The Mercer House Abandoned After Timber Company Bankruptcy

The Mercer family established Redwood Glen House in 1908 after Thomas Mercer purchased forest land near Alder Ridge and built the residence beside his small timber operation. Three generations lived there, including Thomas, his wife Clara, their children, and later grandchildren who helped manage lumber sales, equipment records, and household duties. The family earned income from timber harvesting, sawmill contracts, and regional building suppliers.

Local records describe a maintained home with active gardens, woodland paths, and a working yard before changes in the lumber industry weakened the family business.

The first warning sign appeared in 1927 when timber prices declined and several construction contracts were cancelled. By 1929, the Mercers dismissed mill workers and stopped maintaining sections of the porch, garden fence, and woodland paths. The upper dormer rooms were closed to reduce heating costs, while repairs to the fireplace tower and roof were postponed. The economic downturn of the early 1930s caused unpaid equipment loans, supplier debts, and property taxes to accumulate. In 1933, the Mercer timber company entered bankruptcy, and the family moved away from Alder Ridge.

Redwood Glen House was abandoned in 1934 after the Mercer timber company bankruptcy, unpaid debts, and the loss of the family income source ended their ownership. No restoration occurred, and no Mercer descendants returned after leaving Alder Ridge. Property records documented failed sales attempts and unresolved responsibility for maintenance. The rooms remained closed with furniture, business records, and household belongings left behind. Over decades, weather, vegetation, and neglect damaged the porch, roof, and woodland grounds. The Craftsman Victorian house remains empty beneath the redwood trees, continuing to deteriorate without restoration or confirmed future ownership.