Abandoned North Alabama

Many towns in North Alabama operate on such a small budget that a single drought could fatally cripple much of their income.

A single devastating storm might damage a building beyond repair, but the cost of starting over and in some cases cleaning up becomes more fiscal trouble than the towns are able to spare. Anyone who has owned property in North Alabama can tell you that all it takes is one summer’s worth of neglect to turn a proudly displayed property into a mysterious shadow veiled by trees and vines.

These places exist all around, but are often avoided because of the dangers that may be lurking inside.

In Abandoned North Alabama, photographer Mary Posey documents her journey inside some of North Alabama’s most bizarre and creepy discarded structures. She explores the stories of a military base that couldn’t maintain its funding, a train station with a hint of murder mystery, a juvenile detention center for girls that fought lawsuits for abuse until ultimately being shut down by a tornado, and houses left as if the owners just ran off in the middle of the night.