I made this photograph in 2008 and rediscovered it when I began re-editing my Sumter County images. The historic, largely forgotten New Era community holds a special place for me as a photographer of rural subjects. Its owners have allowed it to stand, long after it was abandoned, and in doing so they preserved a living museum of a certain place and time. They appreciated what it represented. Letting it go back to the elements is just part of that process.
This was a huge building, almost certainly serving an agricultural purpose. The front section at right was probably an office, while the remainder was a gin and/or warehouse. As best I can tell, the structure has since collapsed or was razed.
Passed it on the way to Columbus in January. A lot of it’s gone, but most of the walls and about half of the roof is still there
How interesting to see what looks like a dormer window on the right hand side of that building. I don’t know that I’ve seen one like that before. Probably as much of an air vent for the hot days of summer, as a “lookout window.”
In today’s world, we so blithely and thoughtlessly enjoy so many “modern conveniences” (indoor plumbing, air conditioning, electric lighting that turns on at the flip of a switch), because we are so used to them, it’s hard for us to imagine how different life was for those who came before us, and not that many years ago.
I well remember a summer job I had, when I was in high school, back in the late 1960’s, in a huge cement block warehouse that had no AC, just one big fan in a back corner, and open truck bays on both north and south sides of the building. If there was no breeze, you just sweltered. And came home soaked in sweat.
One day the General Manager came through, and I had to ask him, “Mr. X, when are you going to put air conditioning out here? It’s awfully hot!”
His response: ”By God, boy, you come back in January, and you’ll get all the air conditioning you want!!”
He was right! I came back one Christmas holiday, a couple of years later, and that warehouse was “plenty air-conditioned!”
I have never forgotten that exchange. (1968 or 1969?) He was right.
🙂