Deep in the Catskill Mountains, a long-forgotten physician’s house lay empty for years. That was until, armed with his trusty camera, abandoned buildings photographer Bryan Sansivero captured the homestead in all its eeriness, right before it was sold and revamped.
Click or scroll to take a wander around the intriguing home and discover its many secrets…
Built during the 1930s, the Colonial-inspired clapboard house is located in an idyllic setting in the Upstate New York hamlet of Roscoe. A charmingly overgrown garden complete with a picturesque duck lake surrounds the mysterious property.
Nature had started to reclaim the green-gabled house when Sansivero paid it a visit. The once manicured lawn had turned into a wild meadow, while a fallen tree blocked the front door, as if to ward off unwelcome visitors.
Mould was growing on the clapboards, which were crying out for a clean-up and a lick of paint, and several windows were broken or wedged open, exposing the interiors to the elements and adding to the dilapidated vibe.
Still, the adorable front door, porch lantern and cute canopy, including the green gables and shutters, were in a reasonably good state when Sansivero visited, bar the fallen tree of course.
Abandoned homes are fairly commonplace in the area. The infamous Dundas Castle, for instance, is just up the road from the property. Dubbed the ‘Castle of Sorrow’, the Neo-Gothic 1920s pile has been vacant since the 1970s.
Back inside this home, however, and the decor is not for the faint of heart…
Stepping into the living room, it’s obvious the former owner or one of the residents was a keen hunter given the tiger skin rug and stag head decoration that adorns the wall adjacent to the fireplace, not to mention the discarded hunting rifle.
At one time a tiger skin rug like this could be worth thousands of dollars but now it’s all but illegal to sell them.
In fact, the surrounding area is renowned for its big-game hunting opportunities. Though the chance of finding a tiger roaming the countryside is nil, plenty of deer, bears and other furry game inhabit this part of Upstate New York.
Taking a closer look at the mantlepiece there is a small framed picture of a bride, possibly with the father of the bride or the groom. We’ll never know who she is or what happened to her after her wedding day. Three empty bottles, a carriage clock and a copper kettle finish the tableau.
Walking through the house it’s incredible to see how much of the furniture and personal effects have been left in place. Upholstered chairs, and tables complete with lamps, it’s all still here.
It’s hard to understand how a property like this gets left behind…
A painting that depicts Shakespeare’s Othello relating his adventures to Desdemona dominates the room. It is a reproduction of a picture by renowned German artist Karl Becker who was active in the mid- to late 19th century.
A handsome console table and clock have also been inexplicably discarded. What happened to make the people who lived here leave all their beautiful possessions?
Taking a closer look at the heavy mahogany desk there are four framed pictures. In one is an etching of a cartoon, now long forgotten, but the other is a group photo of four men in military dress. Could the owner have once been in active service?
