The Beaumont Family Mansion Abandoned After Banking Crisis Losses

The Beaumont family established Ashford Mansion on Linden Avenue in the city of Westbury in 1906 after Charles Beaumont purchased the property while serving as a regional bank director. Charles, his wife Eleanor, their two children, and Eleanor’s sister lived in the two-and-a-half-story residence. The family income came from banking investments, financial services, and property holdings.

Newspaper archives described Ashford Mansion as one of the street’s finest homes, with preserved architectural features, maintained gardens, and regular improvements before the financial collapse of the early 1930s affected the family.

The first warning sign appeared in 1929 when several of Charles’s investments lost value during the banking crisis. By 1930, clients withdrew funds, and the bank reduced staff while Charles struggled with personal debts. The family dismissed household employees, closed the upper tower rooms, and postponed repairs to the mansard roof, balconies, and copper ornamentation. The banking crisis of 1932 caused unpaid mortgages, failed investments, and property tax arrears. In 1933, Charles and Eleanor left Ashford Mansion after legal proceedings began, moving to a smaller residence owned by relatives.

Ashford Mansion was abandoned in 1934 after the banking crisis losses, foreclosure, and unresolved financial obligations ended the Beaumont family’s ownership. No restoration occurred, and no Beaumont descendants returned to occupy the property. Municipal records later documented failed auctions and increasing maintenance costs. Furniture, banking papers, and personal belongings remained inside while weather damaged the sandstone walls, slate roof, and decorative details. Over decades, roses overtook the garden and the mansion declined beside newer homes. The Second Empire Victorian mansion remains empty on Linden Avenue, deteriorating without restoration or a confirmed future owner.