Unanswered Questions
Why was this modest but beautiful mansard-roofed house in Maine abandoned?
Abandoned architecture has always interested me on both the visual and philosophical levels. Some years back I came across this modest but beautiful abandoned mansard-roofed house in East Machias, Maine, and just had to shoot it. At the time I was there the house was still in relatively good condition with a lovely weathered patina. The detailing of the house was very good and someone had gone to the trouble of installing some porch supports since the original posts had been removed for some reason. Those supports indicate someone’s intention of coming back to fix it correctly someday. Abandoned houses are particularly fascinating because of the unanswered questions they pose. Who lived here and why was such a house allowed to deteriorate like this? Did the owners plan to return or did the cost of continued maintenance eventually become too much? Who knows? What I do know is that not long after I shot this image, the house was destroyed by fire and is gone. The questions remain unanswered …
(This house is included in my book on abandoned architecture, entitled RUIN, Photographs of a Vanishing America)
Fine Homebuilding Recommended Products
Fine Homebuilding receives a commission for items purchased through links on this site, including Amazon Associates and other affiliate advertising programs.
Homebody: A Guide to Creating Spaces You Never Want to Leave
Joanna Gaines may have started as a celebrity designer on HGTV, but she’s proven to be the real deal. This book help you understand how and why good design works so that you can recreate it on your own.
Pretty Good House
For anyone interested in a sensible and cost-effective approach to designing and building a home that is comfortable, healthy, efficient, and durable, this book is a fantastic starting point (really, it may be all you need!).
The New Carbon Architecture: Building to Cool the Climate
With this book, architect Bruce King changes the conversation around what it means to build a green home. Take everything you thought you knew about the topic, and just set it aside and let Bruce explain why embodied carbon trumps the rest of what is undoubtedly important.
View Comments
It is a shame that economics is such a forceful reality to the outcome of homes like this. But the fact is that, if the local economy and the local infrastructure cannot support a class of citizen that can maintain a home like this, it will fall. Think about it...if this home were in a rural area 20 miles from the nearest town, it would take a person with considerable means to restore it and maintain it all alone in the country. Not a very pleasant scenario for most folks. Beautiful elevation none the less...
Love these small mansards, they're rare here.
Agreed John. Where I grew up, upstate NY, these are only saved by money made elsewhere. They're a dime a dozen and are often snapped up and restored nicely - only to be abandoned again once the 'small town adventure' has past.