Abandoned - My Ancestors’ 180 Year-Old Home + Family Cemetery Update/Cleanup

[@palmettocemeterian]

Edit: The John M. Charles House was demolished to make way for development between April 11th and April 13th, 2023. I’m deeply saddened by its destruction and am uploading a video soon detailing what I was able to capture of this event. Fortunately, I was able to save bricks and some timbers from the home. I wish I could’ve done more to save it but money is more important to most than history in Greenville, South Carolina. Thank you to all of you for your wonderful support and kindness in my previous video! I think this video is an improvement over my last but there may still be some imperfections here and there. I’ll make the next one better. More cemetery and historic adventures to come soon. Enjoy! My video about the destruction of the house: kzbin.info/www/bejne/d5jXlX-pjt6ZZpY

[@sheilam4964]

Sorry it was demolished before more could be done for it's value to the family.

[@judysuprtrkr3423]

You are so young to have the want to improve your heritage. It certainly shows you and yours are very responsible, respectful and not afraid of doing work, hard work to do it!💕

[@judysuprtrkr3423]

Living in Iowa we see a lot of old farm homes that are abandoned that the tweekers will take over to set up their meth labs!! It makes me so incredibly irate that people would do that to your house. I’m sure you feel as if you’ve been violated as this old homestead has🤬

[@sashasue00]

Wow, so sad. But like you said, the house was completely stripped, vandalized, and probably used as a meth lab (or something), so, it's probably for the best; just good that you got to document it before it was gone. Hope the cemetery doesn't suffer the same fate. Best of luck to you!

[@Sunflower-Lover]

See if the county or state has a law forbidding any destruction of cemeteries. In Georgia, where I live several developments were denied due to small cemeteries being on the land. It disturbs me when I hear of history being destroyed.

[@bunnysthndr]

It's refreshing to see a young man who actually cares about the preservation and respect of his historical past

[@palmettocemeterian]

Thank you for your kind words!

[@cconwell21]

You might be able to claim the cemetery as a historical site for preservation to prevent any development. Plus being an actual descendant might help.

[@Bombo505]

Nice idea. Might be something he can mention to the owner. They are also a descendant of the same family.

[@luvthablues]

Those daffodils aren't wild. They were planted there by your ancestors. You should dig up a few clumps, or several clumps, and replant the bulbs on your own property. A living memory for you. And you could dig them up again later if you move.

[@rmaddendesign]

How amazing! It would be so cool if you could save the house and we could watch you restore the whole property. What a beautiful place. You are lucky to have such a rich family history. Thanks for sharing! P.S. you should metal-detect the land too!

[@margaretgarls153]

I am sorry the house was destroyed. It is hard to see a landmark of your family ancestors abandoned, vandalized, and demolished. Thankfully, you made a video to remember the house. The lovely bones and the beautiful light from the windows in each room show how your ancestors designed it to be to be a bright and gracious home.

[@arcticablue]

How sad that it is gone now. It is clear from your video that it was once a very beautiful home! It had so much natural light! Wow! Thank you for sharing this with us!

[@sushicat.3707]

I grew up in this area, and drove past your family cemetery and home every day. I never went into the cemetery, since it’s private property, so I appreciate your showing it.

[@palmettocemeterian]

Anyone with good intentions is welcome to check out the cemetery anytime!

[@ilovemydanes]

Please try and save that beautiful house.. so much family history is getting lost. I would love if i had this opportunity to have a piece of history like this that has been in the family for so long..great video, thanks for sharing 👍 Have a great day, everyone ✌️

[@sarahstrong7174]

That Wisteria growing on the house is so beautiful.

[@laurenn9047]

Oh man, I wish somebody would buy the home and restore it! It’s beautiful! And wow, the old letters and photos were an awesome find! And of course, great work on the cemetery! Thank you for sharing the journey!

[@mygrammieis]

I second that emotion 🌿

[@loribecker7569]

I love the Wisteria blooming all around the house. Look forward to watching future videos on the cemetery cleanup. Good job so far!

[@patsaylor8973]

I wish more people would take care of their Cemetaries the way you did. The older ones need care!

[@tonyataylor5552]

That wisteria is beautiful and I'm sure it was a joy to look out of those windows and see it. I hate that the home was destroyed. The redevelopment is happening everywhere and unfortunately it's money over memories and history these days.

[@fibrowarrior6360]

How wonderful to see you being SO Respectful of your Ancestors! You have given me a Little More Faith in your Generation! Stay Safe & God Bless! 😊🙏🏼💜

[@janetduncan3243]

We found the abandoned cemetery in Illinois that my ancestors are buried in. It was in much the same shape as yours. Not long after we visited, a distant cousin and a crew arrived on the scene and cleaned it up and made the township keep it up. 143 souls are buried there and I know their families have no clue how it was being treated. So glad you're trying!! Too bad family can't keep the house and restore it.

[@dianeclark1135]

Your respect for the cemetery is very much appreciated …..and hopefully becomes a foot print for other to follow.

[@sueappleby8749]

G'day from.Australia...your ancestors will be proud of you....well done.

[@palmettocemeterian]

Thank you, friend! I appreciate your visit from Australia.

[@overtheGarage-ue8lh]

Hi! Please be careful about panning the camera swiftly around for any duration. It makes us a bit queasy and dizzy. Don't let this discourage you, just keep it in mind. Thanks for sharing your history with us. Sad to see how vandals have wrecked your ancestorial home and especially the cemetery. It is considered to be a work of mercy, honoring the dead to take care of a cemetery. Good work! By the way, unless there is significant rot or termite damage you could renovate that house for around 230-270k. Not a million, but not cheap either.

[@palmettocemeterian]

Thank you for your comment! I’m getting better with practice :)

[@Jackielocks]

@@palmettocemeterian I think what you’re doing is wonderful and so commendable! You should try to get your family Cemetery designated as an Historical Site and protected. That way there should be Grant money you could also apply for to help with upkeep and restoration and possibly even fencing or other measures to cut down on vandalism. It might help to make it all a bit less stressful for you. Good Luck!

[@tullophile]

I haven't read it yet, but there is a book called how to make videos that don't suck. Panning the camera around swiftly all over the place is nauseating. I love what you are doing. Please keep doing it, but take your time, go slowly, give the eyes of your viewers time to catch up. I realize that you are still learning. We all are. God bless you. It makes me so sad that this magnificent home was demolished. Keep making videos and always keep reading and learning about how to make them better for your viewers. You may have made this video only for yourself. If so, nothing is lost.

[@MonicaShilling]

I thought I was the only one getting dizzy. LOL

[@deborahkelly1489]

Oh how I wish I could go back in time and see how they lived and see this home when it was built and cared for. If walls could talk what an interesting place this would be. Thank you for sharing your video’s.

[@Jackielocks]

Deborah Kelly when I see these old homes, I often think about when they were first built and the family was coming there on the very first day, moving in. How thrilled they must’ve been and how beautiful the house was. Everything so fresh and new and the people so excited! How proud they must’ve been of their lovely new home. It’s sad to see these houses that have sheltered so many different souls through good times and bad, left to fall to ruin and demolished.

[@deborahkelly1489]

@@Jackielocks very well put !!

[@andreataylor1596]

You can usually get free fencing from people that are updating, it would be nice to get a fence around the cemetery and build a fanmily plaque

[@teddybear4020]

DUDE.!!! U and the others are crushing it nicely.!!!!wow.. AWESOME. Proud.!! of u .

[@palmettocemeterian]

Thank you so much!

[@robertunderwood3393]

I'd love to buy the place and restore as well as maintain the cemetery. It would be so serene and a labor of love indeed

[@johnnyjones5398]

Watching your video now and I really am enjoying it. Glad to see you are cleaning up your families resting place. And the house! I bet it was quite fantastic initially day.

[@RobertMS1979]

That house was beautiful at one time. You can still see it even in its shape that it’s in now.

[@karebear7669]

Very cool that you were able to get footage of your ancestors abandoned home before it's demolished. Thanks for sharing! That WRITING ON THE WALL though 12:06 .. someone with a truly disturbed mind was hanging around that property! 😳

[@ShainaThompson949]

Cemetaries are so beautiful & peaceful. Thankyou for cleaning it up so it looks beautiful again! So beautiful! ❤️ keep us posted please on how it goes...

[@Denise23451]

I wish someone would rescue that once beautiful house! I will never understand why and how someone can allow a old home to collapse and be forgotten! We lose so much history 😢

[@danielm.6396]

Hello...I honor your efforts and your new KZbin channel. I think you said you are in SC somewhere. Maybe you could arrange to offer those people who might be interested in helping you a day or so an opportunity to do this. I'm in the Garden City area on the SC coast. Anyway, just a thought. New Subject...That quick swing of the camera is not unusual to new video photographers. I have learned this. Force yourself to go way too slow and then when that becomes normal you will be able to speed up a bit as needed.

[@IslandAlohaGrill]

thank you for your respect of the past and having the ability to preserve the past. Be blessed.

[@marlonneal7381]

Wow, they salvaged every single window from that place, even the banister. Those old windows are worth lots of money these days. They can't make them like that anymore. My family has an old home about as old as this one. The windows are very hard to replace to original.

[@bettymunguia2136]

I think it's awesome that you are doing this for your ancestors 😊😊

[@cliffyarboro1163]

Love those old cemetery, you and your pretty assistant are doing a great job cleaning it up, the house was beautiful in its day its a shame it has gone down but its too far gone to fix it now it would cost a small fortune to fix it enjoyed the video from NC love those old plantation houses in SC have spent a lot of time in SC love it enjoyed your video take care

[@palmettocemeterian]

Thanks so much! The pretty assistant says thank you for saying she’s pretty! Made her day

[@rweeks8879]

Just watched your video. I take care of a family cemetery that was in much the same condition as yours. You should be commended for your dedication and caring. We must remember who we are and where we came from.

[@carolm3468]

How amazing that you can see the actual house where your ancestors lived!

[@rtyndallnc]

I own what is left of our family farm in NC. On that farm once was a house that looked identical to your family home. Unfortunately, it burned to the ground many years ago and before I owned it. I had great ideas of restoring it as my mother and uncle were born there, my grandfather and his 3 siblings were all born and raised there and my great grand parents had lived there many many years. I'm not sure of the full history of the house, such as when it was actually built and who built it. There is a family cemetery somewhere on another piece of property my great uncle owned, which is just up the road and was once part of the farm I now own. I really need to get out and look for it.

[@palmettocemeterian]

You should definitely go find it! Make sure it doesn’t get developed over

[@charlene5461]

It's heart breaking to see such a beautiful and well built home to be left to ruin. Too bad the family couldn't have had a reunion and figured out how to preserve this beautiful home and to leave a legacy for for future generations.

[@littlecottagebudget5055]

It is truly a beautiful home. Thank you for sharing with us. Imagine if that tree out front was still standing and what that looked like. Gorgeous!

[@bubblesangel555]

I'm glad to see another video from you, if there were more people that cared no cemetery would end up forgotten! This video is better than your first one, you're doing great keep them coming!

[@tricitymorte1]

I just came across your channel, and I know how heartbreaking it is to see your ancestors' home in such a state and knowing it will be torn down with nothing you can do to stop it. I've been there. But I didn't get to document the house before it was gone. It does feel like a part of your past is just evaporating. Im glad you got to document it and glad to see you taking care of the cemetery.

[@suzannemiller8470]

I do like watching your vids about your family , it's so interesting , shame the house was left to go to ruin , sad in a way but I will keep watching & take a interest in what you post , thanks for letting us into your life a little 😊🙏

[@walkerswildcemeteryprojects]

Wow. Talk about a video going viral. Nice job! Fellow South Carolinian here.

[@lisaduhn184]

How cool to see and be in your family's historical house. This may sound funny but if I had that treasure I would be cleaning it up also. I love this stuff.

[@mikearreola2609]

Thank you for sharing what you do with us and of course the cleaning and restoration of graves. I’m sure they (deceased) would be very grateful.

[@mygrammieis]

Thanks for sharing this video

[@soniahoward2134]

That was a wonderful old house, sry you lost it,. Looking forward for more videos .

[@rondadepenbusch8152]

Sooo cool !! Thanks for sharing!!! You’re doing great work keep it up !!

[@laurieishmael1001]

The windows are amazing, all the way to the floor,I love it

[@dorothypartridge4209]

I found it a sad story. I wish you a happier life.from Ontario Canada.

[@jsemancik1]

what a beautiful house this must have been at one time, it's a shame the vandals and squatters had to come in and do their damage,, i wonder if the gentleman in the funeral picture, may have been one of your relatives,, maybe that lived in the house at one time ?, great work also on the Family cemetery keep it going ,

[@Ruby-gn5nc]

I am enjoying this video of this old family home and cemetery.thank you for taking me along with you.

[@katiecalhoon2287]

I am so sorry the house was demolished. That's sad. But I'm glad u got a chance to check it out before hand! Keep up the videos! I love this kind of stuff so I'll be subscribing and following for sure!

[@lesley.brennan10]

I cannot wait to see what you have in mind to do to your family cemetery. So sorry about your family ancestry home .but yes money talks many languages. Much respect from Sydney Australia 🇦🇺 ❤️

[@sleepinglioness5754]

What a beautiful tribute you have made. It must be an incredible feeling for you to know this is where you come from; your ancestors who walked, laughed, played and lived hard but productive lives....that led to you being on this earth. So heartbreaking it is gone, but you have done your ancestors a great honor by memorializing their lives, their home and their memory. If the new owners intend on building, there must be restrictions and required land testing, investigating etc where there is a cemetery. God love you for doing this. I'm going to watch your previous video and keep up-to-date on your progress. Wonderful video. You're a terrific person. Your ancestors are watching down and saying 'thank you, my boy'. (meant to say...if you can, try to retrieve the upping stone from the new owners and put it on your property and maybe one of the plants)

[@janetgodfrey6396]

Sad to see what people have done to the "home" . I hope you were able to protect the cemetery to resect those at rest there. Your respect for history is refreshing, God Bless you.

[@hectorgautier101]

Beautiful house inside. Very grand. Sad that it's gone.

[@idiotsandwich4912]

You’re so amazing. How wonderful that you’re doing this. I’m sure your ancestors are smiling down upon you ❤

[@daphnerosemoon9843]

Beautiful house. I would take cuttings from the lovely Wisteria Vine and take a walk around the land with a metal detector.

[@kayleesilva8055]

I would love to see you do more content like this, you explain the past so well, I can see you explaing the past of many more homes!

[@esthershaw7875]

It is good to see a young person interested in there history First time seeing your video

[@eileenboldreghini8617]

Beautiful flowering trees and shrubs . Take cuttings for sure .

[@denisehibbs9576]

Interesting video. Sad to see the house demolished. You are right money motivates the developers. I'm glad you video taped the house and grounds to remember it by.

[@cathyreardon8979]

God Bless you for the care that you and whoever is with you took with the cemetery. 🙏. What tales you can pass down to your family and then they can pass it on and so forth. Thanks for this info. 😀

[@Detritis]

Love this, don't apologize for teaching us!

[@BarbaraMichaud-xc9sn]

You are a wonderful man, saving the history of your ancestors ❤️ God Bless and thank you for sharing this amazing part of history

[@Raylee-H]

I bet it was beautiful back in the day . Sad to see it the way it is now

[@gaylevanheiningen7333]

Bless you for trying to care for an ancestral home. Did you ever live here at all ? You are a fine young man, and I'm sorry it was demolished, but glad you were able to get something to keep,of your family. Thankyou for showing us. Gayle in Whitby,On. Canada.

[@Peachy08]

The daffodils were planted by your ancestors. They are not native here. Back when all the settlers came to America they brought them with them. They would put them around their homes. Anytime that you see daffodils and irises that means at one time there was a home there. The home may go away in time but the daffodils keep on multiplying and coming back year after year as a marker for a once family home.

[@barbarabobowicz5142]

Must have been beautiful!! love the windows upstairs floor to ceiling.

[@kayenash5481]

Beautiful old place,

[@JulesUS8386]

Beautiful wisteria!! Oh you should get that stone!!

[@twinspired8]

Have you researched the deed? It would be interesting to see how many owners there have been.

[@firemanfireman7228]

It's a month later and i watched this one It's good 👍 when a relative decided to do what you have done Don't know if you found the slave sematery or not but it would be nice if you did One of my sister's have been doing our history on our ansesters for a long time maybe 30 or 40yrs now and my youngest brother been doing it a number of yrs also Keep all the memories you have they will last you a lifetime Sharing their history and videoing it is priceless You have a great video here Fireman 🔥🔥🔥

[@YtGad7000]

My favourite part was the very old purple wisteria vine growing wildly on the outside of the house! 🦘🥰

[@cathymorrison4953]

Thank you for Sharing your Family History 🧡🇨🇦🧡

[@verdagarner5112]

Those old mop boards are made out of beautiful wood, should pull them off and make a table to remember your family’s old homestead, thanks for sharing your family’s old place. Love this kinda stuff.

[@maryannpannell3509]

How sad 😢 beautiful old house Love the wisteria wish I had a cutting. You should take a cutting the misses must have loved it. ❤

[@musicmansion3110]

Very beautiful

[@gail.r.4604]

Did you say there might be some freed people back there? I ask, my great grandmother (raised me) is buried outside of downtown Dallas, well a LARGE CORP was going to build in the land behind her cemetery. Well, guess what, it is a freedman cemetery. Adios large corp. the city helps keep it up. Just saying you might want to get back there, possibly find some more valuable burial spots. City might help out $$$$. Maybe you will get to keep your land. Cemeteries cannot be moved. Good luck and God Bless you young man. That civil war plaque is totally awesome. By the way, your familial house is gorgeous. Reminds me of where I grew up.

[@nicolesteddum3328]

That device is a buttonholer for a sewing machine. The flowers outside were Camilla’s that you thought were roses and the other flowers were azalea’s.

[@janwarriner6554]

Just found your channel. Are you in SC? I subbed. Great what you are doing! History preserved. ❤️🌈

[@palmettocemeterian]

Yes! Home base is Greenville County.

[@carolbouldry787]

What a beautiful home. It sure doesn’t look as old as it is. What a shame, so sad what people do to others property.

[@barbiestailing7458]

That's awful that the house and cemetery have been left in that state..Thank you for sharing

[@barbiestailing7458]

Thanks for caring so much for your ancestors

[@teddybear4020]

WOULD TRUELY LOVE TO SEE THIS ALLLL renew, and useable 4 u .

[@donhoeber4115]

Seeing videos like this is always a big reminder that our lives are very short. We’re here today and gone tomorrow. Our home is really in heaven . Do not be attached to anything here on this earth because it’s all left behind. If we are, attached become detached, and so easy to become attached to things on this earth, because the world keeps telling us we should put our value only here. The world is wrong.

[@susanmitchell6061]

As I am watching you go through the house, tears are coming up to see the blatant destruction of yet another fine structure, by people driven by desperation and drugs. What a lovely home it must have been. I am so sorry you had to see that. And so sorry you couldn't save it. Time and again I have watched old structures being stripped down, torn down, carted off and flattened all so developers can put up cheap( but expensive) houses that essentially all look the same, with no character. It disturbs me that so many of us want the bigger, better deal rather than cherishing and restoring the old. Indeed, I take it very personally, though there's really nothing I can do about it except care. I think I read someone suggest you contact the county in regards to getting some support for protecting your family cemetery. I dont know whats all involved for getting it listed on the National Historical Register, but maybe that could be an idea worth pursuing. There may be a historical society in the city or county that could help provide funding through grants or donations. A small cemetery like that is old enough to garner protection and not necessarily something you have to do all on your own. Best of luck to you and the others in your family working to preserve the past.

[@unrulyjulie4382]

After watching all the hard work, time, and effort you are putting into clearing out the cemetery, I have one thought... You should buy, borrow, or rent a chain saw!

[@ms.sonshine8878]

It must have been beautiful. The wisteria is gorgeous. We had a farm in KY with a cemetery and the cemetery was protected by law. We had to allow any relatives of the deceased in if they wanted to visit the cemetery.

[@annlindsaywright3169]

Oh it was beautiful, that wisteria was so lovely.it’s a shame that ‘upping Stone could not be saved.

[@ailsamarshall5010]

I'm interested to watch you progress. I hope you can restore it and perhaps fence it off. It would be nice to see it more protected.

[@ailsamarshall5010]

The cemetery in talking about.

[@kimberlyjaquet9554]

It is incredibly maddening to me that people think they are entitled to go onto & into someone else's property and use it as their own, take what is not theirs and destroy the property for their own entertainment or profit. I wish you could have saved the house and I also wish all of the doors, woodwork etc. would not have been pilfered. I hope you are able to clean up and restore your family Cemetery. Best of luck with your future projects!💞

[@davidmckinney6577]

I wish 🤞 I was there to help you with the cemetery I do the same thing when I got a day I'm not busy I go around to different cemeteries in my community and I mow and fill up sunken Graves and erect tombstones that have fallen down..you are a very good genuine man my friend ❤️ may God bless you my friend

[@aegisparanormal]

Beautiful place.

[@kimberlyannwigant6619]

My Mothers family are all from Greenville and surrounding Easley, Pickens, etc. w What incredible history and pride for your interest in our family history. The video is fantastic. The freeway traffic behind sound was bit annoying, however I know infrastructure of our cities growing requires some family members before us certain circumstances. And yes, cemeteries are to be respected. There are regulations to protect moving our ancestors to different local. Keep the search strong

[@eileenboldreghini8617]

This house a historic treasure and should be saved.

[@lisaknell1809]

Yes, please take some of the daffodils before they’re all gone. I bet the place was gorgeous back in its day. I hope the cemetery will be safe from developers!

[@eringemini7091]

You should look into buying the part with the house, (or ask about hauling the house itself away to a different location). Moving an entire house seems daunting, but that house looks like its still solid, and thats how they used to build them back then. Cool video!

[@DebGo4th]

The wisteria was so beautiful, it's May as I watch this so I know it must be much prettier now.

[@chrissytaylor5690]

It looks like it originally had a two-story porch as well..... With a balcony on the second floor. Many homes here in the south were built with a second-story balcony back in the 1830s-40's......All the way up until the Greek Revival era.

[@jhingbangayan762]

My impression is, they were very wealthy. That house is very well built.

[@ildikoparker920]

Very nice house