The Bellamy Mansion on Ashford Street

The Bellamy family established their mansion on Ashford Street in 1916 after Charles Bellamy purchased the property following his success in wholesale textile distribution. Three generations lived there, including Charles, his wife Eleanor, their children, and later grandchildren who shared the large urban residence. The family income came from fabric warehouses, clothing suppliers, and regional manufacturing contracts.

City records describe the mansion as a carefully maintained home with active use of the rotunda, library, and upper balconies during the years when the Bellamy business remained profitable and the household employed regular maintenance workers.

The first warning sign appeared in 1929 when Bellamy Textiles recorded cancelled orders and overdue payments from several clothing manufacturers. After the economic collapse of the early 1930s reduced demand, Charles closed part of the warehouse operation, dismissed household workers, and stopped repairs to the slate roof, balconies, and stone cornices. Following Charles’s illness in 1933, control of the business became uncertain. By 1935, unpaid commercial loans, property taxes, and disagreements among heirs led to foreclosure proceedings. The Bellamy family left Ashford Street that year, relocating to smaller homes while creditors managed the estate.

The Bellamy Mansion was abandoned in 1936 after foreclosure followed years of textile industry decline, unpaid debts, and unresolved inheritance matters. No restoration occurred, and no Bellamy descendants returned after leaving Ashford Street. Municipal records documented failed ownership transfers and continued deterioration of the vacant residence. The interior rooms remained closed, preserving family papers, furnishings, and business records left behind. Over the decades, moisture, weather exposure, and structural wear affected the sandstone walls, slate roofing, and decorative features. The Italianate and Romanesque Revival mansion remains empty on the urban street, slowly deteriorating without restoration or confirmed future use.