31 October 2023 , 18:45
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Spooky pics have emerged showing the remnants of a family-run funeral home, which was closed due to the owner’s spiralling health.
The workspace can be seen with cosmetic powers and bottles of chemicals leftover. There is one room set up for a funeral and one picture shows the haunting mannequin head in a box display, which shows the families how the face of the deceased can be reconstructed if necessary.
The funeral home first operated decades ago during the segregation era in Georgia, USA, and was one of the only available African American funeral homes available in the area. With segregation only prohibited by federal legislation in 1965, African American communities in the Deep South had to create opportunities within their communities.
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A haunting mannequin head shows families what can be done for deceased people with damaged faces (mediadrumimages/Leland Kent)Passed down from father to son, the funeral home was later run by the son for many years following his father’s death. But when the 21st century arrived, financial difficulty befell the family business. The funeral home faced foreclosure after it built up a colossal $250,000 in debt.
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The business attempted to continue operating for the families in desperate need in the community. But in 2019, due to the ill health of the owner, the funeral home was finally abandoned - and now the pictures have emerged of the creepy home.
This room appears set up for the funerals of deceased people in the community (mediadrumimages/Leland Kent)Taken by urban explorer Leland Kent - known online as Abandoned Southeast - the pictures capture an “example of how young African Americans created opportunities for themselves," Leland said in his blog. “As one of the few African American funeral homes to operate during the South’s segregation era, this family-owned business served as an example of how young African Americans created opportunities for themselves,” he said.
A large array of finishing powders for application on the dead bodies (mediadrumimages/Leland Kent)“As a result of segregation, many African Americans could only get jobs as clergymen, morticians, and educators with a college degree. The business was eventually passed down to his son who followed in his father’s footsteps and continued to operate the funeral home after his death,” Leland continued.
“In the early 2000s, the funeral home hit hardship and faced foreclosure with debt totaling more than $250,000. While facing foreclosure, the business remained active and was one of the oldest continuously operated funeral homes in the region before closing in 2019 due to the owner’s declining health. Today, the property appears abandoned.”
This large embalming machine was used by staff in the funeral home (mediadrumimages/Leland Kent)To find out more and explore some of Leland’s other projects you can visit his .