The Whitaker House Abandoned After Greenhouse Business Collapse

The Whitaker family established Glenmere House in 1908 after Arthur Whitaker purchased woodland property near Hawthorne Vale and built the residence beside a large greenhouse complex. Three generations lived there, including Arthur, his wife Margaret, their children, and later grandchildren who managed plant cultivation, deliveries, and estate records. The family earned income from rare plant sales, greenhouse production, and contracts supplying local gardens.

Historical records describe a carefully maintained home with active gardens and working glasshouses before economic changes weakened the family business.

The first warning sign appeared in 1927 when heating costs for the greenhouse increased sharply during several cold seasons. By 1929, the Whitakers dismissed garden workers and closed part of the greenhouse complex to reduce expenses. Repairs to the entrance terrace, stone paths, and garden structures were postponed as unpaid supplier bills accumulated. The economic decline of the early 1930s reduced demand for decorative plants, causing business loans, fuel debts, and property taxes to remain unpaid. In 1933, creditors took control of the greenhouse operation, and the Whitaker family left Glenmere House for a smaller property nearby.

Glenmere House was abandoned in 1934 after the greenhouse business collapsed, unpaid debts, and creditor control ended the Whitaker family’s connection to the estate. No restoration occurred, and no Whitaker descendants returned after leaving Hawthorne Vale. Property records documented failed sales attempts and unresolved responsibility for repairs. The rooms remained closed with furniture, documents, and personal belongings left behind. Over decades, weather and vegetation damaged the terraces, greenhouse, and interior spaces. The Georgian Revival house remains empty among the woodland gardens, continuing to deteriorate without restoration or confirmed future ownership.