The Bellamy Family Home Abandoned After Coal Mill Closure

The Bellamy family established Rosegate House in the town of Millbrook in 1906 after Arthur Bellamy purchased the property while working as a supervisor at the nearby coal mill. Arthur, his wife Clara, their four children, and Arthur’s mother lived there for three decades. The family income came from coal production wages, company bonuses, and small garden sales.

Local records described Rosegate House as a carefully maintained neighborhood residence with regular repairs to its slate roof, porch, and decorative stonework before the regional mining industry began declining.

The first warning sign appeared in 1928 when the coal mill reduced shifts after losing industrial contracts. Arthur received a formal notice of reduced employment and began falling behind on household expenses. By 1930, the family dismissed their gardener, closed the upper bedrooms, and delayed repairs to the leaning stair turret and damaged porch boards. The coal mill closure in 1932 caused widespread unemployment, leaving Arthur with unpaid mortgage payments, property taxes, and medical debts. After foreclosure proceedings ended in 1934, the Bellamys moved to a nearby industrial town, leaving Rosegate House partially furnished.

Rosegate House was abandoned in 1935 after the coal mill closure, unemployment, foreclosure, and accumulated family debts ended the Bellamys’ ownership. No restoration occurred, and no Bellamy relatives returned to occupy the property. Municipal records later recorded unsuccessful attempts to sell the residence and increasing repair costs. The interior remained closed with furniture, documents, and personal belongings left behind. Over decades, weather damaged the sandstone walls, roof, and porch while vegetation spread across the yard. The Gothic Revival home still stands empty on the residential block, continuing to deteriorate without restoration or a confirmed future owner.