Abandoned Shenandoah.

Abandonment is dread to the humankind.

Centralia, Pa is an abandoned mining town that contains an active mine fire underneath the town. Tourists come from far to see for themselves the wonder of what a ghost town really looks like. There is something so haunting about the idea of an abandoned town. People getting up and leaving their homes filled with precious memories and cherished dreams; sounds chilling. Leaving in a panic, rushing to stuff clothes in suitcases and fill boxes with recollected knick knacks. Never knowing when, or even if, you’ll see that place you once called home again.

What is even scarier is being able to walk through someone’s abandoned home and sit in the room that Christmas’s took place in. The kitchen where home cooked meals were made and laughs were shared across grandmas knitted blanket.

An empty house- like nothing ever happened there. Like the family never even existed. It makes Existentialism feel so visceral. One day this entire planet will be abandoned either due to lack resources, a widespread disease or the fire that will inevitably burn our cities down. Abandonment is almost inevitable.

I took a trip to the old houses of Shenandoah in Warminster, Pa. It was at first a naval development then became off-base housing and now lays rotting away in the growing woods. The development was abandoned in 1996 due to a chemical contaminating the water. Once the contamination was noticed by the EPA, locals were forced to leave immediately. The homes still stand to this day. These images were taken by me on 11/12/21.