This house you are about to walk into has been vacant for over 40 years. The house has been waiting there until someone was brave enough to come in and tell its story. Photographer Bryan Sansivero was granted special access to this abandoned farmhouse and document a house unlike any other.
Stepping Back In Time
Sansivero specializes in photographing abandoned spots, but even he was surprised to see this one. He said, “It’s amazing how hidden the home was. It was surrounded by a busy community,” he shared. “Many people here had no idea the house even existed.” This house was like going back in time, with a haunting revelation that Bryan did not expect to find.
A Facade That's Falling Apart
Between exposure to the elements and years of neglect, this Victorian home is no longer the impressive property that it was but in a rather horrific state. The farmhouse was built in 1860. You are looking at the front of the house where the main entrance is.
This nine-acre farm also has a garage, smokehouse, milk house, carriage house, horse barn, and smaller animal barns as well. Sansivero said, "I hope that my pictures can in some way help contribute to the restoration of such a beautiful and historically significant home."
Commack, New York
The farmhouse stands in Commack, New York. Commack covers 12 square miles and is known for the bountiful soil and lands. The area of Commack today is almost all suburbanized, making this farmhouse that much more special.
The property dates back to 1701 (while the main house was built in 1860 as we mentioned earlier). This is one of the oldest properties in the area and takes up a large amount of space.
Neglected For Years, But Filled With Historic Treasures
Sansivero went into the Marion Carll Farmstead on more than one occasion as he was given special access by the district. He said, "each time I visited I would uncover more items and many priceless antiques."
The house revealed more historic pieces as it stood for so long and went through many periods of transition in the country. The property is now empty, but Sansivero managed to snap these photos to memorialize the property and the treasures inside.
About Marion Carll
So, who was Marion Carll? Well, Marion was a significant member of the community and a supremely respected teacher in the area. She put together the very first Parent Teacher Association, as well as had a grammar school named in her honor in 1957.
Due to the fact that Carll's life revolved around education, she left her whole property to the Commack School Board and District, with the only caveat being that the property be used for historical and educational purposes.
Carll's Tried To Preserve History
Marion loved history as much as she loved education. As such, she wanted to preserve the farmhouse to remain as close to its original form as possible, despite updates that may have been needed to the house.
The house is full of antiques and historically significant pieces as a result of that. "Even though it's been abandoned since 40 years ago when Marion Carll passed, it appeared as if she was living in another century completely," says Sansivero.
The House Is Linked to Walt Whitman
This is a stack of family photos that belonged to the Carll family. Huntington's Hidden Past, a book written by Kerriann Flanagan Brosky, revealed a lot about this family and their estate:
"The land on which the farm stands, off Commack Road, was originally inhabited by members of the Secatougue Indian tribe. According to a deed of record from 1698, the Indians conveyed the parcel of land to John Skidmore and John Whitman, great-great-great grandfather of poet Walt Whitman."
Dangerous Stairs
This is the main house's main staircase. This may not look like much but it was a sight for sore eyes when it was built in 1860. There is an identical flight of stairs that brings you to the basement, but that staircase was in deplorable condition.
"We were only in the basement once and I did not get any pictures of it. The stairs collapsed as we were going back up," Sansivero said. There is danger around every corner in a house this old.
An Incredible Discovery In The Parlor
Imagine this room without the debris and dust everywhere. If you were able to do so then you would have seen the room as it was when Marion lived there. The piano would have been played time and again, filling the house with beautiful music.
This find is an incredible one as this piano is intricately carved and in good condition considering the age and condition of the rest of the house. Families typically gathered around the piano to play and sing.
Many Historical Relics
There were many historical relics around the house. Many types of glass bottles were splayed on top of pieces of furniture around the house. Today, these kinds of bottles are a collector's prized possession. Some bottles had medicine inside of them, while others had olive oil.
The booklet seen here reads: "Program of the Thirty-Third Annual Sea Girt Interstate Tournament." This specific tournament was sponsored by the Association of American International Riflemen, the 33rd of which was in 1926.