Hopedale History March 15, 2010 No. 152 The Crossways and the Larches Hopedale in March Now and Then at Bancroft Park Blueberry pie eating contest, Town Park, 1970 Property assessment data for Hopedale BRWA Mill River Stream Team 2007 The first part of the page is about the West River. Scroll halfway down the page for the Mill River Annual Breakfast with the Easter Bunny, Saturday, March 20, 8:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m., Union Church, 25 Dutcher St., Hopedale. <><><><><><><><><><> Historical Hopedale Homes Change Ownership By Virginia Cyr Two estates constructed for and occupied formerly by members of the Draper families have changed ownership. New owners of The Crossways, located on Adin Street and bordering Mendon Street are George and Leah Winans of Dallas, Texas. Dr. Vincent J. Arone of Adin Street, owner of one former Draper estate, The Ledges on Adin Street, has become owner of The Larches, a Draper estate located on Williams Street in Hopedale and bordering on Water Street in Milford. The Crossways The Crossways, which was most recently owned and occupied by Dr. and Mrs. Nicholas Mastroianni, Jr. is a beautiful home built in the Draper tradition. It originally was the estate of Benjamin Helm Bristow Draper and Queena Sanford Draper. B. H. Bristow Draper was the son of Governor Eben Draper and was executive head and treasurer of the Draper Corporation until the time of his death in 1944. Mr. Draper served as president of several mills in addition to the positions he held at Draper Corporation. He was an ardent Republican, another tradition of the Town of Hopedale, and was active in financing Republican state and national campaigns. He was also a member of the Board of Trustees of Milford Hospital. Mr. Draper's widow died in 1949. The couple were the parents of Benjamin Helm Bristow Draper Jr., who was born in 1908; Eben Draper born in 1910 and Robert Caulfield Draper, born in 1917. The estate was sold at auction about 1953 and the late Dr. Nicholas Mastroianni was the successful bidder. The Mastroianni family occupied the house until about two years ago, when the doctor's widow built a smaller home on the property, fronting on Mendon Steet. She moved from The Crossways at that time, selling the large home to her son, Nicholas, Jr. and his wife, Charlotte. The wing which includes a ballroom and a billiard room was added to the original home sometime after its construction. B.H. Bristow Draper's family occupied the home on Adin Street now owned by the Russell Smiths (41 Adin Street) prior to occupying The Crossways. The house, located on Mendon Street, which is now a two family home and which was the location of a serious fire a couple of years ago was originally located on the land upon which The Crossways is now. The home, now owned by Frank Zersky was moved down Mendon Street to its present location to make way for the estate's construction. The Winans plan to restore the estate to its former elegance. They also plan to restore the beautiful formal gardens which were a focal point of the original estate. The Larches The Larches, a status symbol of residents in the 50s, has become the property of Dr. Vincent J. Arone, who plans to use the property for a residential educational facility for special children. The property was the home originally of George Otis Draper and was destroyed by fire on May 21, 1901. Following the fire, the property was purchased by Hanna Thwing (Draper) and Edward Osgood. The year was 1914 and the couple erected a new home on the Water Street hill, spending their summers at The Larches and their winters in Boston. The building which Dr. Arone purchased is the one constructed following the fire. The Osgoods lived at the corner of Hopedale and Draper streets prior to purchasing the large parcel of property upon which they constructed the large, beautiful home. The Osgood's Hopedale and Draper street property is now the land upon which the Community House is located. Mrs. Osgood was the sister of General Draper, Governor Draper and George Albert Draper. The couple had a daughter, Hannah Osgood Townsend, who occupied The Larches after her parents. After that, the property became a private club, with membership limited to Draper officials and top ranking department heads and their families. During the early 50s, those who belonged to The Larches and had use of the facilities, including the spacious swimming pool, were looked upon as upper class residents. The status somewhat disappeared as Draper Corporation divested itself of its holdings and finally, its business and as The Larches became used as the residence of Robert Page, who was president for Draper Division, Rockwell International and the use of the facility was no longer open to outsiders. The Larches at one time also served as an inn, providing lodging for visiting Rockwell personnel. In recent years, the estate has gone unoccupied and unused. Dr. Arone, who operates a residential educational facility for special children from all over the country, at another former Draper estate on Adin Street, plans to expand his facility at The Larches. Dr. Arone has operated the Adin Street school for more than 20 years. The Larches property includes a large parcel of land and when Rockwell announced the availability of its land holdings, several contractors were eyeing the land for housing developments. The two mansions changed ownership on two successive days late in June. According to the office of Larkin Real Estate, The Larches was sold on June 27 and The Crossways was sold on June 28. Larkin Real Estate was the firm involved in bringing another change to the Town of Hopedale in recent weeks with the sale of the Town Hall Spa to Dimitrias and Nikol Karaberi. The Karaberis have opened the town's first and only House of Pizza in the section of Town Hall which has traditionally housed a coffee shop type operation. Milford Daily News, July 10, 1978. Now and Then at The Larches Now and Then at The Ledges Bristow and Queenie Draper Fannie Osgood George Otis Draper <><><><><><><><><><> Recent deaths: Myrna A. (Duffy) Hazard, March 3, 2010. Thelma C. (Shea) Lapworth Shaw, 100, March 5, 2010. The Lapworth family. Hopedale History Email Menu HOME |
The Crossways
The Larches