Each day I drive home from work on I-72—each day I pass this abandoned barn. One late afternoon I decided to drive up for a closer look—and a few photos.

I consulted a map and found an off-ramp a few miles from the barn. I drove along gravel roads through an increasingly forested landscape. The road crosses a muddy watercourse and on the other side winds between forlorn lots filled with abandoned houses.

The barn seen from the interstate is just one of several making up an eerie sub-hamlet, the rest shaded from view on the highway by thick woods.

It’s unclear why a bridge to this place would be maintained—even the less-dilapidated buildings look as though they’ve not seen use for years.

The road beyond the barn shows neglect and disuse. After a few snaking turns—it comes to a dead end.

I took a number of photos before it got dark enough for me to get the spooks and leave.

“No trespassing” signs litter the place or I might have been tempted to get closer and go inside…