Photograph by Gastom Callum via Oxford American
In the mid 1990’s, Gaston Callum began photographing the forgotten plantation houses, farm houses and vernacular buildings of his native South. Realizing that time was quickly running out for these neglected properties he founded Southland Historic Preservation with the goal to document and stabilize these historic buildings. After stabilization, the properties are sold with historic covenants to ensure that buyers do a sympathetic restoration. Successes include properties in Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina and Virginia. Materials from buildings that cannot be saved are sold in lots that include photos of the original installations.
Available properties are listed on the SHP website, some with videos documenting their rescue. Gaston continues to photograph buildings and is currently working on a book of endangered North Carolina architecture.
