The Waverly House on Linden Avenue

The Waverly House stood on Linden Avenue in Vermont, where the Waverly family arrived in 1907 after Edward Waverly purchased the property while expanding his regional furniture manufacturing business. The household included Edward, his wife Clara, four children, and later two grandchildren who remained in the residence during the 1920s. The family’s income came from the furniture factory, which provided steady employment and supported regular maintenance of the large home.

Local accounts described active family gatherings, occupied bedrooms, and a residence carefully managed through the early decades of the twentieth century.

The first major problems appeared after the 1929 industrial downturn weakened Edward Waverly’s furniture company. In 1930, suppliers issued notices for overdue payments, and county records recorded delayed property tax installments. The family closed the second-floor bedrooms, stopped repainting exterior woodwork, and reduced household help to manage costs. After Edward suffered declining health and died in 1932, control of the business passed between his sons, who disagreed over debts and inheritance responsibilities. By 1934, the factory had closed, leaving the family without its primary source of income. Clara moved with two children to another town, while the remaining heirs struggled to settle the property.

The Waverly House entered foreclosure proceedings in 1935 after unpaid mortgage balances, factory debts, and property taxes could not be resolved. A scheduled auction received no serious offers because buyers considered the repairs too expensive during the economic recovery period. The final residents removed personal belongings gradually before leaving permanently, but furniture, records, and household objects remained behind. No restoration was completed, and no Waverly family member returned to occupy the house. By the late 1940s, the residence had deteriorated through water damage, broken windows, and neglected structural repairs. The Waverly House still stands on Linden Avenue, empty and slowly deteriorating with its ownership future unresolved.