While driving through the countryside of Alabama, I came upon a house. The sight of this house grabbed me and compelled me to pull over to appreciate what it used to be.
I see homes such as this, and I want to save them. I want to rebuild them piece by piece back to their former glory.
The wrap-around porches, the terraces on either side of the house, the details of the trim work, the balcony: they all add so much charm to this grand piece of history.
It has no less than four fireplaces and a dozen large windows. Be still my heart.
In my mind’s eye I can envision this beautiful Southern home back in its heyday.
Grandparents reclining in ladder back rocking chairs, sipping tall glasses of sweet iced tea, and watching as their grandchildren scoot around on their hands and knees playing on expansive, open porches.
A young lady curled up on a pillow-filled porch swing, enjoying a warm afternoon lost in the pages of a new book.
A family relaxing in the evening while listening to the June bugs sing and smelling the sweet aroma of honeysuckle on a warm, moist breeze.
Moments like these, and so many a more, have been lived and captured in the walls and in the memory of this once stately home.
Now it sits empty, becoming more and more delapitated, and dying.
It is slipping away into the past. No longer will there be birthdays, anniversaries, nor special moments intertwined into its history. That history is fading.
How I wish I could snatch it away from decay and make it beautiful once again.
To God be the glory,
~Rhen
Yes, They Are All Mine 
I love old houses! This is so beautiful. Good eye!!
Thank you! Old country churches, barns with personality, and gorgeous homes slipping into obscurity all capture my imagination!
So beautiful!
What a beautiful home. It makes me sad to see it this way. Unfortunately, I think we will see many more like this in years to come that will need to be knocked to the ground. What a shame. Thanks for sharing.
Beautiful home. One thing that has always fascinated me was to see old homes like these with families living inside. They may be run down but there seems to be something that holds them together beyond reasonable times. Once the family moves out the house is in shambles in such a short amount of time. This is a phenomenon that has intrigued me since I was little. It has always been evidence to me that love is a living, healing force. After all ‘God is love’ and love is what builds a home.