Grandpa's House: The End

[Chriscrawfordphoto]

This folding chair was one of the few things that remained after my grandparents house was burned down last week.

Grandpa died in 2010; and in the summer of 2012, his children sold his house to the owner of the reception hall next door. The new owner of the land allowed the fire department to burn the house down as a training exercise for firefighters.

 

[KoNickon]

That's kind of a kick in the head, isn't it? It's the new owner's property to do with as he sees fit, and it was expected he'd tear it down. Still....

Poignant shot.

 

[robklurfield]

The image and caption say it all. No doubt that the ghosts of some of your family's cats will continue to patrol the premises on grandpa's behalf.

 

[SteveM_NJ]

were you given enough notice, to photograph the training session on a "working fire"?

 

[rbelyell]

my goodness, how sad that is for you. so sorry to hear that. the photo brings a tear to the eye...
tony

 

[willie_901]

Thanks for sharing such a traumatic turn of events.

I think your photograph portrays the transient and fragile nature of existence.

 

[paulfish4570]

i hope the training means someone's life will be saved because of the experience gained ...

 

[Chriscrawfordphoto]

Thanks everyone. It was sad, and surreal. All that was left was the foundation, and ashes, along with a few surviving artifacts like the chair. The house seemed so tiny, just seeing the foundation. It was a small house, but it seemed really, really small without its walls. I tried to image the inside walls, and it seemed hard to beleive that furniture fit in the little rooms I visualized. Soon, there will be nothing left, and the land will be transformed when something else is built there.

 

[Chriscrawfordphoto]

I do have a couple more photos to add here, once I get them edited.

 

[farlymac]

Sad to see that Chris, but like Paul said, at least some good came out of it. The new owner could have just bulldozed it. I remember going home one time to find a large hole in the front of my Grandfathers' place after someone had let a truck roll out of the parking lot across the street. It sat vacant for a long time, and the mold set in. We thought the place was a goner, but the insurance company finally settled up, and it was repaired. The Red Cross, which owned it at the time, eventually sold it to a gent who turned it into four apartments. I thought that was very fitting, as Grandpa was always giving shelter to someone in the family when times were hard.

PF

 

[Chriscrawfordphoto]

 

[bigeye]

I understand it too well and have a similar story. It raised a lot of 'meaning of life' questions.

- Charlie

 

[Chriscrawfordphoto]

Here is one I just scanned, a photo from my grandparents house in 2001.