After being operated as a tenement building with furnished and unfurnished rooms, the use of the S.J. Donohue Building transitioned into more of a hotel operation in the 20th century. Today's installment centers on three hotels that operated at 122-124 High Street from 1900 to 1920.
The first of the three was the Hotel Carmody. The estate of Honora (Donahue) Manning, who died in May 1899, was in a state of flux, as her two sisters were contesting a will drawn near her time of death. In 1900, the estate entered into a five-year lease for the building and its operation to Patrick F. Carmody at $75 per month, far below its market value. Mr. Carmody secured a liquor license and offered beers, ales, porters, and liquors.
In February 1905, the estate matters were sufficiently settled, and the trustees sold the building to Honora Manning's sisters, Annie M. O'Connor and Mary T. Buckley, for $15,500. A new lease went into effect with Mr. Carmody at $125 per month, remaining below market value for the business. Three months later, Mr. Carmody purchased the building from the sisters.
On June 30, 1909, Patrick F. Carmody sold the building and business to Edward Gorman, who renamed the company the Hotel Gorman. Richard W. Powers joined in to form a partnership with Mr. Gorman.
On July 10, 1916, Edward Gorman sold the real estate and business to Peter Job, Alexander Swinicki, Edward Swinicki, and John Wyszatycki. A new company was formed, and the hotel's name was changed to the Hotel Polski.
This enterprise encountered difficulties with the legal authorities. Partner Alexander Swinicki left the business in 1916, Peter Job in 1918, and Edward Swinicki in 1919. The license was suspended for violating the Sunday alcohol selling laws and the production of wood alcohol, which resulted in illness and death. Illegal alcohol was seized during raids.
Patrick F. Carmody reentered the picture, as the owners in September 1917 had borrowed $34,000 and were in default in their payments to him. Mr. Carmody foreclosed on the mortgage and, in July 1920, sold the property for $30,000 to Andrew Rogowski, a High Street restaurant owner. In the twentieth century, a new owner meant a new hotel name. The business was now known as the Hotel George Washington, soon renamed the Hotel Washington.
The story continues with the Hotel Washington and Daly's Hotel in the next installment of 122-124 High Street.
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 City Directories, Holyoke, Massachusetts.
Registry of Deeds, Hampden County, Springfield, Massachusetts
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