Assateague Abandon

by Julia Springer

Title

Assateague Abandon

Artist

Julia Springer

Medium

Photograph - Digitally Enhanced Photograph

Description

Julia Springer
Assateague Abandon
[Featured in the following Fine Art America groups: 6/2/2013 Photography and Textures Make Fine Art; 6/2/2013 3-A-Day Waiting Room Art; 6/4/2013 Abandoned Buildings and Ruins; 6/10/2013 Digital Painting]

Unused since the turn of the 21st century, this abandoned dwelling stands on pilings in the northern waters of Tom�s Cove, Assateague Island.

Apparently long forgotten by man, the structure has since been reclaimed by the local wildlife, with large osprey nests topping its roofline. Greeting hikers as they emerge onto the shore at the end of the newly created Bivalve Hiking Trail, this slowly deteriorating construction serves to remind visitors that this region of the barrier island, now seemingly undeveloped, was home to Assateague Village, which boasted a population of over 200 people as recently as 1922.

Situated northeast of the iconic lighthouse, Assateague Village had its own school, store, and churches. Livestock grazing and commercial fisheries, particularly oyster beds, were the lifeblood of the community. Around 1922, a Baltimore businessman, Dr. Samuel Fields, became owner of much of the land on the Virginia portion of the island and proceeded to fence the land to the east of the village. Refused access to the shellfish beds in Tom�s Cove by Dr. Fields� overseer, the villagers� lifestyle became untenable. One by one, the families moved west, jacking up their houses and floating them on barges across the channel, to start their new lives on Chincoteague. Last to leave was Mr. Scott, owner of the village store. The Fields family sold their holdings on the island to the US government for use as a National Wildlife Refuge in 1943.

Buffeted by the Atlantic Ocean, and constantly shifting due the action of winds and tides, the waters off Assateague Island are notoriously treacherous. Records indicate that at least 156 ships have been lost in this area, although the sites of many wrecks are uncertain. One of the most famous occurred in a gale during the early hours of October 10th 1891, a couple of miles north of the modern-day Woodland Trail, when the presidential yacht, Despatch, ran aground some 75 yards from shore. Thanks to the United States Life-Saving Service (predecessor of the US Coast Guard) there was no loss of life, but the 730 ton schooner-rigged steamship that had acted as the official yacht of Presidents Hayes, Garfield, Arthur, Cleveland, and Harrison was lost.

The original photograph has had its contrast enhanced with Topaz Clarity, and a Buz Sim effect was applied in Topaz Simplify 4 to give a more painterly effect.

Texture layers from Joel Olives and Kim Klassen have then been added to give some texture in the sky and an aged look to emphasize the �abandonment� in this image.

Uploaded

June 1st, 2013

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