The Draper Hotel in Northampton, around 1907. Image courtesy of the Library of Congress, Detroit Publishing Company Collection.
The building in 2014:
This building was built in 1871, on the site of the earlier Warner House hotel, which had burned the year before. The new building was originally known as the Fitch House, hence the “F” at the top of the building just below the pediment, but by the time the first photo was taken it had become the Draper Hotel. Today, only the westernmost third of the building remains; the hotel closed in 1955, and the two sections on the right side were demolished and replaced with the present-day one-story building.
It was my mother, insightful about so much, who joined the walking tour of downtown Northampton that noted its classic features and ease of perspective, regretted the tearing down of Northampton’s skyline here, and replacing it, like the stub of a broken tooth, with Newberry’s, a good-for-nothing dept. junk store, except for the cream-filled do-nuts.
I agree with David Tatlock . As a kid from Clarke School I enjoyed looking at the 3 connecting buildings of the. Draper Hotel easily seeing the “ 1870” on top of the curved facade of the middle building.
Then in 1955 it closed and I went inside and saw several carpenters removing items so I wondered why? There I learned with dismay 2/3 had been sold and they started to raze in favor of a new one floor JJ Newberry dept store which opened in 1956. (Later on it was “ Faces” and also TJ bank of ( sigh) today!
Rodney Kunath
A 1958 Graduate of Clarke School For The Deaf.
Northampton.