Old book about a man who finds an abandoned house with a portal to another world

Question

This is an old book I think written around 1930s-ish timeframe (possibly older) and could be by a female author.

A man is traveling around Europe and finds what appears to be an abandoned house. (I can’t remember if he inherited the house or not or if he was traveling with someone else) Somehow he finds himself at the edge of a huge hole and I think something about the house took him there. Also he was reading diaries or other things in the house which gave ominous mentions of another world of sorts. I thought the book was called something like House at the Edge of the World but can’t find anything that matches what I remember.

I saw this awhile back as being a big inspirations for more contemporary sci fi authors but did not recognize the name.

Answer 1

I suggest The House on the Borderland (1908) by William Hope Hodgson.

From the Wikipedia description (my bold indicates things that match the question):

Two men on a two-week fishing vacation in remote western Ireland are surprised to discover a strange abyss. On a rock spur above this pit they find ruins and buried in them a journal, which they read.

(and I summarize further information from the Wikipedia article:)

The journal recounts the experiences of a man who used to live in the now-ruined house, which had already been abandoned for centuries when he moved in.

One time while he was reading, he had a vision of a horrible realm with monsters in it. There were further visions on other occasions. Eventually he has a vision of himself and the house crumbling into dust.

The diary ends. The two fishermen ask other people and find corroboration of an old man who lived in the house, and the house eventually collapsed.

This book can be read at Project Gutenberg.

Answer 2

I agree with @nebogipfel

However, the other that comes to mind is The Edge of Running Water by William Sloane.

There's a new version (introduction by Stephen King)available.