The Beaumont Residence on Hawthorne Avenue

The Beaumont family established their residence on Hawthorne Avenue in 1919 after architect Charles Beaumont built the property following his success designing commercial buildings. Three generations lived there, including Charles, his wife Eleanor, their children, and Charles’s father, who remained part of the household. The family income came from architectural commissions, construction consulting, and property development projects.

Local records describe the mansion as a carefully maintained home with active use of the studio, library, and large reception rooms during the years when Beaumont’s professional work remained successful.

The first warning sign appeared in 1929 when Beaumont Design Office recorded delayed payments from developers and several cancelled construction projects. During the economic downturn, Charles reduced employees, closed the upper guest rooms, and postponed repairs to the curved porch, granite steps, and roof structure. After Charles became seriously ill in 1932, his remaining projects declined rapidly. By 1935, unpaid business loans, property taxes, and medical expenses forced the Beaumont family to leave Hawthorne Avenue and move to a smaller residence while creditors managed the property.

The Beaumont Residence was abandoned in 1936 after foreclosure followed years of architectural business decline, unpaid debts, and increasing financial obligations. No restoration occurred, and no Beaumont family members returned after leaving Hawthorne Avenue. Municipal records noted unsuccessful ownership transfers and continued deterioration of the vacant property. The interior rooms remained closed, preserving design papers, household furnishings, and personal records left behind. Over the decades, moisture damage, weather exposure, and structural wear affected the stone facade, terracotta details, and decorative features. The Prairie style and Beaux-Arts mansion remains empty on the residential avenue, slowly deteriorating without restoration or confirmed future use.