A double header for today. These are within a few steps of each other. On top we see a stone staircase headed towards ... what? Oblivion? No. A long-gone house whose position is now marked by the ubiquitous rusted hulk. Below a look between the two stone cottages. An abandoned swimming pool and some idea of the drop behind these places. That is the main roadway below and behind that is Bartgis Bros. Paper Mill. I did a Google on this area for overhead photography and the USGS site is GREAT! Behind the images are topographical maps. The images are OK, but the maps show many more buildings on this site... most now gone. I also learned that this are is/was called Ilchester. (Seeing how the road opposite is Ilchester Road.... duh!) and just down the main drive, towards Ellicott City, is another small grouping, mostly gone, called Thistle. We will go down Thistle Road as this little tour continues. (Yes, Vik, there are any number of folks living in places like this around here and back in the Pennsyltucky coal regions. We may have to head north of the Mason-Dixon Line to see what's up thataway.) Enjoy; thanks for viewing.