The Maples on Maple Street was a two-minute walk from Orsinis' and Toscani's, the two restaurants discussed in the preceding two blog entries.
There was a restaurant called the Maple Restaurant at 189 Main Street that changed hands several times in the mid-1920s and early 1930s. It was listed for sale in 1933, and the Holyoke City Directory for that year showed this as a vacant storefront.
In 1934, George and Nancy (Morini) Ditomassi opened The Maples at 283 1/2 Maple Street, near the Strand Theater. It was a confectionery and family-style eatery, featuring lunches, full-course dinners, and ice cream. Seating was available at tables, booths, and at the soda fountain.
George Ditomassi and his wife, Gabriells (Morini) Ditomassi, were both born in 1905 in Italy. Mr. Ditomassi arrived in Holyoke in 1921. He worked for 4 years as a waiter and fountain clerk at Caesar Equi's confectionery shop, and for 3 years as a cook at Ferdinand Rigali's Peter's Restaurant in the K of C Building.
The Maples applied for and received a beer-and-wine license in 1935.
In January 1942, the Maples moved across the street from the Strand Theater at 268-270 Maple Street. The real estate was purchased by Mr. Ditomassi on January 3, 1938. A newspaper report indicated the building was constructed by Gilbert Potvin in 1880. The first photo below shows the restaurant at this new location.
The restaurant was sold by the Ditomassis in 1952. In 1953, Edward Fontaine was shown in ads as the proprietor of The Maples. His wife, Gabriella Fontaine, was the corporate President, and Edward Fontaine was the Treasurer.
Two years later, in 1955, George Ditomassi sold the 268-270 Maple Street property to James A. Corriden and William J. Dillon, owners of Dillon's Package Store at the corner of High and Hampshire Streets. Edward Fontaine continued to run The Maples until February 17, 1962, when he placed an ad to show it as the business's final day.
In October 1964, the real estate was leased to the Holyoke Junior Chamber of Commerce, also known as the Holyoke Jaycees, for 3 years. At the time, Joseph & Edward O'Donnell Jr. owned the property. The Jaycees remained there until relocating to 256 Maple Street in October 1967, the former Holyoke Chamber of Commerce location. The move was necessary because the Hadley Falls Bank and Trust would soon demolish the former restaurant building to make way for additional customer parking.
Citations:
Newspapers.com (paid subscription): Citations: Holyoke (Massachusetts) Transcript & Transcript-Telegram; Springfield (Massachusetts) Republican; publication dates and pages are shown.
Ancestry.com (paid subscription): Price & Lee Holyoke, Massachusetts, City Directories
Registry of Deeds, Hampden County, Springfield, Massachusetts
Sanborn Fire Insurance Map, Holyoke, Massachusetts (1959)
