A Winter View

Photo courtesy of the Longmeadow Historical Society
Exact date of Photo and Photographer unknown

The First Church and the Chapel in the early 20th century in Longmeadow, Massachusetts. 

"Marchant" Samuel Colton's Front Door- A Treasured Gift

"Marchant" Samuel Colton's Front Door
Courtesy of Museum of Fine Arts, Boston
Boston, MA

 
On this day #OTD- October 29, 1921- an article was published in the Springfield Republican with the news that the Boston, MA architects William T. Aldrich and Robert P. Bellows had gifted the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston with the front door of "Marchant" Samuel Colton's house.  The museum had described this door in its Bulletin as "typical of the finer houses of the Connecticut Valley during the early half of the 18th century and was well known to architects".  This gift was received during the time period of March 4- June 2, 1921.

(Click to enlarge)

During the 18th century "Marchant" Samuel Colton (1727- 1784) was a wealthy businessman.  His house had been located on the west side of Longmeadow Street, south of the Longmeadow Town Green.

He had a shipyard on the Connecticut River bank and his ships transported goods to the West Indies and to Bristol, England.  His beautiful house was built by John Steele.  

 
Attached to the rear of his house was his store that contained goods that this merchant sold to customers in the area.

 
In an interesting story that was read on October 6, 1905 to the members of the Longmeadow Historical Society at their annual meeting, Mrs. George E. Brewer (Caroline Brewer) gave a history of this house.  The information was found in "Marchant" Colton's ledgers.  Mrs. George E. Brewer was a Longmeadow resident, a reporter for the Springfield Republican in Springfield, MA and also a descendant of Quartermaster George Colton- one of the first residents of Long Meddowe (Longmeadow).  

In Mrs. Brewer's story she stated, "in June, 1754, five-days' work was done on the fore door" of this beautiful house.  She also stated that "Marchant" and Lucy Colton's only son, also named Samuel (1778- 1811), married Anne G. Warriner of Wilbraham and they "remained in the ancestral home" in Longmeadow.  After Samuel died in 1811 his widow married Rev. Gideon Leon Burt.  She survived her second husband, also, and died in 1853.  The property was purchased by the descendants of Thomas Colton who also owned the property next door.  For 45 years the house had been unoccupied and was falling into disrepair.     

Eventually, Longmeadow resident Everett B. Allen purchased it and then sold the house to W. Dillon to "remove" it.  The house was torn down in September 1916 and parts of it were saved and purchased by parties interested in antiques.  

"Marchant" Colton's door was gifted to the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston by these two gentlemen, William T. Aldrich and Robert P. Bellows, who recognized the significance of this doorway.                               

Sources:  Boston Herald:  Aug. 7, 1921; Evening Gazette:  Oct. 17, 1921; Springfield Republican:  Oct 08, 1905;  Sep. 8, 1916; Sep. 17, 1916; Oct. 29, 1921 and Dec. 8, 1925; and Map and other Photos courtesy of Longmeadow Historical Society.    

~Judy Moran

"Great New England Hurricane of 1938"

On This Day, September 21, 1938 a destructive and powerful storm pounded Southern New England.  This storm is now known as the "Great New England Hurricane of 1938".   Several days before it had rained and with this storm many areas of the Connecticut River Valley in Massachusetts had a total of 10- 17 inches of rainfall.  In the Springfield, MA area the Connecticut River rose 6- 10 feet above the flood stage.

The New York, New Haven and Hartford Co. railroad tracks in Longmeadow's meadows became flooded in the early morning hours of September 21st.   

Source:  Springfield Republican
Friday, Sep 23, 1938

 
Longmeadow, MA Town Officials reported that more than 200 large trees were destroyed as a result of this hurricane.  Large elm trees were uprooted on the tree belt on Longmeadow Street and also on private property.  The home of Mr. and Mrs. Coryden K. Litchard at 756 Longmeadow Street  suffered damage.  The former home of Arthur J. Skinner in the north end of town at 46 Longmeadow Street had the most damage.  A large tree fell against the northern ell of the house. 

756 Longmeadow Street (left)
Litchard Home
Source:  Longmeadow Historical Society

 Every day life was affected!  "Trolly" service was disrupted with trees across the "trolly" tracks and electric power was down.  In many areas sidewalks were no longer in good condition.  On the night of September 23rd the residents of Longmeadow continued to use candlelight, once again.

Sources:  Springfield Republican:  Sep 21, 1938; Sep 23, 1938 and The National Weather Service- Boston: "The Great New England Hurricane of 1938".        

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    

On This Day- July 1, 1894

On This Day July 1, 1894 the Villages of West and East Longmeadow divided into two separate towns!  It was 127 years ago today.  On May 22, 1894 when it was reported that Massachusetts Gov. Frederic T. Greenhalge had signed the bill for the separation, there was celebration in the West Village.  

Source: Springfield Republican
May 23, 1894

 
~Judy Moran         

Longmeadow's Memorial Day Celebration 99 Years Ago!

Memorial Boulder
on the Longmeadow Town Green

In 1922 Memorial Day was celebrated on Tuesday, May 30th.  This Memorial Day in Longmeadow, MA was a special celebration, because following the parade the Memorial Boulder on the Town Green was unveiled and dedicated.  Maj.Gen. Clarence R. Edwards was the invited guest speaker to address the large crowd that had gathered.  He had been the commander of the 26th (Yankee) Division in France in the "World war" (WWI).  The Memorial Boulder was a 16 ton granite boulder that had been donated by Mrs. Joseph Wesson with the aid of her son-in-law Flynt Lincoln (of 161 Forest Glen Road).  A bronze plaque located on the boulder was inscribed with the names of Longmeadow town residents who lost their lives in earlier wars and WWI, in addition to those who served during WWI.

Longmeadow Town Green- ca. 1925
Source: Longmeadow Historical Society

After the dedication and honored speakers were finished, the guests were led into the Longmeadow Cemetery to pay their respects to the brave soldiers.  In the cemetery George A. Beal was honored.  This young man was the first soldier from Longmeadow, MA who died during WWI.  He died a few months after enlisting.  There were a total of three Longmeadow men that made the ultimate sacrifice during World War I.  They were George A. Beal, R. S. McNair and Albert T. Wood.

 
Sources: Through The Lens Longmeadow Into The New Century 1890- 1920 by Judy and Jim Moran,  Springfield Republican- Jun 3, 1918, May 31, 1922, Arkansas Gazette- Feb 15, 1931 and Springfield Union-  May 25, 1959. 

~Written by Judy Moran         

Was This Block of Stores the Second "Longmeadow Shops"?

Block of Stores
on Corner of Longmeadow Street and South Park Avenue
Current Photo- 2021

Around the 1920's as more and more families moved to Longmeadow, MA more businesses also located here.  One of the businesses was the A. H. Phillips grocery store.  This store was one in a chain of grocery stores in the Connecticut Valley area that Alvin H. Phillips, Sr. founded.  He was a self made businessman who was born in Saco, Maine in 1871.  Mr. Phillips began his career as a "commercial traveler" (salesman) and then opened his first grocery store on Main Street in Springfield, MA.  Another grocery store was opened on Walnut Street in Springfield and the chain eventually grew to 189 grocery stores.  Mr. Phillips was one of the first businessmen to realize that he could reduce the cost of products to customers by mass purchasing the items and then selling them.

Alvin H. and Mary Phillips and their children lived in Springfield and then moved to 32 Longmeadow Street in Longmeadow before moving back to Springfield.  Mr. Phillips saw business potential in Longmeadow and he opened a new grocery store in 1921 at the Colonnade (that was located at the corner of Longmeadow Street and Bliss Road).  His biggest rival, The Great Atlantic and Pacific Tea Company, was already at this location.

Click here to read an earlier story about the Colonnade: Was the Colonnade the First "Longmeadow Shops"?

In the South Park Terrace area many more families were moving in.  In 1922 Mr. Phillips built a new block for seven stores on the corner of Longmeadow Street and South Park Avenue.  His A. H. Phillips grocery store relocated there.  In 1926 not only was his grocery store located there, but also a tailor, a baker, a meat retailer, a drug store and a shoe repairer.  The town of Longmeadow was growing and there were more choices for shopping.  The A. H. Phillips grocery store remained in this block of businesses until 1940.

An Advertisement for A. H. Phillips, Inc.
Specials for the July 4, 1933 Holiday

Source: Springfield Republican- Jun 30, 1933

Note:  In the above Ad the Grocery Manager and the Meat Manager are identified for the Longmeadow Store (in the upper right hand corner). 

 

Bottles of milk with the name A. H. Phillips were sold in his grocery stores.  Below is a half pint glass milk bottle.   

When Mr. Phillips died in 1950 at the age of 79 years he was still very active in running his grocery store chain.  In 1951 many of the stores in his large chain were sold to Popular Markets, Inc.  

Places of Business in 1926 in the block at the corner of Longmeadow Street and South Park Ave.
Source:  1926 Longmeadow Directory. 

Tailor & Repairer-      Benjamin Hirst            149 Longmeadow Street
Baker-                        Mrs. Ade E. Fox           151 Longmeadow Street
Meats Retail-              William D. Sullivan     153 Longmeadow Street
Grocer-                       A. H. Phillips, Inc.       155 Longmeadow Street
Shoe Repairer-           Frank Zito                     157 Longmeadow Street
Druggist-                     Bennett's Pharmacy     159 Longmeadow Street

Sources:  Springfield Republican- Mar 9 1921, Aug 31 1922 and Jan 27, 1923, Springfield Union- Aug 8, 1950 and Jul 02, 1952, 1917,  1920 and 1926 Longmeadow Directory.   

~Written by Judy Moran