An elderly white man (identified as B.F. Shaw) with a full beard poses in a grassy field, raising his left hand to his brow. He is dressed in a three-piece woolen suit, white shirt, and knee-length overcoat. He holds a cane in his right hand. Two large dogs rest just behind him. To his right is a conically shaped pile of rocks or rock cairn. A mountain range is visible in the background.
A dusty two-lane road leads past a small church, partially obscured by its manse, a two-story clapboard house with porches and a gambrel roof. The church, identified as Presbyterian, is two stories in height with a bell tower at one corner. It too seems to be built of clapboard, and has arched windows with leaded panes visible. The yard of the church and manse is surrounded by a wire fence supported by wooden posts; a wheel hoe sits nearby. Young trees have been planted near the church. In the background can be seen open land with some scattered groves of trees, and a low mountain range stretches behind.