Two Michiganders Discover Abandoned Millionaire Mansion in Ohio

Not long ago, a couple of guys from Mid-Michigan came across this old 10,000 square-foot millionaire’s mansion in Dayton, Ohio.

It was built 1912 by Louis Traxler who set up his own business: Traxler Mercantile. Louis left his home country of Austria in 1899 and wound up in Dayton, Ohio. Desiring a certain highbrow lifestyle, Louis had this mansion especially constructed for him and his family. Included were:
Ballroom
Carpet imported from Ireland
Dumb waiter
Four servants
Laundress
Movie theater in the basement
Pool table
White marble fireplace

The ballroom was called the Gold Room and always locked. No one – family member or otherwise – was allowed inside when there were no events. Lavish dinners and dances were held for special guests. Staircase bannisters are rumored to have been carved by the same craftsmen who sculpted the bannisters for the Titanic.

As our two explorers discovered, plenty of things were left behind, including silverware, cooking utensils, rotting food in the fridge, plenty of children’s clothing and toys…it’s believed the mansion had been used for foster care at one time, explaining all the children items.

The Traxler family lived in the mansion until 1929; they moved out when their store closed. The mansion was then bought by a bank president, who in turn sold it to a restaurant owner. During World War II, the mansion was turned into boarding house and stayed that way until 1977.

A new owner spent $150,000 on renovation, sold the place in the 1980s to a doctor, who sold it to a minister in 1990, who sold it in 1991 where it was used by the Women’s Philharmonic Association.

Wanting to keep the home around as an Historical site, attempts for funding failed and the place was abandoned after taxes stopped being paid in 2018.