During the last presidential election, the phrase “Middle America” was used routinely by both candidates and members of the media. “This constant buzz around ‘Middle America’ sparked my curiosity in what the literal middle of America actually was,” writes the photographer J. Bennett Fitts, “if there was one at all.” As it turns out, the center of the contiguous United States is Lebanon, Kansas, a town of about 250 people that has been greatly affected by rural flight. For his ongoing project, Images from the Center of the Contiguous United States, Fitts explores the landscape of Lebanon, which he photographed several times over the last year. He’ll soon relocate to Lebanon for a three-month stay, during which he will continue photographing as a means of creating a more intimate portrait of the place and its people.

More after the jump.

Tags: J. Bennett Fitts