This is a story that started with a casual photograph and ended so sadly.
Some years ago I was in Winston-Salem NC USA, on business and on on the 22nd of July 2002 my colleague and I had some free time, so we decided to do some sight-seeing around the North Carolina area.
We came across an old house which as a photographer caught my eye. While I took a few photographs my colleague went for a brief chat to the young family who were working in the rear yard. They had recently bought the house and had started to renovate it.
One day in May 2016, I had some time and decided to see if I could find the house on Google Maps. I had no real idea of its location other than we were near Falls Lake. I spent quite a while on Google Street View and thanks to a decent memory I managed to find the house, which looked like I remembered but less well cared for. However when I looked at the aerial view and my heart sank, I couldn’t see the house only a dark stain. (Google Maps Location)
I found a report that house had been destroyed by fire on the 26th October 2015. Being a wood building and a distance from any fire station, the whole thing burnt to the ground.
This link Robertson O'Briant Farm Landmark Application has a magnificent document that details the history of the house land and outbuildings and includes many interior photographs. In case the document link is lost you can view/download it here. Robertson O’Briant Farm Wake County Landmark Application
It is odd because although I never went inside, I didn't meet the owners and saw it for no more than 15 minutes, I felt a sad loss. When I read the Landmark Application and learnt of its history that loss increased, but like any loss I felt happy that I had enjoyed seeing it and had a few photographs of when it was cared for.
These are the photographs I took, please contact me for larger images and if you want to use them.
I little further up the road was a small cemetery, which as a visitor form England fascinated me. I found that it was a family cemetery for the Beck family Cemetery Census Beck Family North Carolina
Robertson O'Briant Farm Images
