The Ellison Cottage on Fernbrook Lane

The Ellison family established Fernbrook Cottage in 1909 after Thomas Ellison purchased a wooded property outside a small Pacific Northwest town and built the Queen Anne residence for his family. Three generations lived there, including Thomas, his wife Margaret, their children, and later grandchildren who helped manage the household. The family earned income from a nearby lumber company where Thomas worked as an accountant, along with small orchard sales from the surrounding land.

Local records describe a modest but well-kept home with active use of the parlor, kitchen, and side porch during its stable years.

The first warning sign appeared in 1927 when the Ellisons received a notice for overdue property taxes and delayed payments from orchard buyers. After the lumber industry slowed during the early 1930s, Thomas’s employment ended, and the family reduced expenses by closing the upper bedroom and stopping repairs to the porch and roof trim. Medical costs increased after Margaret became ill, creating additional financial strain. By 1934, unpaid bills and accumulated taxes forced the family to sell remaining belongings and leave Fernbrook Cottage for a smaller rented home in town.

Fernbrook Cottage was abandoned in 1935 after unpaid taxes and financial hardship ended the Ellison family’s ownership. No restoration occurred, and no Ellison relatives returned after relocating from the area. County records noted unsuccessful attempts to sell the property and continued deterioration of the vacant cottage. The interior rooms remained closed, preserving household papers and furnishings left behind. Over the following decades, moisture, plant growth, and structural wear damaged the residence. The Queen Anne cottage remains empty on Fernbrook Lane, quietly deteriorating without restoration or a confirmed future owner.