Parked for Now: The Houses That Got Away
It's that time of year again. The weather turns, the roads open up, and all I want is to be out there — cool breeze going through my hat and what little hair I have left under it, eyes scanning the side of the road for the next crumbling beauty waiting on some forgotten stretch of New England.
But car trouble and I? We're old friends. Been through enough rounds together that I finally made the call: I'm getting rid of my car for now. Took me a good amount of time to think this one through, but the plan is to get back out on the open road later this year. New wheels, new routes, more pulling over and pumping the brakes the second I spot a mouth-watering old mill that needs documentation. The more decay the better.
Until then? I've got memories. And honestly, that's not the worst place to be.
How I Got Started
For anyone new here, before the mills, it was houses. So many houses. I had no idea New England was this comfortable letting beautiful old homes just sit there and crumble back into the ground. But that's how this all started for me — four wheels, no real plan, just driving until something pulled me over.
And yeah, the smell. If you know, you know. On a good house you can catch it ten feet from the front step. That smell is half the reason I keep coming back.
So while the car situation gets sorted out, let me share a couple that have stayed with me.
The Yellow House
I never saved the pin on this one. Rookie move. To this day I still wonder where she is and whether she's even still standing. The light hit that yellow paint just right — I can still see it. I hope she's out there somewhere, soaking up those sunrise and sunset rays the way she did the day I rolled past.
The Vine House
Spotted this one doing speed and had to pull off a mile down the road with traffic on my tail. Only ever saw her up close that one time. Haven't been back. But I knew, even from a distance, that she'd be a great explore — you could practically smell it from the car. She was tied down in vines and thorns, the kind of view that stops you mid-sentence.
Heard since that she's been demolished. Didn't get the address. Didn't save the pin. Another glimpse of beauty gone.
Why We Document
That right there is the whole thing. That's why we document. Inside, outside, from above — whatever angle we can get before she's gone for good. Houses, mills, the Providence skyline that keeps shifting under our feet. None of it stays. The camera is the only thing that does.
I'll be back on four wheels before the year's out. Until then, I'll be digging through the archive and sharing the ones that got away.
Run of the Mill is what I do over at Filmmaker Dave — documenting the forgotten corners of New England for anyone else who feels that same pull. Hit the link in for everything I'm working on, including prints of Providence and beyond if you want a piece on your wall.
More soon. The wheels will roll again.
#PVD #ProvidenceRI #RhodeIsland #FilmmakerDave #PVDSkyline
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