jermalism: Abandonment Issues: Kirby Fruit Stand Farmhouse & Dog Kennel

The Christmas lights were still up on this abandoned farmhouse on the side of the highway through Kirby, Ontario, during the visit captured in these images in April of 2011. A small barn and remnants of a burnt down highway-side fruit and vegetable stand were within a few dozen feet of the beautiful old stone house.

We had stopped here a few times prior to that visit, but until that day, it had been sealed tight. On that day however, the wooden plank that formerly covered the door was resting on the dry brown grass, and the screen door was lying on the hallway floor inside, the BEWARE OF DOG sign still in the window. The gorgeous hardwood floors, immaculate bathrooms, and the sketches and children's hand prints on the walls of the second floor play room were the highlights of the interior. Oh, and a set of house keys hanging on a hook just inside the door. Hardwood floors and beautiful crown molding throughout, provoking one of the explorers present on that day to utter those words that are spoken too often nowadays...

"They sure don't make houses like they used to."

The carpet matches the blinds, and the hoarding

the carpet matches the blinds, and the hoarding.

Sinking to the floor and losing focus

Shower curtain call

Basement at high tide

Mirror mirror on the wall...

Down stares

Flower child's room

Gimme a hand

Winnie the Pooh flower collage

Free bird

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Riding the rails

Floor bored

Auto STOP

BEGONIA IX

Bacon lattice tomato

Another brick in the wall

Fibres

Fruit and veggie stand

On a later visit, after noticing a car parked out front, I stopped to investigate.

Sure enough, a pair of nomadic criminal squatters were inside chain smoking and crushing 40s of OE & Black Ice. I sparked an L and passed it to the left. They were quick to share tales from their journey, including openly discussing a robbery they committed down south.

I asked them to get rid of the bottles when they left and was shocked the next day when there was no sign of the pair or their bottles.

Again, just last week, Dallas1983 and I stopped by here, only to find the house is once again re-sealed, and the small barn that was standing behind the house on previous visits, had been burnt to the ground.

Dallas 1983 and I also stopped in at the abandoned Kirby Dog Kennel, on the other side of the highway. Not an overly interesting place, but worthy of note.