Churches and places of worship are often thought of as sanctuaries from the outside world. But left to the elements, abandoned chapels become weathered, with peeling walls and wind-strewn Bible pages. 

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The abandoned churches in photographer Liz Roll's collection take on a new kind of beauty. Stained glass windows, though sometimes broken, continue to cast rainbow shadows throughout the crumbling structures and empty pews. Belongings left behind by long-gone parishoners leave the viewer wondering why they never came back. 

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Roll traveled the East Coast and Mid-Atlantic documenting abandoned churches. Focusing on the details, the photographer captured the eerie atmosphere within the buildings. While some of the chapels look as if the humans just vanished from the scene, others look as if they haven't been entered in years. Still, others have been visited by graffiti artists, adding a new dimension to the locations.

Click through the slideshow above for a tour of abandoned places of worship throughout the East Coast and Mid-Atlantic, from the breathtaking to the creepy.

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