Derelict Mansion Housed More Than 100 Orphaned Children

In April 2017, part time photographer, Dax Ward ventured through the American wilderness to discover the deserted Woodmen’s Circle home positioned on a grassy hill.

Despite its dilapidated condition inside, the ornate Georgian architecture still stands prominent today - helping us to imagine the glorious mansion as it used to be.

Dax said: “Construction on this building began in 1927 and the facility opened in 1930 – just at the beginning of the Great Depression.

“It was open for 40 years and during that time it housed 100 orphaned children and 165 widowed elderly women.

“There is an array of less than creative graffiti about the premises and many windows are broken, doors are missing and fire and water damage has left it very uninhabitable.

“But after hearing some interviews from former residents of the home, it seems that it was a happy place to live for the children who had no other family.”

Dax climbed over a short chain-link fence before entering the property and, without any major restrictions, he suspects teenagers had held gatherings inside and sprayed the walls.

“I was alone the majority of time I was inside and it was very quiet,” Dax said.

“It didn’t look like anyone was squatting inside and, unlike many of my Bangkok-area urban exploration endeavours, I wasn’t pressed for time by a security guard or worried about being kicked out.

“I was able to take my time to compose the images as best I could. The more I look at the photos, the more I am pleased with the array of colours, textures, light and shadows that I got in this series.”