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This photographer found a fortune in an abandoned house

2 years ago
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…and you won’t believe what he did with it

In the rural wilds of Ontario, Canada, an incredible discovery was made when a photographer ventured inside an old abandoned house. What looked like a dilapidated home, packed to the rafters with discarded family possessions, turned out to be so much more than it seemed when thousands of dollars were uncovered amongst a lifetime of historic mementos. Click or scroll through for more…



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The man behind the lens

Abandoned photographer Freaktography, who goes only by Dave, was given the coordinates to the mysterious property by an urbex (urban exploring) friend and he couldn’t resist taking a look around the rumoured time warp home. Little did he know what he would find amongst the debris…



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Shrouded in mystery

Captured in the midst of a snowstorm, the rundown home in eastern Canada is nestled amongst a bleak, icy landscape. Because of the snow, access proved difficult for Dave, while the howling winds and inhospitable weather only add to the intrigue surrounding this forlorn property.



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A deep and dark history


According to Dave, the home’s story starts at the turn of the 20th century, when a Polish family moved to Ontario and set up home in the property. They reportedly made their living selling fruit from the orchard at a roadside stand, which was well known amongst locals. However, they abruptly upped sticks and left in 1985, leaving the home frozen in time.



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Personal belongings abandoned


From the piles of belongings and family photos scattered around the property, it’s clear that the family left in a rush, leaving behind precious mementos like this one. But why did the previous residents leave in such a hurry?



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A family secret


As told to Freaktography’s Dave by relatives of the family, the story goes that the couple had three children, but their eldest son is said to have developed a drinking problem as he grew older. One day in 1979, he purportedly hit a pregnant woman and her two-year-old child while driving drunk, sadly killing them both. As punishment, he was put behind bars for three years, which devastated the family.



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Saddled with shame

The religious family is said to have struggled with their son’s troubled past and consequently went into hiding, no longer selling their fruit to local grocers or attending their church. When their son was purportedly arrested for drink-driving again in 1984, the shame was too much and after his grandmother passed away they left for good.



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Steeped in secrets

Left to decay and rot for 35 years, the home is abandoned and frozen in time. Pots and pans sit discarded in the kitchen sink, while rubbish litters the floor and a discarded mattress lies propped up against the wall. Unknown to urban explorer Dave, the mattress harboured a secret that the family had left behind…



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Reminders of yesteryear


The home is packed full of furnishings from years gone by, including this antique hand-crank clothes wringer which sits in a corner of the kitchen. Used to wring out clothes after they were handwashed in a pot, it was made and sold in Canada by the T. Eaton Company, known as Eaton’s.



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Untouched interior

The kitchen cupboards are still brimming with old household products. Some of the old tins and food cans appear untouched since the owners upped and left the property. This dusty bottle of Labatt’s IPA beer has gone unopened, while the Imperial Blend tea tin looks to have stood the test of time. 



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Vintage homewares

Dave, who filmed the house for his Freaktography YouTube channel, also found this vintage Edgeworth Pipe Tobacco tin which dates back to the 1950s. The unique tobacco was said to have had an especially rich flavour – we wonder what member of the family it belonged to?



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Derelict family space


No longer a cosy family space, the cluttered living room still has old family photos scattered around and a calendar from 1979. The adjoining living room accommodates what appears to be an old hospital bed – according to Dave, who spoke with relatives of the former residents, this was brought in for the grandmother of the family when she was sadly battling cancer.



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A window to the past


Among the debris in the living space was this liquor permit, which shows what life would have been like in 1952 when it was issued. After the prohibition era, the Liquor Control Board of Ontario issued liquor licenses from 1927 to 1962. The passport-sized book meant that the family would have had to record the alcohol they bought.



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Hidden treasures


It’s also clear to see that the family were big fans of music, with a number of record players dotted around the house as well as this antique radio, which sits tucked away in a corner downstairs. We can only imagine the evenings the family must’ve spent gathered around this beauty as music drifted through the house.



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Exposed to the elements

Heading upstairs, 35 years of neglect has clearly taken its toll on the structure. Holes in the roof mean that the home’s interior is now exposed to the elements, with the four bedrooms having lost their fight with Mother Nature. 



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Crumbling walls


Inside one of the bedrooms, this rich green wallpaper has been affected by damp and is now cracked and peeling. You can just make out the pale outlines left by absent picture frames, though one has been seemingly left behind and long forgotten.



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Rundown attic bedroom


While the bedrooms upstairs are derelict and cluttered, they offer up a treasure trove of antiques and personal items which have been piled up and left to rot. Now damp and inhospitable, this attic space would’ve once been a warm and cosy bedroom in the eaves.



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Well-preserved photos


Remarkably, this photo album has survived amongst the debris and looks to be in relatively good shape. Other mementos of the home’s past life include this mini portable radio and a pin-striped suit jacket that lies beneath the album – probably worn to family events and smart occasions.



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A thrifty household

Sitting in one of the bedrooms lies this vintage sewing machine. Once likely used to make clothes for the family, the hand-crank manual machine lacquered with gold decorations has sat gathering dust for many years.



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Memories of yesteryear

What used to be a grand dresser is now a dumping ground for debris and belongings, including an old Vaseline tub and even some dentures. However, this incredible black and white wedding photo, likely of the family, has survived against the odds, offering a window into the home with a history. 



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Dusty dressing table


Elsewhere, a dust-covered dressing table featuring a mahogany-framed mirror accommodates an antique radio, baseball and jewellery box, though whether it still holds the family jewels is anyone’s guess. Atop the radio sits a mysterious key and we can’t help but wonder what it opens…



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A lost record player


Next to the dresser is this Ledos record player – we can just imagine it crackling away into the early hours, spinning the latest hits of yesteryear. With built-in speakers, it would have been the height of sophistication back in the day. We wonder if it still works today?



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Reduced to wrack and ruin

This space has suffered the effects of nature worse than others, with plasterwork crumbling and damp fast advancing across the walls. Where once was a bed, piles of rubbish now stand, covered in dust and debris accumulated over years of abandonment.



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Abandoned belongings

It’s hard to imagine what this bedroom looked like before nature took over, but this storage unit gives a clue as to the previous occupant’s tastes. A vintage record hides inside one of the shelves, while the regal carpentry of the unit hints at the past grandeur of the space before Mother Nature closed in. The property could almost be classed as an abandoned hoarder house! 



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Historic high-tech homewares


What looks like a simple storage unit at first glance is actually revealed to be another record player when the lid is lifted up. As well as playing records, the Mason & Risch phonograph would have actually recorded sounds and played them back – a pretty high-tech piece of kit for your average homeowner, though the family’s wealth would soon become even more apparent…



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Glamorous gowns


Elsewhere, this beautiful dress seems to have escaped the derelict fate suffered by the rest of the house. The beautiful lace and silk piece in light green has been left hanging over a bedroom doorway, as though waiting for its owner to return.



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Family heirlooms


Also left behind, this hairbrush and mirror set would have likely belonged to the mysterious owner of the dress. Preserved in a box, these antique heirlooms haven’t suffered the test of time as much as their surroundings have.



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Childhood memories


In another of the bedrooms, perhaps one that belonged to one of the younger members of the family, are these old school and college books. Surrounded by debris and a small tray of money, the mementos offer an intriguing insight into life growing up in mid-century Canada.



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Frozen in time


Among the items left behind in the wake of their hasty departure were a number of fine silk clothes, pictured here hanging on the back door of one of the bedrooms. But there was something even more intriguing concealed downstairs that urban explorer Dave stumbled upon during his visit…



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A secret stash


Found in a yellow plastic bag tucked discreetly behind an upturned mattress in the kitchen was a vast collection of money. Rolled up, the money was mainly US dollars, with a few Canadian dollars, which all added up to a grand total of $6,800 (£5,260).



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Mysterious origins


So just why did the family hide their money? Bundled up in elastic bands and marked in pencil with dates spanning from the mid-1960s to the 1970s, the stash was extremely well organised. How they came about the money is something of a mystery, but it has been suggested that the notes could have been collected from their fruit stand and kept as undeclared income.



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Returned to the rightful owner

Having uncovered the significant sum, Dave made contact with the grown-up daughter of the family, who was now the owner of the home, along with her brothers. Now married and living in northern Canada, he reunited the money with its original owners. Today, the house is still standing and the family have begun the large task of clearing out the rundown property. With any hope, the next chapter of the home’s history will be happier than its past…

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