The Whitaker Family House on Rosewood Boulevard

The Whitaker family established their residence on Rosewood Boulevard in 1908 after Samuel Whitaker expanded the property following his success as a regional printing company owner. Three generations lived there, including Samuel, his wife Eleanor, their children, and later grandchildren who helped manage the family business. Their income came from commercial printing contracts and newspaper supply agreements with nearby towns.

Local records describe the Folk Victorian mansion as a respected family home with active bedrooms, a formal parlor, and regular upkeep. The wraparound porch and upper rooms remained in daily use during the family’s most stable period.

The first warning sign appeared in 1927 when the Whitaker printing company lost several major newspaper contracts and began delaying supplier payments. During the economic downturn of the early 1930s, Samuel dismissed employees, reduced household expenses, and closed several upstairs bedrooms to lower costs. Repairs to the roof, porch spindlework, and wooden shutters were postponed as business debts increased. After Samuel’s death in 1932, disagreements among heirs delayed decisions regarding the property. By 1934, unpaid taxes and legal disputes forced Eleanor and the remaining family members to leave Rosewood Boulevard.

The Whitaker House was abandoned in 1935 after foreclosure followed years of business decline, unpaid taxes, and unresolved family ownership disputes. No restoration occurred, and no Whitaker heirs returned after leaving the boulevard. City records noted complicated property transfers and continued deterioration of the vacant residence. The interior rooms remained closed, with personal papers and household objects left behind. Over the decades, weather exposure, moisture damage, and structural wear affected the Folk Victorian mansion. The Rosewood Boulevard house remains empty, slowly deteriorating without restoration or confirmed future use.