The Beaumont Family Mountain House Abandoned After Funicular Closure

The Beaumont family established Highmere House in 1908 after Louis Beaumont purchased land beside the Silver Pass funicular railway and built a residence for his family. Three generations lived there, including Louis, his wife Clara, their children, and later grandchildren who assisted with railway services and mountain tourism. The family earned income from maintaining the funicular station, guiding visitors, and operating a small supply business for travelers.

Local records describe a maintained home with an active courtyard, observatory, and garden wall before changes in transportation reduced the area’s importance.

The first warning sign appeared in 1927 when passenger numbers declined after a new mountain road diverted visitors away from the funicular. By 1929, the Beaumonts dismissed their station assistant and closed the side wing to reduce household expenses. The family stopped repairing the station platform, balcony rails, and damaged shutters as railway income decreased. The regional transportation shift during the early 1930s caused the funicular company to accumulate losses and permanently close the line in 1933. With unpaid property taxes and reduced earnings, Louis and Clara left Highmere House for a nearby valley town.

Highmere House was abandoned in 1934 after the funicular closure, lost tourism income, and accumulated household debts ended the Beaumont family’s connection to the mountain property. No restoration occurred, and no Beaumont descendants returned after relocating away from Silver Pass. Railway records noted uncertain ownership and no successful plans to reopen the station. The remaining rooms stayed closed with family papers, furniture, and railway materials left behind. Over decades, weather, vegetation, and neglect damaged the residence. The mountain house remains empty beside the abandoned railway, continuing to deteriorate without restoration or confirmed future use.