The Hollowmere House Orchard Records

The Hollowmere family established their orchard mansion in 1883 after Samuel Hollowmere purchased the property following his success as a fruit grower and regional produce supplier. Three generations lived there, including Samuel, his wife Clara, their children, and later grandchildren who managed orchard accounts and seasonal harvest operations. Their income came from apple cultivation, preserved fruit sales, and contracts with nearby markets.

Local records described the Stick style residence as an important rural home with maintained rooms, working gardens, and carefully preserved timber details. The unusual turret and balconies remained symbols of the family’s success.

The first warning sign appeared in 1928 when Hollowmere Orchard Company lost major buyers after fruit prices declined and transportation costs increased. The family dismissed seasonal workers, closed the upper turret rooms, and delayed repairs to the terracotta roof, stucco walls, and timber balconies. After Samuel’s son Edward died in 1931, disagreements among relatives delayed decisions about selling the property. By 1934, unpaid agricultural loans, overdue taxes, and inheritance disputes forced Clara and the remaining Hollowmeres to leave the orchard estate.

The Hollowmere House was abandoned in 1935 after foreclosure ended years of agricultural decline, unpaid debts, and unresolved family disagreements. No restoration occurred, and no Hollowmere descendants returned to occupy the orchard property. Official records documented ownership changes but no completed preservation efforts. Weather, moisture, and neglect gradually damaged the stucco, timber framing, and interior rooms. The abandoned orchard continued to overgrow around the mansion as the Stick style residence remained empty, deteriorating, and without a confirmed future.