*Not to be confused with Mountain View
"One of the oldest landmarks in Blandford has disappeared with the destruction by fire of the Mountain House, which went up in smoke early yesterday morning. One year ago last night another hotel in Blandford, the Blandford House, met a similar fate, and the town is now left barren of anything resembling a hostelry. The people on the hill have been so menaced by the fire fiend during the past year that the cry of "Fire!" was not slow to call forth from their slumbers in the dead of the night a large crowd of local fire-fighters, who did all that could be done, after the discovery of the fire, to save the adjacent buildings and their work was effective.
Late in the evening a rousing fire had been made in the kitchen stove of the hotel in making preparations for the banquet last evening, but the people in the house went to bed at a late hour, suspecting nothing wrong and unconscious of the rude awakening which was to greet them. Shortly after 1 o'clock, Miss Jennie Young, the cook in the hotel, who had a room over the dining room, was awakened by a deep roaring and, being frightened, she got up and opened the door to her room. Looking out, she saw a bright blaze already well-going around the chimney. She rushed down the back stairs of the house in her night clothes with a cry of alarm, which aroused the inmates of the hotel. In her descent of the stairs she came in such close escape from the flames that her hair was singed and she saved nothing from her room.
The flames spread rapidly, and before the alarm had become general the old hotel was a mass of flames and burning like tinder. The guests were Charles M. Lewis, Leon Bowers, Harry Stiles, and Dr. W. F. Shaw, who had gone up from Westfield for the fox hunt yesterday, and besides Mr. and Mrs. Oatley and a helper at the barn, they were the only occupants of the house. All of these dressed hastily, and Mr. and Mrs. Oatley collected all of their clothing and wearing apparel before they were driven from the building by the flames. It was then too late to go down by the stairway, and all escaped over the front piazza. The flames were by this time threatening the annex across the road, the cottage of Miss E. B. Watson of this city (Springfield) and the barns in the rear, and the pail brigade directed their efforts entirely to saving
these buildings. The wind was blowing toward the annex, and it was only with the greatest difficulty that this building was saved. The direction of the wind undoubtedly saved the barns and livery of the hotel from being consumed. The larger water-tank on top of the barn was very effective in staying the flames, and it was owing to this that there was not a bigger conflagration. In 45 minutes from the time the fire was discovered the hotel was a thing of the past. The blaze leaped into sky and from the commanding site its brilliancy could be seen for miles in all directions.
The origin of the fire was undoubtedly a defective chimney, although the coincidence in the two fires occurring at similar periods in the year has led people to believe that the fire was incendiary.
The fire in the Blandford House was of uncertain origin, but many still believe that to have been the work of a firebug.
The insurance on the Mountain House was $6000, with $1000 on the furniture, both of which will be total losses. Landlord Oatley displayed remarkable energy by immediately setting about for the preparations for last evening's banquet for the fox club. The guests were taken to the home of Mr. Oatley on Russell Road, where they were kept for the rest of the night.
The Mountain House was built in 1830 by Oren Sage of Ware (but then of Blandford) on the site of the old Amos M. Collins’ house. In its earlier days it was the turnpike hotel for the stage between Boston and Albany, and while used for this purpose many eminent men of that day enjoyed its hospitality.
S. S. Day, who was afterward prominent man of this city (Springfield), was the first landlord of the hotel. After a few years of ownership Mr. Sage sold the property to T. S. Chaffee, who removed to this city after selling the hotel to Dr. Bryant a few years later. John Lewis succeeded Dr. Bryant in the ownership of the building, and from him the hotel once more came into the hands of T. S. Chaffee. Enos (Boise last name not printed), Adelbert Marshall, A. P. Chapin and Mrs. R. S. Stratton each had a turn at running the hotel, until it came into the hands of W. H. Oatley four years ago.
When Mr. Chapin took the hotel in 1876, he conceived the idea of converting it into a large summer resort, although it had already been visited during the summer for this purpose. But Mr. Chapin believed that Blandford's natural advantages of air, beauty, and water would draw many more people into the town, and with this end in view he remodeled the building and enlarged it so that 60 people could be accommodated. efforts were rewarded with success, and when he turned it over to Mrs. Stratton 15 years later it enjoyed a patronage as large as its capacity would allow. From time to time its capacity had been enlarged, and a wing was added by Mr. Oatley after he assumed the proprietorship. Its commanding view, unobstructed for many miles, made its natural facilities as a summer resting place almost unparalleled in Western Mass. It has been the summer home of many Springfield people, and many pleasant memories were associated with it.
The ballroom was the scene of many a gay and festive occasion, and it was also used as a place of tribunal for the
courts. Many men of eloquence have pleaded cases there. In the days of the reformation of John B. Gough, the house had been used as a stopping place for many eminent men, and was a place filled with history making events and occurrences.
Mr. Oatley is yet undecided in regard to rebuilding in Blandford, but it is probable that not many months will pass before plans will be made for a new and modern hotel which will be a credit to the town."
NOTES:--
The Mountain House was built on the old, old tavern site at the junction of North Street and Main Street, near the present traffic light. Mr. and Mrs. Prosper Montovani now live where the hotel burned.
Mr. Oatley did not rebuild, nor did anyone else. Later, E. W. Bennet lived there and ran a livery stable. He carried passengers from Russell to Blandford for many years.
The earliest innkeeper at that site was Robert Huston, who was licensed in 1736, 1737, 1738 and 1739. Then his brother, John Huston had a license in 1740.
Later Nathaniel Pease and Levi Pease were located there; Justus Ashmun succeeded these men.
No record has been found as to the fate of the earlier buildings but Blandford Town records have an entry commending Orrin Sage for building what was later called the Mountain House.
So for a period of about 164 years, there was a place for the weary traveler to rest at the "corner tavern".
Late in the evening a rousing fire had been made in the kitchen stove of the hotel in making preparations for the banquet last evening, but the people in the house went to bed at a late hour, suspecting nothing wrong and unconscious of the rude awakening which was to greet them. Shortly after 1 o'clock, Miss Jennie Young, the cook in the hotel, who had a room over the dining room, was awakened by a deep roaring and, being frightened, she got up and opened the door to her room. Looking out, she saw a bright blaze already well-going around the chimney. She rushed down the back stairs of the house in her night clothes with a cry of alarm, which aroused the inmates of the hotel. In her descent of the stairs she came in such close escape from the flames that her hair was singed and she saved nothing from her room.
The flames spread rapidly, and before the alarm had become general the old hotel was a mass of flames and burning like tinder. The guests were Charles M. Lewis, Leon Bowers, Harry Stiles, and Dr. W. F. Shaw, who had gone up from Westfield for the fox hunt yesterday, and besides Mr. and Mrs. Oatley and a helper at the barn, they were the only occupants of the house. All of these dressed hastily, and Mr. and Mrs. Oatley collected all of their clothing and wearing apparel before they were driven from the building by the flames. It was then too late to go down by the stairway, and all escaped over the front piazza. The flames were by this time threatening the annex across the road, the cottage of Miss E. B. Watson of this city (Springfield) and the barns in the rear, and the pail brigade directed their efforts entirely to saving
these buildings. The wind was blowing toward the annex, and it was only with the greatest difficulty that this building was saved. The direction of the wind undoubtedly saved the barns and livery of the hotel from being consumed. The larger water-tank on top of the barn was very effective in staying the flames, and it was owing to this that there was not a bigger conflagration. In 45 minutes from the time the fire was discovered the hotel was a thing of the past. The blaze leaped into sky and from the commanding site its brilliancy could be seen for miles in all directions.
The origin of the fire was undoubtedly a defective chimney, although the coincidence in the two fires occurring at similar periods in the year has led people to believe that the fire was incendiary.
The fire in the Blandford House was of uncertain origin, but many still believe that to have been the work of a firebug.
The insurance on the Mountain House was $6000, with $1000 on the furniture, both of which will be total losses. Landlord Oatley displayed remarkable energy by immediately setting about for the preparations for last evening's banquet for the fox club. The guests were taken to the home of Mr. Oatley on Russell Road, where they were kept for the rest of the night.
The Mountain House was built in 1830 by Oren Sage of Ware (but then of Blandford) on the site of the old Amos M. Collins’ house. In its earlier days it was the turnpike hotel for the stage between Boston and Albany, and while used for this purpose many eminent men of that day enjoyed its hospitality.
S. S. Day, who was afterward prominent man of this city (Springfield), was the first landlord of the hotel. After a few years of ownership Mr. Sage sold the property to T. S. Chaffee, who removed to this city after selling the hotel to Dr. Bryant a few years later. John Lewis succeeded Dr. Bryant in the ownership of the building, and from him the hotel once more came into the hands of T. S. Chaffee. Enos (Boise last name not printed), Adelbert Marshall, A. P. Chapin and Mrs. R. S. Stratton each had a turn at running the hotel, until it came into the hands of W. H. Oatley four years ago.
When Mr. Chapin took the hotel in 1876, he conceived the idea of converting it into a large summer resort, although it had already been visited during the summer for this purpose. But Mr. Chapin believed that Blandford's natural advantages of air, beauty, and water would draw many more people into the town, and with this end in view he remodeled the building and enlarged it so that 60 people could be accommodated. efforts were rewarded with success, and when he turned it over to Mrs. Stratton 15 years later it enjoyed a patronage as large as its capacity would allow. From time to time its capacity had been enlarged, and a wing was added by Mr. Oatley after he assumed the proprietorship. Its commanding view, unobstructed for many miles, made its natural facilities as a summer resting place almost unparalleled in Western Mass. It has been the summer home of many Springfield people, and many pleasant memories were associated with it.
The ballroom was the scene of many a gay and festive occasion, and it was also used as a place of tribunal for the
courts. Many men of eloquence have pleaded cases there. In the days of the reformation of John B. Gough, the house had been used as a stopping place for many eminent men, and was a place filled with history making events and occurrences.
Mr. Oatley is yet undecided in regard to rebuilding in Blandford, but it is probable that not many months will pass before plans will be made for a new and modern hotel which will be a credit to the town."
NOTES:--
The Mountain House was built on the old, old tavern site at the junction of North Street and Main Street, near the present traffic light. Mr. and Mrs. Prosper Montovani now live where the hotel burned.
Mr. Oatley did not rebuild, nor did anyone else. Later, E. W. Bennet lived there and ran a livery stable. He carried passengers from Russell to Blandford for many years.
The earliest innkeeper at that site was Robert Huston, who was licensed in 1736, 1737, 1738 and 1739. Then his brother, John Huston had a license in 1740.
Later Nathaniel Pease and Levi Pease were located there; Justus Ashmun succeeded these men.
No record has been found as to the fate of the earlier buildings but Blandford Town records have an entry commending Orrin Sage for building what was later called the Mountain House.
So for a period of about 164 years, there was a place for the weary traveler to rest at the "corner tavern".
