This Glen Rock Photographer Finds Beauty in the Abandoned and Forgotten

John Arehart has called Glen Rock home since 1996. For nearly three decades, he’s raised a family here, lent his talents to community events, and built a deep creative life grounded in photography and storytelling. While his images span the globe, his roots run local. From the 4th of July parade to the Fun Fair, John can often be spotted capturing the town's spirit and generously sharing his photos with neighbors.

Originally from Peoria, Illinois, John lived in Missouri, Louisiana, Delaware, Japan, and Taiwan before settling in Glen Rock. His passion for photography began during childhood travels and grew into a 20-year career in advertising, where he worked as an art and creative director on national brands while also capturing behind-the-scenes moments that few others noticed.

John’s obsession with photography has led to gallery exhibitions across the region, including the Noye’s Museum in Atlantic City, the Old Town Hall Museum in Mullica Hill, the Glen Rock Library, and the Ringwood Manor Association of the Arts. He currently works for Bella Baby Photography and contributes to major image libraries with over 17,000 images available.

One of John’s most distinctive passions is exploring and documenting abandoned buildings. These are not quick snapshots. He researches a site’s history, often uncovering vintage photos of what the location once looked like and presenting them alongside its current state. His guiding philosophy is simple but firm: take nothing but photos. Each visit becomes a respectful act of preservation through photography.

In one particularly memorable exploration, John discovered what appeared to be a typical abandoned farmhouse. On closer inspection, he realized nearly every window was covered in aluminum foil. Inside, insulation hung from the ceiling, mold filled the air, and personal belongings were scattered as if the house had been abandoned suddenly. The kitchen refrigerator still held food dated only a year before, while foil lined cabinet doors, drawers, and even hung behind framed photos on the walls.

The deeper he went, the stranger it became. One upstairs bedroom was completely covered in foil—walls, windows, ceiling, floor, even the bed itself. A broken motion detector sat on the doorway. In another room, he discovered an urn containing human ashes stored in the back of a liquor cabinet. Later research revealed the remains belonged to a man who had died in 1994, though the home itself seemed abandoned only decades later.

The mystery of the foil-covered rooms was never explained. Today, the house has been fully renovated, but John’s photographs preserve the eerie state in which he found it. Experiences like this are part of what led him to connect with others who share a fascination with the strange and unexplained.

John is now one of the moderators for the 19,000-member Weird New Jersey Facebook group, working closely with the authors of the magazine and book series that celebrates the state’s strangest corners. It’s a natural fit for someone who sees beauty and mystery in forgotten places.

Through it all, John continues to give back locally. Whether you’ve seen his photos in Glen Rockers or caught him at a street fair, he remains a committed neighbor with an extraordinary lens on both the past and present.