The Mercer Residence on Ashbury Street

The Mercer family established their residence on Ashbury Street in 1913 after Henry Mercer purchased the property while expanding his wholesale paper company. Three generations lived there, including Henry, his wife Louise, their children, and Henry’s elderly mother who remained part of the household. The family income came from paper distribution, printing supplies, and contracts with regional publishers.

Local records describe the mansion as a carefully maintained residence with active use of the library, dining room, and offices during the years when Mercer Paper Company remained successful.

The first warning sign appeared in 1931 when Mercer Paper Company recorded cancelled printing contracts and overdue payments from several publishers. During the economic downturn, Henry reduced employees, closed the upper guest rooms, and postponed repairs to the copper roof, marble columns, and exterior stonework. After Henry’s death in 1935, disagreements between heirs delayed decisions regarding ownership. By 1938, unpaid business loans, inheritance expenses, and property taxes forced the Mercer family to leave Ashbury Street while legal proceedings determined the future of the residence.

The Mercer Residence was abandoned in 1939 after inheritance disputes, unpaid debts, and the decline of the family paper business left the property without a permanent owner. No restoration occurred, and no Mercer descendants returned after leaving Ashbury Street. Municipal records documented unsuccessful ownership transfers and continued deterioration of the vacant residence. The interior rooms remained closed, preserving household furnishings, business records, and personal belongings left behind. Over the decades, moisture damage, weather exposure, and structural wear affected the limestone facade, marble columns, and copper roof. The Federal and Beaux-Arts residence remains empty on the quiet residential street, slowly deteriorating without restoration or confirmed future use.