My English college Professor knew enough about me from the papers I’d turned in, that I was into abandoned buildings and history. One day during class, he told a story about an abandoned church and the old cemetery next to it located in Hiddenite, NC. It was the town he grew up in, so he knew the area well and shared with me its location.
Seeing the dismantling of an old homeplace was a first for me. Thanks to a fellow photographer friend that invited me to see it in progress, we were able to witness its final surrender after standing resolutely since the late 1800’s.
Riddled with rumors of ghosts and neglect, Broughton Hospital has often been criticized for not providing adequate care for its patients. Despite a large part of it being abandoned, this late 1800’s hospital still functions today, serving 4000 patients from 37 counties in western North Carolina, as part of the state’s system of care and treatment of persons with mental illness.
From the road, I caught a glimpse of an old chimney and roof line peeking out from behind a row of trees. Curious, I turned down a gravel driveway nearby, and sure enough, the chimney belonged to a primitive log cabin. Beside it was another log cabin.
