What happened to the people who lived in this house and why did they leave everything behind? Captured by Abandoned Southeast photographer Leland Kent, let's step inside this eerie time warp home frozen in time...

Built at the end of the Reconstruction Era in the late 19th century, this crumbling villa in Louisville, Georgia, holds its secrets close to its chest. Long vacated by its former owners, the house fell into a state of extreme disrepair, however, these amazing photos show mementos of the past still lingering in its halls. 

In 1875, a wealthy merchant named James Cain Little purchased a large plot of land in Louisville. The following year, Little is said to have paid the princely sum of £3,000 ($4k) to build a four-bedroom house on the land for himself and his family, shown here on the front steps in the late 1800s. Before his death in 1917, Little sold the house to his wife Nellie and the property stayed in the family until the 1920s.

With 15-foot ceilings, floor-to-ceiling windows and pine floors, the villa would have been one of the grandest buildings in Louisville at the time. Today, James Little's house, which stretches a vast 4,500 square feet, lies in ruin, ravaged by time and years of neglect. A prime example of Carpenter Gothic architecture, it's not hard to see how impressive this structure would've been back in the day.

The once-imposing white clapboard facade with its striking green shutters is in need of serious attention. The wraparound porch is slowly being reclaimed by nature, as creepers and trailers snake their way across the deck. A rocking chair creaks in the wind, an eerie reminder of the generations of owners who've paced the boards of the veranda over the years.

Stepping through the imposing wooden door with its etched glass surround is like taking a trip back in time. The extent of the building’s decline is all too apparent; plaster flakes cover the floors and paint peels off every surface. To the right of the entrance, a doll in a cherry-red dress keeps a silent vigil over the house.

At the rear of the property sits an expansive kitchen complete with a curved breakfast bar and a vintage refrigerator. It’s almost as if the building was abandoned mid-meal; piles of dirty dishes still lie on the countertops and a cabinet door hangs slightly ajar. We can only speculate as to what caused the last occupants to vacate so abruptly…

Purportedly nicknamed the ‘Hoarder House’ by local residents, the property was packed with old toys, clothes and pieces of furniture. In these images, the once-grand living room with its draped pelmets and green brocade sofa is a shadow of its former self, while the floor is littered with fallen plaster. A collection of stuffed animals and dolls are now the sole inhabitants of this former family home.

The furnishings left behind offer an intriguing insight into the lives of the previous residents. On top of one cabinet sits this antique Panasonic television set and a pair of Nintendo controllers. The Japanese electronics company successfully ventured into the world of gaming, releasing their first console in the 1980s and becoming a household name. These vintage NES controllers date back to 1985.

Many of the property’s original features remain, including this gorgeous 19th-century fireplace. The mantel is home to an array of trinkets, once prized by the home's former owners. On the table by the hearth, a mysterious photograph of a woman in a wedding dress hints at the many tales and secrets held within the building’s four walls.

This battered Guild guitar in a felt-lined case is one of the many enigmatic items found in the time warp home. Though it may have seen better days, the instrument would have been worth a pretty penny 40 or so years ago. Coveted by artists such as Brian May and Jimi Hendrix, the Guild Guitar Company has been a beloved music brand since their launch in 1952. We can just imagine the songs strummed by the fireside here over the years.

The last owner of the Little house was Ms Eve Griffin, a regular fixture on the lounge music circuit in the 60s and 70s. Eve purchased the property in 1987 for the sum of £23,000 ($30k). Items such as the black and white Elvis poster in this old room highlight her love of music and her successful singing career.

In the same room, an old typewriter sits on the desk by the window. Royal models similar to this one are valuable collectors’ items and can be worth thousands. We can only wonder what the machine was used for; perhaps composing letters to a love interest or making a first foray into novel writing.

In the master bedroom on the first floor, sun filters through the blinds and casts a golden glow on the paint-flecked carpet. The room is a perfect 70s time capsule; the shaggy rug and orange-brown accents are characteristic of the decade’s retro design trends. A globe on the table by the window gives us an inkling of the former occupant’s sense of adventure.

Once clearly a meticulously decorated and homely space, years of vacancy have left the bedroom with a severe damp problem. The plaster has flaked away from the walls, leaving the home's structure exposed in places. Though no-one has used the room in decades, the bed is still carefully made up with a floral quilt and two orange teddy bears.

On the other side of the room, a chintzy two-seater sofa partially conceals the fireplace behind, but we're left with more questions than answers. Who knitted the striped blanket draped over the back of the couch? And which American football fan-owned the stuffed mascot perched on the upholstery? 

In the front downstairs bedroom, piles of clothing, blankets and bric-a-brac almost completely conceal the floor – mementos of the lives that have passed through the property. What valuable ornaments or remnants from yesteryear might be hiding under the mountains of debris?

Another downstairs bedroom has a distinctly elegant feel, despite the peeling blue-green walls and exposed floors. The bed is dressed with a frilly floral quilt and a dressing room-style mirror is perched at its foot. The open door leads to an ensuite bathroom containing the original wall-mounted sink and brass hardware.

A former children’s bedroom has suffered some of the worst damage in the house, with a large hole in the ceiling and a pile of rubble on the floor. At one point, the room would have had twin beds but now the frame of the second rests haphazardly on the remaining mattress. With its occupants long grown up, the space has a rather melancholic feel.

This intriguing property has seen many faces pass across its threshold throughout the years. In the 1950s, several of the downstairs rooms were rented out and used as a boarding house, while the right-hand porch purportedly served as a beauty salon for a brief time.

Following Leland Kent’s visit to the villa, it was sadly cleared of all the intriguing personal items and curios that rendered it so mysterious. In 2017, the Louisville Downtown Development Authority acquired control of the building, aiming to stabilise it to prevent catastrophic disintegration in the coming years.

With many a tale to tell, plus plenty of original period features just waiting to be restored, this historic dwelling is a rare gem. We hope to see this derelict building transformed into the grand family home dreamt up by James Little way back in 1875.

Loved this? Like and follow us on Facebook for more spellbinding abandoned house tours