Longmeadow Junior High School

Longmeadow Junior High School
Date: April 27, 1923
courtesy of Digital Commonwealth/ Longmeadow Historical Society
colorized
(click image to enlarge)

The new Junior High School in Longmeadow, MA opened on September 6, 1922!  This beautiful new school was located on Longmeadow Street across from the Town Green just north of the Center School.  (This building is now part of the current Center School campus.)  After completing the first 6 years of their education, the students were now attending the new Junior High School.  Previously, they all had attended Center School for Grades 7- 9 with the "Shop Work" class taught at Norway Street School.      

1922 Longmeadow Annual Town Report

The Principal of this beautiful new school was Herman H. Brase.  Mr. Brase had this position for 2 years.   

Springfield Daily News
September 5, 1922

After graduating from Longmeadow's Junior High School many students continued their education in Springfield, MA at Central, Commerce or Technical High Schools.

1922 Longmeadow Annual Town Report

The first class to graduate from this school in June 1923 are listed below:

1923 Longmeadow Annual Town Report

The principal, Mr. Brase, left his position when was offered an appointment at the State Normal School in Lowell, MA.  In 1924 Charles M. King became the new Principal.  He had previously been the Principal at Monson Academy in Monson, MA.

Additional Source: 1922 Longmeadow Annual Town Report, Boston Herald (Boston, MA)- Feb. 15, 1958 and Springfield Republican- Sept. 7, 1923. 

~Written by Judy Moran   

Old House on the Green

Courtesy of
Longmeadow Historical Society

Mother's Day has been celebrated for many years in our country!  In our beautiful town of Longmeadow, MA there was a restaurant located on the Town Green where families could enjoy a special dinner on the special day set aside to honor mothers.  The Old House on the Green was located at 797 Longmeadow Street.  George E. and Margaret Adams had purchased the house at this address in 1921 and moved with their family from Springfield, MA.  The house had been built for Justin Colton, ca. 1833 (perhaps earlier).  Justin Colton's granddaughter, Miss Elsie Hatstat and other heirs sold this home to Mr. and Mrs. Adams.

797 Longmeadow Street in 1909
from the Emerson Collection
Longmeadow Historical Society

On October 11, 1940 Mr. and Mrs. Adams opened their home to visitors during specific hours and the next day guests with reservations could enjoy dinner at their establishment.  For many years organizations from surrounding areas enjoyed luncheons and dinners here.  The private home located at 797 Longmeadow Street became a guest house and a tea room.  The name was the Old House on the Green.

Bridal showers, wedding receptions, anniversary parties and annual banquets were celebrated at this charming destination.  Advertisements appeared in our local newspapers.

Source:  Springfield Republican
Sept. 16, 1945

In 1953 advertisements for Mother's Day reservations were found in the Springfield Union newspaper.
                

Source:  Springfield Union
May 3, 1953

The 1950 U.S. Federal Census lists this business that Mr. and Mrs. Adams owned as a "Tea Room".   An undated Luncheon and an undated Dinner menu can be viewed.

(Click to enlarge.)
Menu- undated
Courtesy of Longmeadow Historical Society

In October of 1958 Mr. and Mrs. Adams celebrated their 55th wedding anniversary.  During that month and that year they also closed their destination restaurant.  Over the years the Old House on the Green had become a treasured dining experience for so many guests.  That dining destination became a wonderful memory for so many people in our area.

Some additional background information- George Adams did have insight into running a restaurant.  In 1899 his father Leroy Adams and his uncle Edward C. Crosby had purchased the Brooks House in Brattleboro, Vermont.  The Brooks House was well known in the Brattleboro area.  Leroy Adams sold his share of this establishment in 1907 and then spent part of his time in Springfield, MA.  He became the president of The Springfield Flour and Grain Company located on Liberty Street in Springfield, MA.  His son George E. Adams was the secretary and the treasurer of the company.

Sources:  1909 Springfield, MA City Directory; 1920 U.S. Federal Census; 1950 U.S. Federal Census; Springfield Republican-  Feb. 5, 1910; Oct. 31, 1921; Oct. 11, 1940; Springfield Union- Nov. 9, 1958 and Massachusetts Historical Commission- 797 Longmeadow Street written by Peter Santos. 

~Judy Moran

The Estate at 588 Longmeadow Street

Deepwood Hall
Painting by Artist Arthur A. Hart
Source:  "1961 Longmeadow Annual Town Report" Cover
Currently- Administration Building
at Bay Path University

At the beginning of the 20th century George M. Hendee was very well known in the Springfield, MA area and also throughout the world.  As a young man he was a famous high wheeler bicycle racer.  Later, he and Oscar Hedstrom (another bicycle racer) formed the Indian Motocycle Company that was located in Springfield.  Mr. Hendee and his wife Edith C. began making plans to live in Longmeadow, MA.  In 1909 he purchased about 20 acres of land from J. B. Burbank. This land was part of the Ethan C. Ely estate located on Longmeadow Street.  Mr. Hendee removed the old S.C. Stebbins house that had been located on this property, so he could build his house.

(click to enlarge)

In 1910 the ground was staked out for the new Hendee residence.  However, the plans changed after the Hendees divorced. The residence was not built and the land was sold to David and James Hale.

In 1915 the Hale brothers sold this property to another distinguished and successful Springfield resident, Frank H. Page.  In 1916 the property was staked out once again for a beautiful house and the new residence was completed in 1917.  The Jan. 1, 1917 issue of the Springfield Republican stated, "Frank H. Page of Ingersoll grove has probably built the finest and costliest house ever put up in Longmeadow."  The property contained 20 acres of land and the house was built of Harvard brick.  The living room was located on the first floor and it overlooked Wheelmeadow Brook.  Some of the rooms in this beautiful home included a library, a billiard room, a dining room, a breakfast room and also a dining room for the servants.  There was an area for sewing and an elevator went to the third floor.  Chapman & Frazier of Boston, MA were the architects for this beautiful home at 588 Longmeadow Street.  A. G. Chapman of Springfield, MA was the contractor and the cost was $50,000.

(click to enlarge)

Frank H. Page was born in Holyoke, MA in 1864.  After graduating Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1885 he moved to Minneapolis, MN and worked in the knit goods industry. This led to his interest in candy manufacturing machinery.  In the early 1890's Frank H. Page and his wife Bertha moved to Springfield, MA and he founded the Confectioners' Machinery and Manufacturing Company in Springfield.  This company became the National Equipment Company.  It expanded and the location was on North Main Street in Springfield next to Bosch Magneto's property (near the Chicopee, MA boundary).

Frank H. Page
(1864- 1928)
Source: Unknown

The Page family lived in their beautiful home, known as Deep Wood, for ten years.  All three of their children were then married, so they sold their estate to Mr. and Mrs. Douglas V. Wallace.   

Douglas V. Wallace was the vice- president and treasurer of the Forbes & Wallace Company in Springfield, MA.  He died in 1930 and his wife Mary R. continued to live on this beautiful estate with their two sons, John R. and Mack F. Wallace.    

Time moved on and the property became the campus of Bay Path Institute of Commerce.  Thomas G. Carr was a Springfield businessman.  In 1945 he purchased Bay Path Institute that was located at 100 Chestnut Street in Springfield, MA.  After the Longmeadow Zoning Board of Appeals gave the "green light" to establish a private school for girls at this location, it moved from Springfield to Longmeadow.  Mr. Carr became the first president at the Longmeadow location and changed the name to Bay Path Secretarial School for Women.  It became Bay Path Junior College in 1949.  Years later, the name changed again to Bay Path College.  As of 2014, we know this institution of higher learning as Bay Path University.  The beautiful home that Frank H. Page built at 588 Longmeadow Street is now the Administration Building of Bay Path University. 
                                             
Sources:  Bay Path University: "Bay Path's 100-year Plus History", Springfield Republican- Oct 1, 1910, Jun 26, 1915, May 1, 1916, Jan 1, 1917, Dec 20, 1928, Jan 30, 1930, Jun 19, 1945, 1910, 1920, and 1930 U. S. Federal Census.  

~Judy Moran    

Was the Colonnade the First "Longmeadow Shops"?

The Colonnade
April 9, 1919

In 1916 the Colonnade was built at the corner of Longmeadow Street and Bliss Road by W. H. Carpenter and Co.  Longmeadow residents were able to shop in seven stores in one convenient area.  Was this the first "Longmeadow Shops" located in Longmeadow, Massachusetts? 

A grocery store, The Great Atlantic and Pacific Tea Co., located to this block at 477 Longmeadow Street.  This grocery store was one of many in the chain of grocery stores that the Hartford family owned.   

The Great Atlantic and Pacific Tea Co.
June 3, 1918

In 1859 The Great American Tea Company was founded in Lower Manhattan, New York by George F. Gilman.  George Huntington Hartford became his partner.  They sold tea.  Then, in 1870 the company's name was changed to The Great Atlantic and Pacific Tea Co.  Mr. Gilman died and George Huntington Hartford and his two sons George L. and John A. built up the business and opened grocery stores.  They also expanded the products that they sold.  In addition to selling tea, coffee, spices and extracts they sold baking powder.  The owners learned that they could manufacture baking powder cheaper than what they were paying for it to sell in their stores, so they did.  They began manufacturing other products to sell, too.  They expanded their region to other states including Massachusetts and into the Springfield, MA area.  Today, we know this chain of grocery stores as the A & P.  The Longmeadow store conducted business at 477 Longmeadow Street.

The Ford Drug Co. was located on the corner of Longmeadow Street and Bliss Road.

Ford Drug Co.
June 3, 1918

A garage was located on the northern end of the Colonnade. 

Garage
July 12, 1918

In 1918 the Proprietor of the garage known as the Longmeadow Garage was Edward S. Parmenter.     

According to the 1923 Longmeadow Directory residents were able to stop into the following businesses at the Colonnade:

Graves Garage                                           465 Longmeadow Street

Nathan Sherman- Tailor                             467 Longmeadow Street

Michael Shea- Shoemaker & Repairer       469 Longmeadow Street 

The Ginter Co.- a Grocery Store                475 Longmeadow Street

The Great Atlantic and Pacific Tea Co.      477 Longmeadow Street

Max Sisitsky- Meat Market                        479 Longmeadow Street

Ford Drug Co.                                             481 Longmeadow Street

These businesses were conveniently all located in one area.   

Sources:  Springfield Republican- Jan 01, 1917, Feb 17, 1923, 1923 Longmeadow Directory, 1941 Longmeadow Street Directory, 1940 U. S. Federal Census, Encyclopedia Britannica and Boston American- Sept. 26, 1957.
Photos Courtesy of Longmeadow Historical Society- Emerson Collection