Abandoned Western North Carolina: Echoes in the Architecture

Captures the beauty and forgotten history of Western North Carolina's abandoned sites through photography.

Beyond the falling leaves, Blue Ridge Mountains, and plethora of wildlife lies a rich history. Ask any older inhabitant of the mountains about their recollection to enjoy hours of conversation. With some cities left without inhabitants to tell their stories, Alexa Atkins has worked to meticulously capture the remaining details in film. Surrounded by these places as a child, Atkins finally began to express her fascination by photographing the areas near her childhood home in 2017. First filling rolls of 35mm covering Burke County, she began to stop the car and dig for a camera every few minutes when on the road in Western North Carolina. Growing up near beauty and a wealth of relics to the past can lead to stagnation--a boredom of views others would kill to see. This project began as an effort to capture the sites passed without a second glance. However, taking these photos reinvigorated the artist's love and appreciation for these abandoned sites, and with this book she hopes to open many more eyes to this beauty while reintroducing others to their home.