The Bellamy Residence on Ashford Street

The Bellamy family established their residence on Ashford Street in 1908 after Richard Bellamy purchased the suburban property and renovated the existing home into a larger Italianate and Shingle-style family residence. Three generations lived there, including Richard, his wife Clara, their children, and later grandchildren who shared the household. The family income came from Richard’s architectural supply company, which provided stone and building materials to growing towns nearby.

Historical records describe the residence as a respected neighborhood home with maintained gardens, active family rooms, and regular repairs during its most successful years.

The first warning sign appeared in 1927 when Bellamy Building Supply recorded unpaid accounts from several construction companies and reduced orders. After the economic downturn of the early 1930s, Richard dismissed employees, sold company equipment, and limited household spending. Several upper rooms were closed, and repairs to the leaning tower, stained glass windows, and iron gate were postponed. Following Richard’s illness in 1932, financial management became difficult. By 1935, unpaid business loans and property taxes forced the family to leave Ashford Street, with the residence entering a lengthy legal settlement.

The Bellamy Residence was abandoned in 1936 after foreclosure followed years of business decline, unpaid debts, and unresolved financial matters. No restoration occurred, and no Bellamy descendants returned after leaving Ashford Street. Municipal records noted complicated ownership transfers and continued deterioration of the vacant property. The interior rooms remained closed, preserving family documents and furnishings left behind. Over the decades, moisture damage, structural settling, and weather exposure affected the residence. The Italianate and Shingle-style home remains on the suburban street, slowly deteriorating without restoration or a confirmed future owner.