Night Sky Over Cascade Ridge, Adirondacks | 12.23.2023

 Night Sky Over Cascade Ridge, Adirondacks | 12.23.2023

© 2024 John Bulmer Photography + Nor'easter Films
www.bulmerphotography.com
www.johnbulmerart.com
www.noreasterfilms.com
All Rights Reserved   

The Ruins of Grafton | The Windmill

The Ruins of Grafton: The Windmill
By John Bulmer, John Bulmer Photography

Today, I added a seventh site to my ongoing ruins mapping project within Grafton Lakes State Park. Snow persists in the shadows, offering sufficient contrast to discern manmade shapes in the forest. It may be my last exploration until spring, depending on the snowpack.

Today's discovery reveals much that has faded with time, leaving behind a substantial cornerstone of what must have been a grand house constructed with Bleau bricks manufactured in Troy, New York, during the early 1900s. Within its foundation, an intact Clorox bottle from the 1940s adds a tangible link to the past. Notably, this site is at a higher elevation than the preceding six, and nearby lies the remnants of a windmill, its blades partially submerged in the forest floor. Its vane is nowhere to be found. Standing under a canopy of 40 to 50-foot trees, it's difficult to imagine a landscape open enough to support wind power.

To date, my mapping project has documented sites from seven abandoned homesteads, each contributing a unique chapter to the narrative. Seven fieldstone fireplaces dot the landscape, some defying association with known home sites. The scenery unfolds with extensive stone walls, numerous footings, and traces of household items, remnants of the past that once transformed these now-forgotten homesites into someone's home or summer camp.

My project has led me through parts of the park I have never seen, revealing trees of remarkable size undisturbed by human presence. True old growth remains in the more obscure parts of the park. But even in the secluded corners, the artifacts of a forgotten community linger, a poignant reminder of the lives that once thrived in this now-quiet wilderness.

© 2023 John Bulmer Media, John Bulmer Photography. 

The Ruins of Grafton | Site Six

The Ruins of Grafton: Site Six
By John Bulmer, John Bulmer Photography

Today marked the addition of a sixth site to my ruins mapping project within Grafton Lakes State Park. The rain and bare forest reveal the shape of the land, making it easier to see further and imagine what this forgotten community must have been like before it was abandoned.

The landscape is scattered with subtle hints of its past – impressions of driveways and remnants of single-lane roads, now obscured by decades of nature. Though overgrown, these features remain unmistakable.
Time has treated each of these sites differently. Site Six is marked by two foundations and two sets of stairs, each constructed of a layered combination of brick, cement, and white-colored fieldstones. Adjacent to the camp, I found the poignant sight of a shovel's blade and a bottle, entwined within the grasp of two trees, as if frozen in time – a reminder of the passage of time.

Like the other locations in my ruins mapping project, there were abandoned power poles scattered throughout the park, some pointing the way to the next homestead. Some of these sites have underground pipes and Romex cables. The infrastructure of this forgotten community seems harder to erase than the foundations and fieldstone fireplaces that sink under the seasons of leaves a little more each year. Seasons of freezing and thawing are not kind to concrete.

The land in parts of Grafton Lakes State Park, once a cluster of homes and camps, now bears the remnants of a bygone era.

To date, my mapping project has recorded details on six abandoned homesteads, each with its unique story. Among them are seven fieldstone fireplaces, some of which defy association with any known home sites. The landscape also features extensive stone walls, numerous footings, and the lingering traces of household items that once helped to make these long-forgotten homesites a home.

© 2023 John Bulmer Media, John Bulmer Photography.

The Ruins of Grafton | Site Five

The Ruins of Grafton: Site Five By John Bulmer, John Bulmer Photography

Exploring the Park's past, I discovered the impression of an abandoned service road, leading me to the fifth site in my ongoing project to uncover the area's deserted homesteads. These historical sites have weathered the passage of time in diverse ways. Some have been reclaimed by nature, while others fell victim to demolition. The initial intention, rumored to be the establishment of campsites, never came to fruition. Today, more than five decades later, the artifacts of these forgotten homesteads continue their silent descent into the forest floor.

The latest discovery revealed a 25-foot square block foundation, shrouded in moss and concealed beneath layers of leaves and debris with an accompanying fieldstone fireplace. Adjacent to it lay the remnants of a child's bed – alongside scattered bottles and an antiquated electrical meter.

In my documentation efforts thus far, I've recorded details on five abandoned homesteads, each with its unique story. Among them are six fieldstone fireplaces, some of which defy association with any known home sites. The landscape also features extensive stone walls, numerous footings, and the lingering traces of utilities that once powered these long-forgotten abodes. These remnants serve as guides, leading the way to these hidden sites.

The evidence of this bygone community is scattered throughout the Park, gradually succumbing to the moss, the seasonal rhythm of falling leaves, and the relentless march of the forest. Each artifact, each structure, was the center of someone's life in the near past, now fading into time and nature.

© 2023 John Bulmer Media, John Bulmer Photography.

Cracks in the Moon | 11.19.2023

Cracks in the Moon | 11.19.2023
Saratoga County, New York 

© 2023 John Bulmer Photography + Nor'easter Films
www.bulmerphotography.com
www.johnbulmerart.com
www.noreasterfilms.com
All Rights Reserved   

Busy Day at the Troy Waterfront Farmers Market | 11.19.2023

 Busy Day at the Troy Waterfront Farmers Market | 11.19.2023
Troy, New York 

© 2023 John Bulmer Photography + Nor'easter Films
www.bulmerphotography.com
www.johnbulmerart.com
www.noreasterfilms.com
All Rights Reserved   

The Ruins of Grafton | Enchanted Island

The Ruins of Grafton: Enchanted Islan By John Bulmer, John Bulmer Photography

In the course of writing my piece on the Ruins of Grafton, I actively reached out to individuals who could assist me in tracing the former owners of some of the abandoned properties I stumbled upon during my Park explorations. A significant breakthrough happened when I received a Facebook comment from an individual with a personal connection to the area. This person had grown up in a residence along Long Pond Road, only to receive a letter in 1968 informing her family of the need to relocate, making way for the establishment of a new state park. The house, once an imposing figure in her childhood memories, now seemed remarkably smaller upon revisiting. "When I was a kid, the house looked huge; now, when I go there, I see how small everything really was!"

Her vivid recounting detailed a quaint, white, three-bedroom ranch with teal shutters, featuring a semi-circle driveway adorned with an oak at its center. The back of the house led to a path leading to the lake, complete with a dock for swimming. The most intriguing aspect was an etching in the foundation, bearing the words "Enchanted Island." Determined to uncover this detail, I set out on a mission.

Graciously, she provided directions to the site of her former childhood home. Within a few hours, I found myself standing within the interior of what used to be the kitchen. If you followed my initial coverage of the Park's ruins, you may recall a prominent fieldstone fireplace in the forest. This site mirrored my first abandoned homestead, albeit weathered by time. The fireplace lay fallen, its base forward and the chimney backward, yet the distinctive construction and craftsmanship remained undeniable, this one appeared to be a twin of my first discovery. Navigating an overgrown path to the lake, I discovered a grand stone gate and a hand-built stone bridge spanning a creek.

Upon returning to the house, my focus shifted to locating the etching in the foundation. After messaging back and forth, my contact asked me to call her. She directed me to the general area of the words in the concrete, sharing stories of her time as a full-time resident, enduring winters, and the revelation of eminent domain. She painted a vivid picture of a once-thriving community of summer camps and residences within the park. Although she departed in 1968, many household items from these sites endured the harshness of 54 winters. Some sites fell victim to state intervention, while others were left to be reclaimed by the encroaching forest.

To date, I have documented four abandoned homesteads, and four fieldstone fireplaces, some of which are not associated with any known home sites, extensive stone walls, numerous footings, and the remnants of utilities guiding the way to these sites. Evidence of this community is scattered throughout the Park—enchanted islands gradually succumbing to moss, seasons of leaves, and the unyielding march of the forest.

Sincere thank you to D for providing me with careful directions, and most importantly, your memories.

© 2023 John Bulmer Media, John Bulmer Photography.