The Holloway Mansion Abandoned After Lumber Company Failure

The Holloway family established Maplehurst Mansion on Cedar Avenue in the town of Brookfield in 1907 after William Holloway built the residence using profits from his regional lumber company. William, his wife Margaret, their four children, and William’s younger brother lived in the three-story Queen Anne mansion. The family income came from timber harvesting, sawmill operations, and building supply contracts.

Local newspapers described Maplehurst Mansion as a prestigious neighborhood residence, with maintained gardens, preserved architectural details, and regular repairs before changes in the lumber market affected the family’s finances.

The first warning sign appeared in 1929 when construction demand declined and several lumber buyers cancelled large orders. By 1931, William faced unpaid supplier bills, reduced mill production, and overdue property taxes. The family dismissed household workers, closed the upper turret rooms, and delayed repairs to the roof peaks, porch details, and damaged shutters. The lumber company failure of 1933 caused business loans to default, employee layoffs, and mortgage problems. In 1934, William and Margaret left Maplehurst Mansion after foreclosure proceedings began, moving to live with their daughter in another region.

Maplehurst Mansion was abandoned in 1935 after the lumber company failure, foreclosure, and accumulated debts ended the Holloway family’s ownership. No restoration occurred, and no Holloway descendants returned to occupy the property. Later records documented failed auctions because restoration expenses exceeded the home’s value. Furniture, business papers, and household belongings remained inside while weather damaged the sandstone walls, copper roof, and wooden balconies. Ivy covered the garden fence and the old bench remained beneath the leaning tree. The Queen Anne Victorian mansion remains empty on Cedar Avenue, deteriorating without restoration or a confirmed future owner.