The Barre Hotel

𝗖𝗘𝗟𝗘𝗕𝗥𝗔𝗧𝗜𝗡𝗚 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗕𝗜𝗥𝗧𝗛 𝗢𝗙 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗛𝗢𝗧𝗘𝗟 𝗕𝗔𝗥𝗥𝗘

𝗢𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝟯𝟯𝗿𝗱 𝗔𝗻𝗻𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗮𝗿𝘆 𝗼𝗳 𝗶𝘁𝘀 𝗕𝘂𝗿𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴, 𝗔𝘂𝗴𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝟮𝟵,𝟭𝟵𝟵𝟬

In the collective memory of those who love Barre, Massachusetts, August 29 is a sad date. On this day in 1990, our beloved Hotel Barre, the “Jewel of Massachusetts,” 101 years of age, suffered a blazing death early in the morning. You can review posts from prior years to read a more thorough history of this amazing hotel and its sad demise.

This year, however, I want to focus on the birth of the hotel. I hope to evoke the enthusiasm of the community when this wonderful new building opened to the public. Unlike other hotels in town, the Hotel Barre started as a community project, where people could buy subscriptions (that is, investment shares) in the hotel. The hotel was in a way the child of the community, and her future reflected on and influenced the town.

In the late 1880s, Barre was becoming a summer tourist destination. The high elevation and clean air was believed to be healthy, and certainly, Barre was a pleasant place. The two hotels at that time in the center of town were, however, sadly outdated. The “Naquag,” which dated back almost 100 years, was not only old but in financial straits. The “Springfield Republican” reported on April 25, 1888, that the Naquag hotel would be sold by order of the court. The Naquag burned to the ground in 1896, thus ending its venerable history. The “Massasoit,” built in 1832, was also aging and didn’t have some of the modern amenities that well-heeled summer visitors would expect. An article in the April 30, 1890 edition of the “Springfield Republican” advised readers that The Massasoit House, which had been under the management of B. F. Brooks and his father the past 25 years, would be vacated the following day and the livery stable would be sold at auction (the hotel stood until the mid-1920s when it was demolished). The people of Barre knew of these problems with its two old hotels. Thus, the idea of building a new hotel specifically to please summer visitors who wanted the most modern of appointments was tossed about and finally put into effect.

Imagine the excitement in town when a public meeting of its citizens was held on Friday evening, May 25, 1888. After discussion, the balance ($2,000) of the $20,000 stock required to be raised was “subscribed for amid much enthusiasm.” The hotel would be located on the west side of the south common, and work would begin as soon as necessary preliminaries could be arranged. “Plans for a fine three-story building, with a tower, have already been prepared by Mr. Harry Woods, the architect of the Woods Memorial Library Building.” (“Worcester Daily Spy, May 29, 1888.)

Mr. Henry “Harry” Dickinson Woods was not only the architect of the Woods Memorial Library building, but of the old Henry Woods High School, which now serves as the Town Offices. Born in France in 1852 and educated in Paris while his father, Barre-born businessman Henry Woods was working there, Henry Dickinson Woods worked for many years as an engineer for Boston’s water works in Framingham, and then as Chief Engineer for the City of Newton. Three of Barre’s finest public buildings were designed by this man, who did it to honor the hometown of his father, Henry Woods.

The Barre Hotel Company was chartered by the state on June 22, 1888. In less than one year, the Hotel opened its doors. It was dedicated on June 12, 1889. This transcription of an article in the “Worcester Daily Spy” of June 13, 1889, describes the hotel’s formal dedication and the building’s many attributes.

“𝑩𝘼𝑹𝙍𝑬’𝑺 𝑵𝙀𝑾 𝑯𝙊𝑻𝙀𝑳. 𝑰𝙏𝑺 𝑭𝙊𝑹𝙈𝑨𝙇 𝘿𝑬𝘿𝑰𝘾𝑨𝙏𝑰𝙊𝑵. 𝑨 𝑮𝘼𝑳𝘼 𝙊𝑪𝘾𝑨𝙎𝑰𝙊𝑵 𝑰𝙉 𝙏𝑯𝙀 𝙊𝑳𝘿 𝙃𝑰𝙇𝑳 𝑻𝙊𝑾𝙉 𝙊𝑭 𝑩𝘼𝑹𝙍𝑬--𝙊𝑵𝙀 𝙊𝑭 𝑻𝙃𝑬 𝑴𝙊𝑫𝙀𝑳 𝑯𝙊𝑻𝙀𝑳𝙎 𝙊𝑭 𝑻𝙃𝑬 𝑪𝙊𝑼𝙉𝑻𝙔.

“Barre, June 12. Barre Hotel, which has been built and furnished at an expense of $40,000, by a corporation, was dedicated with a grand reception and dinner this evening. There was a very large attendance, the number present being placed at over 200 and the company being one of the most notable that has ever gathered in the town. The company not only included all the prominent people of the town, but many from the neighboring towns, Worcester and Boston.

“The house was brilliantly illuminated throughout and the scene was brilliant, the ladies appearing in handsome costumes and many of the gentlemen in full evening dress. Music was furnished by the Barre Brass Band, and the dinner was well prepared and served. The idea of a big hotel in Barre, to cater to the best class of summer boarders, has been in the minds of many of the town’s citizens for a long time. About a year ago this idea began to crystallize in the formation of “The Barre Hotel Company,” a corporation duly chartered by the state. Plans were secured from Harry Woods of Boston, the architect who designed the Woods Memorial Library Building. The contract for the building was given to Fullam & Son of North Brookfield, and our new hotel began to assume material form.

“The site selected for the building was on the west site of the common, near A. G. Williams’ store, which has been for many years a landmark of the village, as the “Woods Store.” The situation is one of the best that could be chosen. The common, which the hotel faces, contains 40 acres [sic] of land, filled with shade trees, and, thanks to the Village Improvement Society, made more pleasant by numerous flower beds. In the rear of the hotel is a smaller park, which will give ample opportunity for croquet, lawn tennis, etc.

“The building itself is a large three-story structure, with a basement under the whole building. On three sides of the first two floors of the main building are broad piazzas, which contain in the aggregate about 3,000 square feet of flooring. On each of these two floors there are three doors opening upon the piazzas, giving easy access from all parts of the house. Entering the office the first thing that strikes the eye is the huge, old-fashioned chimney and wide fire-place. This adds much to the homelikeness of the room, and homelikeness is a prominent feature of the house. The broad hallways open directly from the office, and may almost be said to be a part of it, as there are no doors between, and from the clerk’s desk a view may be had of the entire length of the longer hallway.

“On the left of the main hall, on the front of the building, are the reception room and parlor. These two rooms can be thrown into one by means of folding doors, making a reception room 70 [76?] feet long. In the small reception room there is an open grate, and throughout the house there are about a dozen more. Opposite the parlor are a private parlor and reading and smoking rooms. The shorter hall, which runs at a right angle with the main hall, leads to the dining room, a large, pleasant room extending the entire width of the wing, lighted by windows on three sides and capable of seating over 100 at the tables. Beside this there is a small dining room near the office. In the basement are the kitchens, pantries, laundry, cellar, steam heating and gas apparatus, also a billiard room and children’s playroom. The upper two stories are devoted to sleeping rooms and suites. These floors are reached from the first story by three flights of stairs in different parts of the building. The sleeping rooms are all light and pleasant, and each has an ample closet. There is gas in every room, and communications from any part of the house can be had with the other by means of electric bells.

“The main story and second are finished in cherry and ash, the highly polished woods presenting a very pleasing appearance in combination. The finish of the third story is not so elegant but is nice, and the view from the windows is of course, finer, making these rooms to many preferable to those on the second floor. The furnishing has been in keeping with the construction of the house. The carpets are Brussels and best in grains. The furniture is antique oak. Spring beds and hair mattresses of the best quality are in the sleeping room. The table is to be kept up to the best standard. Harry W. Smith, the manager, having gained a reputation in this respect in his twenty-five years’ experience in hotel life.

“Every attention has been paid to the sanitary condition of the house. Water is brought from a natural spring on the hillside outside the village. The location is one of the best for healthfulness, as Barre common is about 1,000 feet above sea level, and, being in a farming town, is free from the smoke and discomforts of manufacturing places. The stable and the bowling alley are on an adjoining lot, and both are finely finished for their use.”

The hotel proved popular and drew visitors from many places. The “Springfield Republican” issue of August 29, 1892 (yes, note the date August 29), reported as follows:

“𝙎𝑼𝙈𝑴𝙀𝑹 𝑽𝙄𝑺𝙄𝑻𝙊𝑹𝙎 𝙄𝑵 𝑩𝘼𝑹𝙍𝑬. 𝑨 𝑽𝙀𝑹𝙔 𝙎𝑼𝘾𝑪𝙀𝑺𝙎𝑭𝙐𝑳 𝑺𝙀𝑨𝙎𝑶𝙉 𝙄𝑵 𝑻𝙃𝑨𝙏 𝙒𝑶𝙍𝑪𝙀𝑺𝙏𝑬𝙍 𝘾𝑶𝙐𝑵𝙏𝒀 𝑻𝙊𝑾𝙉.

“Barre, Saturday, August 27—It has been a very successful season so far in this charming little town, and the natives really begin to think that Barre is going to be a summer resort. And well it may be, for it has a fine location, pure air, beautiful scenery, good hotels, and what more can one ask for? Of course the people of Western Massachusetts, who have all these things in their own homes, don’t care to come here so much as the dwellers in New York, Boston, Philadelphia, and cities farther away. They get enough sea air all the year to make the mountain ozone of Barre hills a pleasant change. There are three hotels here, the Hotel Barre, the Naquag house and the Massasoit house.

“Of these, the Hotel Barre is the largest and most recent, and will accommodate about 50 people. It has been full all summer and George Bancroft, the proprietor, keeps it up in the best of style. It is heated by steam, lighted by gas, and has all the modern conveniences. A pleasing feature of the house is the great number of open fireplaces, which add greatly to its cheerfulness. This year there has been a greater number of young people than in any other season and they have had merry times. Coach rides, tennis tournaments, amateur theatricals, hops, all these and many forms of amusement have been tried with great success.

“Although Hotel Barre keeps open the year round, the season practically ends with the annual cattle show about the middle or last of September. This is the great fall event here and many out of town people are on hand every year for it.”

The hotel’s honeymoon was short. Unbelievably, although the hotel looked beautiful and seemed busy, the hotel went into receivership in 1895. Henry Woods of Boston, the architect, held the mortgage so he was now the owner, and he retained the property until 1897, when he gave it to the Barre Village Improvement Society (BVIS). The BVIS accepted the gift. Thus, the Hotel Barre was given back to the people of the town by the man who had designed it for them. The BVIS was not equipped to run a hotel, however, and in 1899, it sold the hotel to Ellanora M. Prouty for $7,500, much less than the cost for which it was built. This money was put into the Henry Woods Fund of the Barre Village Improvement Society.

Thus, the grand old lady of Barre Common, the Jewel of Central Massachusetts, had a history of putting forth her best face when problems were brewing beneath the surface. It happened several times.

On June 10, 1989, a huge 100th anniversary celebration was held at the Hotel Barre. It had become the showplace of Barre and attracted tourists to its opulently redecorated interior. As in 1895, however, the showy façade of the hotel hid from the public its serious problems. On August 27, 1990, guests were abruptly ushered out of the hotel. It had on that date been declared insolvent by a federal magistrate. The Hotel Barre went up in flames early in the morning of August 29, 1990, to the shock of the townspeople. This had been built by their ancestors, as the town’s project. Now it was gone. Nothing has been found to date to replace the Hotel’s role in the town or its place in the hearts of the people. The Barre Savings Bank (now Fidelity Bank) built its addition on the vacated lot. It is difficult to imagine that the Hotel once stood there.

Today, let us remember the hotel’s positive role in the town, and the sense of pride it brought to us.

Lucy Allen

August 29, 2023