Back in my teen years the mid-to-late 90s, I naturally was a fan of NIN—particularly Trent Reznor. I kept seeing this image in my mind of his fierce, screaming, bloodthirsty face through a door opened to the extent of the chain-lock holding him back with a knife in his hand. I must’ve drawn that image 100s of times. Back then, that’s how I would unconsciously-conceive an idea (like “Downhome”). The title “13 Willow Street” I added, written in blood on the inside of the door. Over the next 5-10 years, pieces of this puzzle came to me, eventually becoming my screenplay for “House on Willow Street”, which I wrote in 2005. This will likely be one of my next adaptations. I share this story with you because when I was delivering pizza in Eufaula, AL, I saw THE house that fit like a glove for this tale. Ever since then, I have always envisioned the “House on Willow Street” as the old, abandoned, and condemned Shorter Mansion at the end of Riverside Drive. Overlooking the bluffs of Lake Eufaula, this eerie model of a bygone era vibrates with overwhelming desperation…and even dread. The Google Earth image below of the gates & Dead End sign accurately-conveys the forgotten structure hidden beyond the overgrowing Spanish moss-strung oaks & pines—not to mention the small plot of graves. Shorter Cemetery is where many of Eufaula’s founders were laid to rest, and its crumbling or crumbled tombstones reside a stone’s throw from this once majestic home that has fallen to ruin with neglect. Until a few days ago, I have been unable to get close enough to snap a photo of either the house or graveyard. Besides being spooked by the mere thought of doing so, trespassing isn’t a hobby of mine. However, I finally came across some shots a photographer captured while on one of Eufaula’s “pilgrimages”, which are tours of many of the town’s 700+ mansions registered in its historic district. For a small town in Southeast Alabama, that’s a LOT of old places still standing. The images I included in this post are what I could find, and they are the perfect fusion of beauty & trepidation.
Posted on: Sun, 14 Dec 2014 10:51:19 +0000
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