Worcester County, Massachusetts - Chapter 45: Fitchburg - (co«//««f(/.), 1889

Hotels, Public Buildings And Business Blocks

There are at present ten hotels in Fitchburg, and two of them - the Fitchburg Hotel and American House - occupy the sites of early taverns. Over a century ago, Cowdin's tavern stood where the American House now is. The Fitchburg Hotel site has not been so long occupied for this purpose, but there has been a public-house there since early in the present century.

The American House was built in 1845 by David Boutelle and the easterly wing was erected in 1856. The property has passed through the bands of several individuals since then. Geo. H. Cole & Son conduct the business at present.

The Fitchburg Hotel was built about 1850 by the Fitchburg Hotel Company, of which Colonel Ivers Phillips was president. Dana L. Fuller now owns the hotel property and F. W. .ludkins is tbe proprietor.

The location of the present National House is a comparatively old tavern site. The base of one of the original granite pillars in front bears the date 1831, in which year the house was erected. In those days it was known as the " upper tavern," while the house where the Fitchburg Hotel now is was called the "lower tavern." For some years the "upper tavern" had the name of Washington Hotel, and Daniel Moulton was proprietor. After a time the name was changed to Rollstone House, and within a few years another change has been made, and it is now the National House. P. J. Kehoe is the present proprietor.

The remaining hotels are of much more recent origin and are as follows : Citizens' House, Derby House, Driiry House, Emory House, Hotel Westmoreland, Manchester House and Old Colony House,

Of most of the public buildings in the city more or less mention has already been made in preceding portions of this sketch. Only a brief summary of them will therefore be given in this chapter.

The finest and in every sense the most valuable public edifice in the city is the Wallace Library and Art Building, Hon. Rodney Wallace's gift to Fitchburg. It has been fully described in the section on " Libraries." It is located on Main Street nearly opposite Monument Park - one of the best situations in town - and is easily accessible to citizens in all parts of the city.

Plainly visible from the front windows of the library is the County Court House, a granite building of noble proportions standing in the rear of Monument Park. It was built in 1871 at a cost of about one hundred and twenty-five thousand dollars.

In the vicinity of these two fine buildings is the post-ofiice, on Main Street, a neat brick edifice. The post-office and a small news-room occupy the lower floor, and in the upper portion of the building are the rooms of the Board of Trade and the Park Club, and also several offices.

A little farther up Main Street is the City Hall building, standing on the south side of the street. It is a large brick structure erected in 1852, the entire upper story of which is devoted to a hall - the largest in the city - while on the first floor are the various city offices. A police station occupies part of the basement.

On the north side of Main Street, near Prichard Street, is Whitney's Opera House building, which contains the only theatre in town. Andrew Whitney built and owns this block. The lower story is devoted to stores and the theatre occupies the upper portion. The auditorium has a seating capacity of about one thousand. This theatre was first opened to the public October 20, 1881, and has enjoyed a good patronage since.

Among other public buildings mention may be made of the fine Union Passenger Station, the High School building, on High Street, the County Jail, a handsome and substantial brick structure, in South

Fitchburg, and the Almshouse, also in South Fitchburg, a pleasantly located and well-conducted public charitable institution maintained there since 1828.

Most of the business blocks have been spoken of in the early part of this sketch. By far the handsomest and most costly building in town is the Fitchburg Savings Bank block, which was built in 1870-71 by the Fitchburg Savings Bank. It is situated on Main Street, nearly opposite the City Hall building, and has a frontage on the street of one hundred and eight feet. The front is built of Fitzwilliam granite and is four stories high. The ground floor is divided into four stores, as commodious and well-appointed as any in Worcester County. On the second floor, which is reached by a wide entrance and stairway in the centre of the block, are the banking rooms of the Fitchburg National and Fitchburg Savings Banks, the office of the Fitchburg Mutual Fire Insurance Company, and several law-offices. The two upper stories are occupied by the Masonic organizations in town. Their lodge-room and apartments are among the finest in the State.

The Rollstone National Bank building is a fine brick and freestone structure, four stories high, on Main Street, near the railroad station. On the ground floor are the banking-rooms of the Rollstone National Bank, and the Worcester North Savings Institution, and the large dry-goods store of A. B. Sherman. In the upper portion, the Odd Fellows and Grand Army Post have commodious lodge-rooms and apartments.

There are many other business blocks in town, among which may be mentioned Central, Goodrich, L. J. Brown, Belding's, Crocker, Hatch's, Wachusett Bank, Opera House, Stiles', Torrey & Wood, Wixon's, Union, Cushing's, Coggshall & Carpenter's and Dickinson's blocks.