love, and loss. Found on the same land as a farmhouse I considered buying a few years ago, this primitive structure was the original homestead of Joel and Martha Simmons, built in 1870. What started as a curious exploration of an old cabin and its scattered relics, became a deeply moving journey into the life of a woman whose strength and sorrow linger in the faded floral wallpaper and broken dishes I found in the red clay soil.

Bolch/Bolick Cemetery

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Just a stone’s throw from Spencer Road in Hickory, NC, a long-abandoned cemetery holds the stories of one of Catawba County’s earliest pioneer families. Overlooked by the daily rush of people passing by, its location is marked only by a few remaining headstones, fieldstones, and occasional American flags. As a local, I’d driven past the Bolch/Bolick Cemetery countless times over the years. Sometimes I was guilty of being a casual passerby. But most of the time I’d slow my car to a crawl, straining my neck to catch a glimpse of the lonely headstones peeking through the brush.

Sheldon Church Ruins

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The Old Sheldon Church, once known as Prince William’s Parish Church, stands as a testament to the resilience of South Carolina’s history. Built in the 1750’s in a Greek Revival style, the church has faced destruction multiple times, first by the British during the Revolutionary War and then by General Sherman’s troops during the Civil War. Despite these devastating events, the ruins remain, with the original walls and columns still standing, a reminder of the craftsmanship and the tumultuous history of the region. The site, now a National Historic Landmark and owned by the Parish Church of St. Helena, is open to the public and hosts an annual service, preserving its legacy as a symbol of survival and rebirth in the heart of South Carolina’s Lowcountry.

2nd Lt. Fred Brewer

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To honor our fallen heroes, this story highlights the experiences of two World War II veterans. One soldier continues to live at the age of 101, a testament to the sacrifice of another who, at the age of 23, gave his life. While the two never had the chance to meet in person while enlisted, their paths intersected amidst heavily clouded skies over enemy territory in Regensburg, Germany, on a fateful day on October 29, 1944.

Infiltrating Alcatraz

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Mr. Nanney was the first property owner I ever interviewed almost ten years ago. Up until I met him, my weekend hobby of photographing and poking around in old houses was just that. But after meeting him, my love for abandoned houses evolved into something with a much higher purpose that felt more like a calling. His charming story became the driving force behind my newfound determination to knock on more doors and introduce myself to strangers, eager to learn and preserve their one-of-a-kind tales.

The McLendon Cabin

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When Joel McLendon came to Moore County in 1758 to claim his grant of 200 acres, he selected a slope overlooking Buck Creek as the perfect site for his home. Built around 1760, he constructed this 1.5 story, single pen log cabin with half dovetail joints typical of the log dwellings built by Scots at the time and with the structural integrity that’s allowed it to stand for over 200 years.

The Old Scotch Graveyard

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“In this graveyard, the earliest settlers sleep: the old man and infant child lie side by side, emphasizing the brevity of life and the small difference between a long life and a short one. All that tread the globe are but a handful to the tribe that slumber in its bosom.” – penned in 1915 by historian James McNeil Johnson.

Randolph Macon College

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Even though these particular ruins suggest otherwise, Randolph Macon College is the oldest college still in continuous operation today. Located along the Virginia Civil Rights in Education Heritage Trail, the old Randolph Macon College was built over the first documented oval racetrack in the United States when Alexander Boyd founded the nearby historic site of Boydton, Virginia in the late 1700’s.

Thistle Ghost Town

Thistle Ghost Town

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The only evidence that remains of a once bustling railroad town is this single homestead, half submerged in an algae covered pond in the Spanish Fork Valley of Utah. Known as Thistle Ghost Town, it was originally settled by pioneers in 1848 as part of the Mormon migration from Nauvoo, Illinois to the Utah Territory. But in 1983, it was wiped off the map in the largest and most expensive landslide in the history of the United States.

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