Taken on 03/24/09
The remains of the old mill outside of Herrings.  The brush around it seems to have been cleared and brand new fence put up around it.


(Some previous pictures can be found on this page).


Donald D. writes: "It was at one time the St. Regis Paper mill, after that it was Lally manufacturing corp."

Taken on 03/24/09
More of the buildings

Taken on 03/24/09
Back side of it.

Taken on 03/24/09
Back side of it.



Henry P. writes "A great sadness. Saint Regis and then Champion Papers employed over 800 people, supported towns, schools, hospitals, paid taxes and were good corporate citizens. I know because for many years I ran the Newton Falls Paper Company- a neighbor. Those were the days when papermaking was an important facet to lives in the north country, using native resources and the wonderful working ability of north country people."

Taken on 03/24/09
Just the roof of a building, East Road, near Lowville

Taken on 03/24/09
Collapsed little building, Keener Road, near Lowville

Taken on 03/24/09
Great old house surrounded by trees, West Road, near Lowville

Taken on 03/24/09
Abandoned silo, Route 12 not too far from Copenhagen

Taken on 03/24/09
Another abandoned silo, Route 12 not too far from Copenhagen

Taken March '09 by Hope M. of Perceptionphotography.biz
Near Champion.  Corner of County Route 47 and North Lake Road.




Hope writes: "I had the good fortune to talk to W. Wiley who lives on N. Lake, and he said for as long as he has lived there, which is 50 years, it has been abandoned."

Taken March '09 by Hope M. of Perceptionphotography.biz
Near the previous barn, forward of it, closer to the road

Taken on 03/25/09

This building and location was suggested by Hope M. of Perceptionphotography.biz
Beautiful old house in Henderson, Route 72, built sometime in 1830, 2,376 square foot. We have this listed as a Sears Roebuck house model #167 but this seems to be incorrect, see comment below from Scott A. Jacob concerning incongruities with the year built and whether this is indeed a Sears Roebuck house, and also comment by Lori T about the same.
We have corrected the previously incorrect square footage.

We are happy to say that we have heard that this house has been bought and is in the process of being remodeled, and now is in use and is no longer abandoned!


Some (even creepier) artwork of this house can be found on this page.


Hope writes that she talked to Gary Rhodes, a local genealogist who owns the Cyrus Bates House, and he said the name he knows this house by is the Phillips Home, a Sears & Roebuck Kit house."  She also has found that the 1864 map shows as the home of O. Potter."
From spookyfoto (via Flickr.com): "Fabulous find and shot. I love the boarded up windows! It kind of makes you wonder why all but one is boarded up, maybe that one is where the ghost sits and looks out at you! LOL"
From _KEITH_MNTYA (via Flickr.com): "Oh my god, this is a scary house... I would NEVER go in there for a night."
From dags: "This is really spooky. Nice foto."
Flickr.com): "How melancholy; I love it."
Flickr.com): "Rather Stephen King-ish! Yikes!"
From Kathy Mereand (via Flickr.com): "A beautiful old house a reflection of someone's pride in workmanship in a far distant past. How many of our modern houses will reflect this beauty if they even survive this long."
Rob writes: "oh MAN I would LOVE to buy one of these old houses and renovate it into a B&B these stately old homes just have a feel, something ineffable, something that just cant be duplicated in a new structure, maybe it's the spirits, maybe it's just the weathering, I don't know but I LOVE them!"
Lori T. writes "Amazing house! Would love to see the inside. As for being a Sears Kit house, Sears didn't start marketing kit homes until 1908 and this house appears to be much older."
Beverly (via Facebook) writes "We were in Henderson last night and saw this place. Amazing. Driving past, even the roof line appeared straight and in good shape. I bet it was a beauty in its day!!"
Nadeem writes "I have seen this picture I feel so relief that time, like an some where heaven really, Nice Picture :)"
From Bella Luna Creative  (via Flickr.com): "Amazing!"
From Rodney Harvey (via Flickr.com): "Incredible house...which it was several states closer!"
From Cody Kapcsos (via Flickr.com): "This one is begging to be painted up!! Man think of all the bright colours you could add to this beaut!"
On 3/3113 Mellisa writes "I was born and raised in upstate NY and our family friends owned/rented this home.  We would visit every weekend and go to the beach. There used to be a wrap around porch. The inside was beautiful and had a large spiral staircase and a couple 'hidden hideouts' as we called them. I would love to know the history of this house that we all called our 'big brown house.'"
On 4/30 madair writes "What a shame this house is just sitting there and falling apart. Live right around the corner from it and my husband and I restore houses so we cringe everytime we see it. The guy just won't sell it."
From Scott A. Jacob: "1830's Sears kit home???? quite unlikely
I was curiously confused by the photo's initial description which claims this house to be from the 1830's and also a Sears kit home at the amazing square footage of 23 thousand square feet! Now, I know of no Sears kit home that dates from the 1830's since Sears's first kit home was offered in 1907, and certainly none as big as a 23,000 sq.ft. megamansion were ever offered. So I'd like to suggest a correction that makes more logical sense. That the house dates to the 1830's could be entirely true. It's massing and even window alignment makes it possible it began as a typical gable front vernacular Greek Revival typical of the period, but from there, two possible stories could have happened which combine the other elements. First, the square footage must actually be 2,300 sq. ft., or what people refer to sometimes as being "23 hundred". An easily misinterpreted mistake. As for the house's construction history, I believe that it was updated and remodeled in such a way that it LOOKS like the "Maytown" model #167 in the sears catalogue of 1923. (which could also be another source for the misconstrued detail which spurned the 23,000 sq. ft. comment.) In any case, in the spirit of competition, there were many other companies making kit homes and selling them across the country at the same time and most of them copied the more popular models from one another which can create a bit of havoc amongst historic preservationists and restoration specialists when doing research on kit built homes. Believe me when I say "havoc", I'm being kind because it's more like a hopeless headache! Unless you have documented proof that a home is a Sears home specifically, and you find stamped numbers on your rafters and a Sears & Roebuck tag hanging from the pipes or stamped somewhere, it's near impossible to say for certain which of the over 500 companies making kit homes at the time the home was built from. If that isn't daunting enough, it gets worse, because it's also possible that PARTS of several kit homes were ordered and combined by amature builders to create an end result which looked like what we see today and might easily confuse as being a particular kit model from a particular company. I've provided a link to show the Sears "Maytown" model #167 so you can get a better sense of why and how I've concluded what I've stated. I mean no disrespect in any way to the details so stated earlier for which I found reason to respond, it's easy to confuse details, but in fact I give all my respect to the new owner fixing up this great looking home and I'm glad it will be around for at least another couple generations for all to enjoy. Maybe the details of it's history can be sorted out and explained through more research and reported in some future comment." http://architecturalobserver.com/inside-a-sears-maytown-a-k-a-modern-home-no-167/

Taken on 03/25/09
Another angle of the front
 


On 8/17/12 Kasey Coff writes "Love the photo from this side - the angled windows obviously run along the stairs. I wonder what the layout was inside? Anyone know if there are any original pictures of the house in its heyday? The wooden siding is beautiful.
p.s. Can't believe the snow hasn't pulled it down!"
On 4/30/13 Jojo writes "I love this building! Would be interested to see the inside!"

Taken on 03/25/09
The left side



Stacey writes "A fun project.  Wow, what a fun restoration project that would be. It would be fun to look inside for queen ann furniture, antique bitters or liquor bottles, ect. In good condition these items will bring a premium. Does anyone know if it's empty inside? Metal detecting there would be great fun."
fishfamily writes "Every summer when our family comes to the Harbor, we drive by this SPOOKY old house and ponder the stories... Before it was boarded up, for years there was a faded brown artificial Christmas tree in the lower window, which made us wonder about why the place was abandoned seemingly so abruptly...always wondered what else was inside - perhaps a mummy in a rocking chair?...."

Taken on 03/25/09
Left side and rear - photos taken from nearby playground for this angle



On 4/4/16 Jodi Barck writes "This old house is for sale now. What a unique house begging to be pretty again."

Taken on 03/25/09
This building and location were suggested by Hope M. of Perceptionphotography.biz
Old Baptist Church, Route 178, Henderson. Former Baptist Church then used as a Mason Hall (thanks Garrett M).



From comac1103 (via Flickr.com): "Now this is a nice shot, sad that such a grand building in such a sad condition but a wonderful photo!"
Don writes: "I believe that after being a church this was also a Masonic Lodge. It was purchased in the '80's by a private individual."
On 3/21/16 Garrett McCarthy writes "I have owned it since mid 2000's - Purchased it from senior who had used the basement primarily for his carpentry shop. If ONLY he had invested in the roof during his tenure. Still in solid shape beam-wise but roof is decaying. Summer of 2016 - temporary repairs will be made to secure west side of roof with giant canvas tarp. Funds originally dedicated to improve this property were diverted to purchase and steer Watertown's Masonic Lodge away from demolition. Battled then woefully short-sighted/now EX MAYOR Graham who was intent on seeing it come down - (an abysmal record on architectural preservation in Watertown). Now in the hands of 4th Coast Inc. Attention now returning to this structure on Main Street in Henderson. Garrett McCarthy - Henderson Historical Society President"

Taken in April 2009, by Hope M. of Perceptionphotography.biz
Old stone steps, all that remains of the Deferiet Mansion, or "The Hermitage" built by Jenika de Ferriet and finished in 1824.
To read more about Jenika de Ferriet and "The Hermitage" click here.