The Whitmore Residence on Glenhaven Circle

The Whitmore family established their residence on Glenhaven Circle in 1914 after Arthur Whitmore commissioned the unusual home following his success as an electrical engineering consultant. Three generations lived there, including Arthur, his wife Helen, their children, and later grandchildren who shared the spacious suburban property. The family income came from electrical contracts, utility projects, and regional manufacturing investments.

Historical records describe the residence as a carefully maintained family home with active use of the study, terraces, and central rooms during the years when Arthur’s professional work remained stable.

The first warning sign appeared in 1928 when Whitmore Engineering recorded delayed payments from industrial clients and cancelled utility contracts. After the economic downturn of the early 1930s reduced construction activity, Arthur dismissed assistants and closed several unused rooms to lower expenses. Repairs to the copper roof, curved balconies, and stone terraces were postponed as debts increased. Following Arthur’s illness in 1933, management of his remaining business interests became difficult. By 1935, unpaid loans and property taxes forced the family to leave Glenhaven Circle while creditors reviewed the estate.

The Whitmore Residence was abandoned in 1936 after foreclosure followed years of business decline, unpaid loans, and mounting property taxes. No restoration occurred, and no Whitmore descendants returned after leaving Glenhaven Circle. Municipal records noted unsuccessful ownership transfers and continued deterioration of the vacant property. The interior rooms remained closed, preserving engineering papers and household furnishings left behind. Over the decades, moisture damage, weather exposure, and neglect affected the limestone walls, copper roofing, and decorative features. The Beaux-Arts and Prairie School residence remains empty on the suburban corner lot, slowly deteriorating without restoration or confirmed future use.