The Harwood family established Bellweather House in the town of Ashford in 1906 after Edward Harwood purchased the property while operating a textile mill near the city center. Edward, his wife Margaret, their four children, and Edward’s younger brother lived in the three-story mansion. The family income came from textile production, fabric contracts, and mill investments.
Local records described Bellweather House as a fashionable neighborhood residence with maintained gardens and repaired architectural details before industrial changes began affecting the Harwood business.
The first warning sign appeared in 1928 when the textile mill lost several contracts to larger manufacturers and reduced its workforce. By 1930, Edward received overdue payment notices from suppliers and struggled with equipment loans. The family dismissed household staff, closed the tower bedrooms, and delayed repairs to the mansard roof, balconies, and copper details. The textile mill failure of 1932 caused unpaid business debts, mortgage problems, and property tax arrears. After legal proceedings began, Edward and Margaret left Bellweather House in 1933 and moved to live with relatives while the estate was settled.
Bellweather House was abandoned in 1934 after the textile mill failure, accumulated debts, and unresolved estate obligations ended the Harwood family’s ownership. No restoration occurred, and no Harwood descendants returned to occupy the mansion. Municipal records later noted unsuccessful auctions and continued deterioration caused by deferred maintenance. Furniture, business papers, and personal belongings remained inside while weather damaged the brickwork, roof, and balconies. Over decades, vegetation overtook the garden and exterior repairs became impossible. The Second Empire Victorian mansion still stands on the neighborhood street, empty and deteriorating without restoration or a confirmed future owner.