The Empty Spaces

I have a love affair with old houses. What others see may just be an old house, but my eyes see these places in a different way, and I try my best to capture what I see with my photography. What I see is a peek inside a tiny piece of history of lives once lived. The house itself often hints of a personality that, if you look closely, shines through the broken windows and peeks out from underneath the peeling paint. 

Within the walls of these old homes are lingering memories of a time long gone but perhaps not too far forgotten. If those walls could talk, what would they tell us? They might tell of happy times with family, watching growing children, laughter and joy. They also may keep deep secrets, hide lingering sadness, and mourning for their losses. An old house is not just a place made of wood and bricks, it's a big box full of emotions and remembrance. I think sometimes the house may hold on to some of these feelings long after their inhabitants have moved on. 

Over the years as the old house ages, the old memories begin to slowly fade away just as she does. Left forgotten and forlorn, slowly, nature begins to reclaim what was once hers. Exposed to the elements, with aging bones, she begins to break down. Her roof weakens and begins to leak, the foundation may begin to show cracks. The doors and windows warp with the changes in the weather and over time, the vines begin to cover her up face as she is entering her final years, months, days. At some point, she eventually begins to crumble completely, or her fate is determined for her, and she is torn to the ground. 

When she was built, she was likely hand made with delicate care and intricate detail. Her wood may have been cut from the lot where she stood, or her old bricks may have been made from the mud she sat upon. The smallest details from hinges on her doors to her beautiful winding staircase would showcase the fine craftsmanship of her time. But left to decay, she is no longer needed, no longer appreciated or no longer has someone to care for and love her. 

I stumble upon many beautiful old houses when I am in search of abandoned places and I spend many hours just driving the backroads seeking out the next amazing place. I have found many along the way, but only a few have really captured my heart. I travel back to visit them from time to time, through the changing seasons and even over the years, I have watched time and mother nature take their toll. I have been heartbroken though, as I have seen too many of these old beauties torn down. It hurts to see such a wonderful piece of history come crashing down, especially by a bulldozer. 

I love these old homes, I have hopes to see them be restored, loved again and put to good use. I wish in some small way that I can save them all, but I know that is only a dream. Reality hits when I go once again to visit, and she is no longer there, and the only thing that is left is the empty space where she once stood tall and proud. I am, however, very thankful for the opportunities to take photographs of these places, because in the end, memories are all we will have. 

Photos above - Top - House on the verge of collapse in Cabell County, WV. Middle - Recently torn down 1830s home in Mason County, WV. Bottom - Recently torn down 1800s home in Mason County, WV. All photos on this site are property of the author, Melissa Stanley, unless otherwise noted. Photos should only be used with permission of the author/photographer.

The Anchorage

If you like old houses that are haunted, well I have the perfect place for you!

Marietta is the oldest city in Ohio and while there are plenty of beautiful old houses in town, one caught my attention about ten or so years ago. The Anchorage, also known as the Putnam Villa, is a beautiful 22 room Italianate style home that was built in 1859 and sits proudly on a hill overlooking Harmar Village in Marietta. The house was built by Douglas Putnam for his wife Eliza and is built from native oak and sandstone. Eliza planned the homes design to suit her personal style and it took ten years for the home to be complete. Unfortunately, Eliza did not get to enjoy her grand new home for long, she died only three years after it was finished. 

Following the Putnam family, other prominent families owned the house over the years. After the last owners, Eddie MacTaggart and his sister Sophia Russell passed away, the house was turned into a nursing home which operated until the 1980s. After the closure of the nursing home, the house sat vacant for many years. Today the home is owned and being restored by the Washington County Historical Society.

I first knew of this home's reputation for being haunted, and that led to the initial visit years ago to see this it for myself. I have never investigated here, but stories of spirits that roam her halls abound. According to Hidden Marietta, the tour company that operates tours of the home, some 20 individuals have died inside the Anchorage over the years, including past owners, their family members and nursing home residents. Some of the reported paranormal activity includes hearing audible disembodied voices, shadows and apparitions and even the sensations of being touched. Up in the tower, the homes original owners, Eliza Putnam and her husband Douglas has been seen. 

I recently booked a tour of the old house to see it inside instead of just the exterior. Due to Covid-19, the only tours that were being offered were self-guided. We (my husband and myself) received a short summary of the history before we started. I was excited to see the inside of the house, although a fully guided tour would have been great, we ended up with the chance to roam the halls alone. I can't say that I was disappointed, this was a perfect opportunity to take lots of photos without having to wait for other tour guests to clear out of an area before I could snap photos. Trust me, I have done quite a few tours and typically hang toward to back in order to get plenty of pictures. 

During our tour of the home, I took notice of all the beautiful architectural details throughout the house, no doubt Eliza hand-picked them herself. The downstairs has been mostly restored, but the restoration process is ongoing. I walked throughout each room, simply admiring the work of art this house truly is, and with the restoration work, I can only imagine how much more beautiful it will become. The upper floors are still in need of restoration, but nonetheless, it is still beautiful, even with peeling paint, wallpaper and exposed boards. 

Having the old house almost completely to ourselves allowed for ample observation for any paranormal activity. There was an option to include a small investigation into the tour, but I just wanted to explore and if we happened to encounter any ghosts during our time, that was fine. Unfortunately, we did not have any experiences, it felt comfortable and calm inside the house, nothing out of the ordinary happened. We were told by one of the guides that a girl from the tour the previous day had her hair pulled by something unseen, which is another seemingly "normal" paranormal event that has been reported in the house.

On the second floor, it is still evident that the house was used as nursing home. The stairway was enclosed during the time the nursing home operated there, but if you look close you can still see some of the original character on the old steps. There are seemingly hidden rooms and rooms that connect to other rooms, which is pretty typical for houses built in the 1800s. This house has a section that was used as servants' quarters. The attic area is huge, and it is believed that the children liked to play up there.

The final spot we visited in the house was on up beyond the attic, and into the tower, also known as a campanile, or Italian bell tower. The tower has a breath-taking full view of Marietta. The winding staircase to the tower looks to be in original condition and it has a feel of being straight out of a fairy tale, or creepy haunted house movie, or perhaps just a combination of the two. I imagine this spot in the house was probably a favorite. I can envision children laughing and playing in the tower and running up and down the stairs. I can imagine Eliza and Douglas watching over their town below while having a quiet moment of reflection from their little castle on the hill. I can even picture the faint apparitions of the spirits that wander the halls of the Anchorage, peeking out from the tower windows and keeping watch over the house. 

Want to learn more about the house, take a tour or even book a ghost hunt? Visit Hidden Marietta for more information or to check out other haunts in the area.

Want to see more of my photos from inside the Anchorage? Visit Ghosts of Guyandotte on Facebook and check out my photo album. 

All photos on this site and in this article are property of the author, Melissa Stanley, unless otherwise noted. 

Andrew J. Keenan House

Located on Main St. in Guyandotte, this home was believed to have been built in the 1820s by William Stone. The home later was purchased by Mark Russell. Russell was the first Gentleman Justice of the County Court; he was also Sheriff. Andrew Keenan purchased the home from the Russell's in 1845. 

Andrew was born in Nicholas County in 1819 and was a saddle maker by trade. He first married in 1838 but his first wife died in 1849. Keenan then married again in 1850 in Cabell County to Sarah Scott. In 1865, he married for the third time after yet again becoming a widower. His third marriage was to Mark Russell's daughter, Melcena. According to census records, it appears that Andrew Keenan married for a fourth and final time in 1867.

On November 10, 1861, Guyandotte was stormed by Confederate troops and a total of 98 Union soldier recruits that were camped in town as well as citizens known to have Union sympathies were captured and taken prisoner during the raid. The Keenan home was used to house these men overnight. The next morning, the men were tied together, two by two, and marched out of town heading to Richmond. 

Andrew Keenan was noted as being an exemplary Christian gentleman. He was a member of the Guyandotte Methodist Episcopal Church, south and he was a leader in that denomination. In 1873, a cholera outbreak that started in New Orleans, reached the Ohio Valley by way of steamboat travel along the Mississippi and Ohio Rivers. A preacher by the name of Rev. Robert Fox, had just returned from preaching funeral services for cholera victims in Gallipolis, Ohio. He preached services at the Guyandotte Methodist Episcopal Church upon his return, then fell ill with cholera himself. Rev. Fox died the following day, July 1, 1873 at the home of Andrew Keenan. It is said that during the cholera epidemic, that the Keenan home was used as a temporary hospital for cholera victims. 

The house is one of the oldest in Guyandotte still standing. In the 1980s a fire damaged the interior of the home and destroyed a back addition. During the early 2000s, it housed the KYOVA genealogical society before being vacated and used as a storage building. In recent years it was sold off and has been converted into apartments. The condition of the building has since deteriorated since the above photo was taken in 2011. 

All photos on this site are property of Melissa Stanley unless otherwise noted. 

Bruce Chapel Church & Cemetery - Mason County, WV

Bruce Chapel Church was built in 1842 and was the first Episcopalian church in Mason County, West Virginia. The church was built on land that was sold by the Moore and Stephens families. The church was named for Eliza Bruce, for her charitable contributions to the church.

The church sits on a hillside and located on the adjacent property is a cemetery which has graves dating back to at least the 1840's. There are several unknown graves only marked with fieldstones and likely some slave burials exist here as well. Some slave burials are believed to be underneath the newer back addition of the church.

I first came learn about Bruce Chapel in 2006 during my search for haunted locations in West Virginia. I had just started a paranormal group and was seeking some places we might be able to investigate. The information included a nearby location known as the Mai Moore Mansion. The old Mansion, which was once located near the church, was believed to have been built around the time of the Civil War, it was home of Charles Page Thomas Moore and family. The house burned down in 1960s. The Moore family members are buried at Bruce Chapel Cemetery.

I have never been able to locate the exact location of the remains of the Mai Moore Mansion. The mansion is within the vicinity of the church, up on a hill, so we have been told. The area is likely on private property and was told by a local that there were several cisterns around the ruins, posing a hazard to any explorers. The old mansion was also located near a large prehistoric Adena burial mound known as the May Moore Mound. The mound was named for Charles Moore's daughter. Today, the mound is located on private property and lies near the Ohio River, there are also several other smaller mounds said to be in the area.

Bruce Chapel is a known haunted location to many. I have come to believe that the claims are potentially true. The possible burials under the church, the local family connections to the church and graveyard, and even the proximity to the Adena burial mounds could have contributed to the stories. However, I wouldn't claim this rumor might be true unless I had experienced for myself.

In 2006 my team went to check out the church and cemetery for the first time. What we found was an abandoned church with a slightly overgrown cemetery. It was daylight, it was summer, it was hot,

and the bugs were biting. We were recording, hoping to catch EVPs right at the front door, and upon review we captured a voice that was not anyone that was with us.

In 2012, the team secured permission to investigate inside the little rural church. It had a new owner and they were starting the process of restoration work. It was bitter cold, 17 degrees, snow on the ground, no heat in the church and bull running loose in the area. We had a really quiet evening, thankfully, until I reviewed the photos. As we were packing up, I snapped some final photos and I captured something that I cannot explain even 8 years later. It may be something, it may be nothing.

The bottom photo was taken with a point and shoot IR camera. It looks as though something, or someone is peeking around my friend who is winding up cord from our video cameras. Again, I don't claim it is paranormal but you are welcome to draw your own conclusions.




Photos on this site are property of Melissa Stanley unless otherwise noted. Photos on this page were all taken in 2012.

Historic Travels - Williamson, West Virginia

 I want to post this article from my own personal perspective a little more than some of my other posts. This is the area whereI spent the first few years of my life. While my memories of Mingo County are few, I know that my heritage runs deep here. My mom was born and raised in Mingo county and my grandmother was too.

I have traced my heritage back many generations, much of that heritage lies in the southern coal fields of West Virginia and Kentucky, and a little in Virginia too. I have some deep roots here so when I visit, it isn't just a random place to explore for me, I have lots of family history here, unlike other areas where I travel.

These locations are places I know and want to share, there is still lots in the area I have not yet explored, but I hope to add a little more to my knowledge of these areas as I travel there to visit from time to time.

Mingo County was named for the Iroquoian Mingo people and it the newest county in the state having been formed in 1895. The largest city in Mingo county is Williamson, with a population of just over 3,000 people. The land in which Williamson was built, once belonged to a man name Anthony Lawson of Logan County (Lawson buried in Guyandotte). In 1858, the land was transferred to Benjamin Williamson. Eventually, what was once just a cornfield was sold off as town lots to form the city of Williamson, which at the time was located in Logan County. The town was incorporated in 1894 and J.B. Williamson was elected the first mayor.

My great grandfather was an Italian immigrant, arriving in the US as a young teen. He gained US citizenship and I first found him listed in the 1910 census, living and working among other Italian immigrants as a coal miner in Mingo county. He was married to my great grandmother before going off to fight in WWI, she was born and raised in the area.

Today, my great grandparents are buried in the old cemetery called Fairview cemetery. The cemetery is over 100 years old and it sits on a hill, some areas are extremely steep with some graves appearing to be near impossible to reach. My grandmother told me of a time she was attending a funeral and had to climb back up the hillside on her hands and knees. The cemetery today looks pretty run down, abandoned even. My last visit was a few years ago and the difference over the years is very noticeable. My grandparents lived just a few blocks away from Fairview cemetery, and my grandmother has told me the story of how my mom "ran away" to the cemetery once, and how angry my grandpa was when he found her hiding there.

One of my favorite buildings in Williamson is the old Williamson Memorial Nursing School that sits right next to the old Williamson Memorial Hospital. It sits high up on the hill and can be seen from the downtown area. It was part of the original Williamson Memorial Hospital was built in 1918. However, that hospital was destroyed by a fire.

In 1928, Dr. George Conley and Dr. Russel Salton co-founded and built a new hospital on College Hill. In 1948, Dr. Salton's son, Dr. Russel Salton Jr. took over the operations at the hospital. My grandmother had both of her children at this hospital. Dr. Salton Jr. delivered both my uncle and my mother here.  My grandmother has always spoken fondly of hospital and Dr. Salton Jr. (he passed away in 1992). The old hospital was used until a newer facility was built in the 1980's, but was still being used for offices until 2014 when it was permanently closed.

The main hospital building it thought to be haunted, however, I have not discovered any specific stories. One tragic event that occurred at the hospital may have led to a ghost story: a man was thrown from the second story of the hospital, and presumably died as a result.  As of 2018, the Tug Valley CVB has opened the building up for to the public for haunted history tours in October.

My grandmother pointed out another cemetery that I was unaware of and is near the old hospital. Just down the hill a very small cemetery, which almost seems out of place today, lies the Williamson family cemetery. It's located on College or Hospital Hill as it is known, and the old section is enclosed by a concrete wall.

Aside from old abandoned hospitals and cemeteries, something else I like to photograph are old bridges. There is a green truss bridge that spans the Tug Fork River from Williamson, WV to Route 119 in South Williamson, KY. The bridge was built in 1950 was called the Tug Fork Bridge. I noticed that the bridge was dedicated to a man named Pete Dillon. I had to ask my grandmother about it, because I recognized the name, as she had spoken about him before. So, she called her first cousin Pete to inquire, and we discovered that the bridge was indeed named to honor him. He had been a long-time employee of the city of Williamson, and they chose to honor his hard work by dedicating the bridge to him. I have never met him, but I think it is great he made such a great impact on the city that he had a bridge named for him.

There is really a lot to this little community that I have yet to explore, I have been many times but never stay very long. I always stop at the cemetery to visit my great grandparents' graves. If conditions related to the Covid-19 epidemic improve, I will likely travel back down later this year to explore more and take some new photos. The history in the area is very rich, there are some very interesting places to explore like nearby Matewan, WV and the Hatfield and McCoy sites though southern West Virginia and Kentucky. I will likely share my travels to these areas in a future post.


Photos on this page - Old Williamson Memorial Nursing School, and abandoned apartment complex. All photos taken in 2020. All photos on this site are property of Melissa Stanley unless otherwise noted. 

Spring Hill Cemetery - Huntington, WV

Spring Hill cemetery was established 1873, just two years after the city of Huntington, West Virginia was incorporated. Today, the cemetery has over 80,000 burials. The cemetery started with around 30 acres but has expanded over the years to 110 acres currently. The oldest known grave dates to 1838, however, the first official burial wasn't until 1873. The name of the cemetery is believed to come from an old spring house that once stood near where the first bodies were buried.

One of the most locally well-known memorials that stands at Spring Hill is for the victims of the Marshall University plane crash of 1970. The crash killed all 75 people on board, including 37 members of the Marshall University football team, as well as coaching staff, boosters and crew members. Six of the victims that died in the crash were unable to be identified and are buried at the memorial site.

Many of Huntington's earliest families and citizens are buried here. In fact, in the early years of the cemetery, many bodies were reinterred here from other smaller cemeteries and family cemeteries. Large obelisks and private family mausoleums bear the names of many of these early settlers and leaders of Huntington and Cabell County.

There are over 300 Civil War soldiers buried at Spring Hill, many of whom were killed in battle. At least two that are buried here were killed during the Confederate raid on Guyandotte in November of 1861. Two Civil War Generals are buried in the cemetery, Confederate General Albert Gallatin Jenkins and Union General John Hunt Oley.

According to an article published in Huntington Quarterly, a newspaper article from 1918 reported that there had been more buried that year than during other similar periods. Records indicate that over 1,000 burials that year. The article also states that high number of interments was likely due to the worldwide Spanish flu epidemic that hit Huntington in 1918.


The history of this cemetery is captivating, but even if you don't know much about the history or the stories of those whom are buried here, the cemetery is still a beautiful place to talk a stroll. The artwork of old intricately carved stones and stained-glass windows that bring color and light into the darkened mausoleums are mesmerizing. In the spring, the flowering trees and bushes are bright with colorful blooms. While a cemetery can bring sadness and memories of loss, I find wandering through this cemetery to be peaceful as well as it being a place of wonder and tranquility.

Spring Hill is known to have a few rumors of mysterious paranormal occurrences too. While there aren't many specific stories of hauntings within the cemetery that I could find, one thought comes from the possibility of restless spirits wandering over from the State Hospital that is located directly across the street from the cemetery. The state hospital is the second oldest in West Virginia, created in 1897. A fire at the hospital in 1952 killed 17 people.

Many people simply associate cemeteries with being haunted, that the spirits of those buried here roam free, or even come to visit their own graves. I am not sure if you will find any ghosts if you wander through Spring Hill, but I highly recommend a visit whether you are looking for ghosts, history or just a nice place to go for a walk.



Photos on this site are property of Melissa Stanley, unless otherwise noted. Historic information sources: Find a grave, Huntington Quarterly & The WV Encyclopedia.