Hand made with wood and a hammer

I love old buildings, the ones that aren't pristine any more, perhaps even just barely being held together.  I think of the men (usually) who put these buildings together with hammers and nails, then of the years of use the buildings have had.  They have history.

So when I drove up to Bakersville yesterday to pick up the donated magazines, I stopped a few times to take pictures of places that had history.  The Clay Studio will greatly be inspired by June Perry's donation...thanks June, if you ever read this.

This delightful tin roof isn't covered with snow...but has some discoloration that looks like it.

Many a barn houses the tractors still, and hopefully they are still being used sometimes.

This is the absence of a building. There used to be a purple building here, probably last used as a vegetable stand.  It was the landmark to the turnoff for Penland School off Hwy. 226 in Spruce Pine.  I wonder what will be there next.

This house stands on Hwy 70 near Marion, and it's got a trimmed bush and firewood on the back porch, but the upstairs window has no glass.  I think of how many children were born and raised in this house (as well as many others that have fallen into disuse).  If these walls could talk.

Incidentally, there are newer homes built behind this old one, which is often the case, where children would stay close on the homestead, and eventually the elders would leave their homes to just stand.  The highway is very close to this porch (to the right side) and it probably was moved at some time (the highway).