Some people seem to have a morbid curiosity for abandoned houses. Don’t believe me? Search YouTube for videos filmed by intruders armed with flashlights and DSLRs walking through these houses merely to put decay on display. They aren’t there to help further the cause of restoration. They don’t bother to research the history of the house or how it came to be in this condition. Their photographic/video style is often lacking technically. What purpose does all this serve?

When HABS (Historic American Buildings Survey) architects started recording old homes back in the 1930s, there were more than 22,000 of them. Fast forward to the 1980s and almost 1/3 of those buildings are gone. Obviously, time is of the essence if we want to save what structures are left. Why aren’t those trespassers part of the solution and not just selfishly invading properties for the odd thrill that it seems to provide?