Historic Stowe Property Purchased by the City of Belmont

05 Mar, 2026 - Tranzon Key

As seen on cityofbelmont.org

The City of Belmont is excited to announce that the Stowe family property, located in historic downtown Belmont, has been acquired by the City. This property was successfully acquired through the real estate auction firm, Tranzon, with the transaction occurring on Thursday, March 5, 2026.

When the City became aware of the auction, it was imperative that these three (3) parcels, totaling 10.93 acres, were purchased with the intent of ensuring the buyer would care for this property as much as the Stowe family has over the past 100 years.

This property is strategically located adjacent to downtown Belmont, and has direct access to Woodrow Avenue, Central Avenue, and abuts property owners west of Main Street between Woodrow Avenue and the Norfolk Southern railway. This property contains the home of the former Ruth H. Stowe, a pond, and has been relatively undisturbed for decades.

The property was owned by the Ruth H. Stowe Revocable Living Trust, with Ruth and Robert Stowe, Jr., residing there since the mid-1950’s. Ruth H. Stowe was married to Robert Lee Stowe, Jr., once Owner and Principal of R.L. Stowe Mills, Inc. As the textile industry changed the landscape of Belmont, the Stowe family left their mark in Belmont as now many places adorn the Stowe name, from Stowe Park, Stowe Manor, Daniel Stowe Conservancy (formerly Daniel Stowe Botanical Gardens), The Stowe Family YMCA, R.L. Stowe Road, Stowe Road, among others.

Mayor Joe Jordan states “This heritage property downtown is a once in a lifetime opportunity to potentially extend our historic downtown. With an auction, there was a chance that a buyer would be less familiar with Belmont and would not take into account the impact these parcels have on those who work, live, and visit our City. We, as a City Council, will ensure a responsible approach and decision-making process to allow this property to be a continued, vibrant part of the fabric of Belmont.”

The City will now have the ability to ensure that future development only further enhances and compliments Belmont. The Mayor and City Council will soon begin discussions on the vision for this property and the orderly next steps in its development.

Contact: Miles Braswell, City Manager
Email: mbraswell@cityofbelmont.org