See inside the abandoned doctor’s house that lay empty until now

Venture inside an eerie physician's abode in Upstate New York

Deep in the Catskill Mountains, a long-forgotten physician's house lay empty for years. That was until, armed with his trusty camera, abandoned buildings photographer Bryan Sansivero captured the homestead in all its eeriness, right before it was sold and revamped.

Click or scroll to take a wander around the intriguing home and discover its many secrets...

An idyllic setting

Built during the 1930s, the Colonial-inspired clapboard house is located in an idyllic setting in the Upstate New York hamlet of Roscoe. A charmingly overgrown garden complete with a picturesque duck lake surrounds the mysterious property.

 

Reclaimed by nature

Nature had started to reclaim the green-gabled house when Sansivero paid it a visit. The once manicured lawn had turned into a wild meadow, while a fallen tree blocked the front door, as if to ward off unwelcome visitors.

Ramshackle exterior

Mould was growing on the clapboards, which were crying out for a clean-up and a lick of paint, and several windows were broken or wedged open, exposing the interiors to the elements and adding to the dilapidated vibe.

A hidden front door

Still, the adorable front door, porch lantern and cute canopy, including the green gables and shutters, were in a reasonably good state when Sansivero visited, bar the fallen tree of course.

A rich area for abandoned homes

Abandoned homes are fairly commonplace in the area. The infamous Dundas Castle, for instance, is just up the road from the property. Dubbed the 'Castle of Sorrow', the Neo-Gothic 1920s pile has been vacant since the 1970s.

Back inside this home, however, and the decor is not for the faint of heart...

Hunting enthusiast

Stepping into the living room, it's obvious the former owner or one of the residents was a keen hunter given the tiger skin rug and stag head decoration that adorns the wall adjacent to the fireplace, not to mention the discarded hunting rifle.

At one time a tiger skin rug like this could be worth thousands of dollars but now it's all but illegal to sell them.

A married couple?

In fact, the surrounding area is renowned for its big-game hunting opportunities. Though the chance of finding a tiger roaming the countryside is nil, plenty of deer, bears and other furry game inhabit this part of Upstate New York.

Taking a closer look at the mantlepiece there is a small framed picture of a bride, possibly with the father of the bride or the groom. We'll never know who she is or what happened to her after her wedding day. Three empty bottles, a carriage clock and a copper kettle finish the tableau.

Big-game area

Walking through the house it's incredible to see how much of the furniture and personal effects have been left in place. Upholstered chairs, and tables complete with lamps, it's all still here.

It's hard to understand how a property like this gets left behind...

Fine portrait

A portrait of an elegant young woman hangs in the main living area. Looking like it was painted in the 1930s or 1940s, the painting wouldn't have been cheap to commission, meaning the family who lived here is likely to have been on the wealthy side.

Vintage TV

Dust-covered gadgets and appliances litter the property. This swish old black and gold TV is an RCA Victor model that was manufactured during the late 1950s. The compact set was a familiar sight in American homes way back when.

Dining room

Like the living room, the dining area hadn't been touched for years when Sansivero captured it. The colour scheme is distinctly mid-20th century and the furniture is even older. It looks like the former occupants just got up one day and walked out of the door!

Othello painting

A painting that depicts Shakespeare's Othello relating his adventures to Desdemona dominates the room. It is a reproduction of a picture by renowned German artist Karl Becker who was active in the mid- to late 19th century.

A handsome console table and clock have also been inexplicably discarded. What happened to make the people who lived here leave all their beautiful possessions? 

The vacant study

Another handsome wood-lined room served as an office for the doctor who lived here. The bookcase is filled with medical textbooks, some dating to around 1968. On the floor, there's a dog-eared zebra skin and the harp and record player point to someone who enjoyed music.

A serviceman?

Taking a closer look at the heavy mahogany desk there are four framed pictures. In one is an etching of a cartoon, now long forgotten, but the other is a group photo of four men in military dress. Could the owner have once been in active service?

The treatment room

Making our way upstairs, a curious doctor's room has been frozen in time. The former owner is likely to have been a physician or other health professional if the objects in this space are anything to go by.

Medical paraphernalia

In addition to the weighing and height scales, oxygen tank and doctor's bag, the room boasts an exceedingly well-stocked medicine cabinet, packed with drugs, bandages and other medical paraphernalia.

Old-school medicines

The contents range from pessaries and enemas to antiseptics and various ointments, and other old-school must-haves that were widely used by doctors back in the day such as aspirin tablets, boric acid and chloroform.

Decrepit bedroom

One of four bedrooms in the property, this room has seen better days. The furniture looks to be in pretty decent shape but the paintwork on the walls is peeling off, the curtains are ripped and debris is strewn on the floor.

Peeling paintwork

A creepy picture frame lacking any sort of painting or photo hangs off the wall, which is painted in a pretty pale blue paint that's slowly peeling away. Note the finely polished golden bed frame, potentially made of brass, which is in surprisingly good condition.

Despite the older furniture and items left behind, there's a surprising modern twist around the corner...

Teen bedroom

Perhaps the best-preserved room in the house, this bedroom looks like it was inhabited by a teen until the more recent past. Why these objects weren't removed remains a mystery, but it is also odd that they are so different to those in other areas of the house.

Curious posters

The walls are plastered with adverts ripped out of magazines, most likely dating from the 1990s. In addition to the six Nike sneaker adverts, there are colour pages for Skittles, chewing gum and GAP clothing.

This tells us that someone was still living here, despite all the 1950s items, as recently as around 30 years ago.  

Strange books

Childhood toys and trinkets sit on the bed, table and shelves, including a blue 'M' and 'J' on the top shelf.

There are a handful of books on the shelves including one called The Torch Bearers by Bernard Dryer, a soapy drama about an abortionist doctor who worked between Castro's Cuba and a well-to-do New Haven family. It's an odd choice for what looks to be a young teen's room. 

Twin beds

In another bedroom upstairs, twin beds are made up with pastel bed sheets and a Care Bears pillowcase, indicating that this room was also used by children or teenagers. Other clues pointing to the late 1970s or early 90s include the beige telephone and boxy TV.

Dinky outbuilding

As well as the main house, the property features several dinky outbuildings, all a little worse for wear, but perfect for an outdoor office these days.

And in the end, the state of the home didn't put off buyers and it was sold in late 2018 for £112,000 ($143k). That's quite the bargain considering the amount of furniture left behind.

Major refurb

Since then, the property has undergone a major refurbishment inside and out, though here's hoping at least some of its quirky original furnishings and touches were retained.

You can check out Bryan Sansivero's website to see other incredible abandoned properties he has explored.

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