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1907. "Northampton, Massachusetts -- Draper Hotel." Where the amenities include an American Express office and Boyden's "Dining Parlor." 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size.
On the Historic Northampton web-site page "Main Street-Northeast", (which is cited, but not literally, by J W Wright) is written:
J.M. Miner planned a group of buildings, The Fitch Hotel and two hotel blocks, to replace the burned-down Warner House. Today, only the westernmost block, of the Old Draper Hotel, remains.
Writing it that way it seems as if the Fitch Hotel had been flanked by two other hotels, where the western most was called Old (??) Draper Hotel.
But the Historic Buildings of Massachusetts site says about the old Draper Hotel:
After it [the Warner House] was destroyed by fire in 1870, a new building, planned by J.M. Miner, was constructed on its former location on Main Street. Called the Fitch Hotel, it consisted of a central block flanked by two wings. ..... The hotel, located at 179 Main Street, later became the Draper Hotel.
This last citation seems to describe the situation as it has been: All three blocks belonged to the Fitch Hotel (hence the name "Fitch Block" an the "F" monograms in the center of the roof pediment of the façades of the two wings). Later on the Fitch Hotel became the Draper Hotel. It never had the name "Old Draper Hotel", but as it stopped existing, you may speak of the old Draper Hotel.
There remains one thing which puzzles me. The Historic Buildings of Massachusetts site, gives a citation of an article (“Industrial Northampton”) that appeared in Western New England (Vol. I, No. 11, October, 1911), which ends with the line:
The Draper offers both American and European rates.
I can't figure out what that might have meant. Different prices? Paying in different currencies alowed? But if the last is true, then I wonder what was meant by European rate. Or was Europe equal to England for American people of that time?
My 7th great-grandfather was one of the original settlers of Northampton in the mid 1600s. Of course, except for some old headstones at the local cemetery, there's nothing left from that era in Northampton. These buildings would seem so modern to those original settlers, I can't imagine what they would think of how that little village had grown!
The outermost buildings (cut off at far right and left) match and line up with the Draper Hotel/Fitch Block. Someone was building nearly an entire street at once. Very imposing!
I love the lettering and smooth edge surfaces in his sign. I wonder if it's hiding in someone's barn now.
It is certainly a shame to see the middle and right side gone. I do wonder about the reason for taking down such an important part of the total structure and then building whatever "that" is ?
Composite of several Google Streetview images from 2013. A bit more crude than I'd hoped, but still interesting, I think.
Click here for large version (3330x2612).
Gallons of cold, refreshing Blatz!
Note the different shapes of the lintel stones on each of the upper three floors, gradually becoming more arched the higher you go. Plus the upper floor has hooped awnings as opposed to the square-edged awnings of the two floors underneath. Lovely details.
...driving the buggy? Three years later, Silent Cal would be elected mayor of Northampton.
Today, only the westernmost block of the Old Draper Hotel, remains. It is composed of segmental brownstone window arches, quoining at the corners, and brick dentils beneath the iron cornice. The letter "F" appears, grandly stamped in the center of the roof pediment. - Historic Northampton.
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