The Bellamy Mansion on Cedar Grove Street

The Bellamy family established their mansion on Cedar Grove Street in 1909 after Edward Bellamy purchased the property following his success as a textile manufacturer. Three generations lived there, including Edward, his wife Margaret, their children, and later grandchildren who shared the large Victorian residence. The family income came from textile production, factory investments, and regional supply contracts.

Historical records describe the mansion as a carefully maintained home with active use of the parlor, library, and upper bedrooms during the years when the Bellamy business remained profitable and the household employed regular maintenance staff.

The first warning sign appeared in 1927 when Bellamy Textiles recorded overdue payments from wholesale buyers and rising production costs. After the economic downturn of the early 1930s reduced demand, Edward dismissed factory workers and closed several unused rooms in the mansion’s upper floors. Repairs to the mansard roof, porch arches, and wooden balconies were postponed as debts increased. After Edward’s death in 1932, disagreements among heirs delayed decisions about the estate. By 1935, unpaid taxes, business loans, and inheritance disputes forced the Bellamy family to leave Cedar Grove Street while creditors began legal proceedings.

The Bellamy Mansion was abandoned in 1936 after foreclosure followed years of textile industry decline, unpaid taxes, and unresolved inheritance matters. No restoration occurred, and no Bellamy descendants returned after leaving Cedar Grove Street. Municipal records noted failed ownership transfers and continued deterioration of the vacant property. The interior rooms remained closed, preserving family papers and furnishings left behind. Over the decades, moisture damage, weather exposure, and structural wear affected the woodwork and slate roof. The Queen Anne and Second Empire mansion remains empty on the Victorian-era street, slowly deteriorating without restoration or confirmed future use.