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.

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.

Point Pleasant, West Virginia

Due to Covid-19 and travel restrictions, I have not been traveling recently, but I thought that I would share my closer to home (Huntington, WV) favorite day or weekend haunted/historic trips. Once it is safe to get out and about again, this place is worth checking out for any explorer, history lover or paranormal or cryptid hunter or enthusiast. 

Point Pleasant, West Virginia is a small town located at the confluence of the Ohio and Kanawha rivers in Mason County. When passing though, this little town seems any other ordinary small Appalachian town, however, its anything but ordinary. 

If you have never heard of Point Pleasant, WV, you may want to hop on Google for a search (one you are done reading here, of course). You will find links to countless stories, movies, TV shows and books about this area. It is well known to many for its unusual history. I will touch on some of my favorite locations to visit in Point Pleasant, but I can assure you that if you want to find out more that you will not come up short on information!

I live about 40 miles from Pt. Pleasant. I really can't remember my first trip there, but I have visited many times. I can recall the first time I read about Pt. Pleasant and that unusual history I mentioned above: I was around 12 years old and I was heavily interested in strange phenomena, ghosts, UFOs and the like. This was the early 1990s and among my favorite shows was Unsolved Mysteries and Sightings. I would visit the library to pick up books on all sorts of strange and paranormal topics. One book that I read told the story of the Mothman of Point Pleasant, West Virginia. I thought wow! This happened in the state where I live, I was intrigued. The story stuck with me through the years until I was finally able to visit the area for myself. 

Below you will find a list of interesting places you can see for yourself, go on a hunt for Mothman, a self-guided history tour or search for some spooky ghosts.

TNT Area & Mothman - 

The TNT area was formerly a WWII ammunitions manufacturing site. Today the land is a wildlife management area, located just outside of town. This area is where one of the first Mothman sightings occurred in 1966. Reports of a man-sized winged bird with glowing red eyes was spotted in the vicinity of the TNT area. Some believe that Mothman was a military experiment while others believe that he showed up to warn locals of pending disasters. 

Chief Cornstalk Curse - 

Known as Dunmore's War, Native American Chief Cornstalk attempted to block an invasion by the Virginia Militia at the Battle of Point Pleasant, in 1774. He led a force of Shawnee and Mingo warriors, but he was forced to retreat after a fierce battle. As a result, American Indians lost the right to hunt in the area and agreed the Ohio River would be the boundary between Indian land and British colonies. When the American Revolution began a few years later, Cornstalk attempted to keep his people neutral but despite his efforts, he was taken hostage at Fort Randolph during a diplomatic visit. At the fort, Cornstalk and his young son were killed by angry militiamen after one of their men was killed by unknown Indians. Legend has it, as he lay dying, Cornstalk uttered a curse upon the land to those that had murdered he and his son. 

Silver Bridge - 

Nearly two hundred years after Cornstalk's death, December 15, 1967 would bring absolute devastation to the town. The Silver bridge, built in 1928, once spanned the Ohio river from Point Pleasant to Gallipolis, Ohio. During rush hour traffic that December evening, the bridge collapsed, killing 46 people. The failure of a single eye bar was determined to be the cause of the catastrophic collapse. It was one of the deadliest bridge disasters in US history.

Up until the bridge collapse, there had been numerous Mothman sightings in the area that had begun in 1966. Once the bridge collapse happened, the Mothman sightings came to a stop. Some people claimed to have seen Mothman on the bridge just before it fell. Others attribute the curse of Chief Cornstalk to the bridge collapse. A memorial monument stands at the base of where the bridge once stood on Main St. 

Pioneer Cemetery - 

If you like old cemeteries, like I do, Pt. Pleasant's old Pioneer cemetery sits right along Rt. 2 at 9th St. Several Revolutionary War veterans are buried here as well as Dr. Jesse Bennet, who was the first in the country to perform a caesarean section in 1794. There is a historical marker for his gravesite. Want to read more about the cemetery? Visit Theresa's Haunted History of the Tri-State for even more information.

Mothman Museum, Statue & Festival -

The Mothman sightings in Pt. Pleasant may have disappeared, but his legend is still going strong. Mothman has become a constant presence in the town thanks to Mothman Statue that was installed in 2003, which was also the same year the inaugural Mothman festival was held. The festival runs every September and is dedicated to all things Mothman. If you want to learn even more about Mothman, stop by the world's only Mothman Museum, it's easy to find, right next to the Mothman statue on Main St., you can't miss it!

Lowe Hotel - 

Staying overnight in Pt. Pleasant? The Lowe Hotel is where you will want to stay for a unique and potentially haunted experience. Take a step back in time with the décor of this old hotel. The hotel has been part of Pt. Pleasant history since 1901, but it was originally known as the Spencer Hotel. The Lowe family purchased the hotel in 1929 and was renamed. The hotel is a very popular haunted hot spot, with many paranormal groups (some famous!) have explored the halls and rooms of this old hotel. They have captured all sorts of spooky phenomena and have walked away with some scary stories. I have stayed the night at the Lowe, and I also took a history tour and was able to see more of the hotel that the average guests, although we didn't have any paranormal experiences, it was an enjoyable experience. 

All photos on this site are property of Melissa Stanley, unless otherwise noted. Top photo - Creepy old abandoned house in Pt. Pleasant, taken in 2020 House torn down in 2020 .  Middle photo -TNT area taken in 2006. Bottom photo - Lowe Hotel taken in 2012