| The Larches
The Larches. It was named for the larch trees that can still be seen on the grounds. The estate was owned by George Otis Draper, a son of General William F. and Lilla Draper. "Otis" left there sometime before 1920 and his aunt, Hannah (Draper) Osgood, and his cousin, Fanny Osgood, moved in. Both Hannah and Fanny died in 1929. The Hopedale street listing for 1930 shows George Osgood, 42, Fanny's brother I assume, living there. (By 1939, and perhaps sooner, George was living at 50 Greene Street, the home of Dana Osgood, later known as the Harel House.) At some point, The Larches became the residence of Hannah Osgood Townsend and her husband. The upper three pictures were scanned from postcards. They show the original home on the site. The two that show the fire weren't mailed, but both have the date, May 21, 1909 on the backs, so I presume that was when the fire occurred. By the 1950s, The Larches had become a Draper Corporation inn. Visiting businessmen could stay there, and as the fourth photo shows, there was a restaurant. As I recall, families could purchase memberships at The Larches, and one of the benefits was the use of the pool. Marge Horton recalled the Draper years at The Larches as being a time of elegant parties and events. She said that the Milford National Bank would hold its Christmas parties there every year, and that it was also the site of wedding receptions, and formal dances. The Fecteaus, who operated the cafeteria at the Draper shop also ran the kitchen at The Larches, and Marge said that the meals there were excellent. The Larches is now the site of Community Clubhouse, a rehabilitative community offering oportunities and support in employment, education and housing for adults with mental illness. Following the "Clubhouse Model" of rehabilitation, the program emphasises work, participation and choice. Participants are members, not patients, and the focus is on their strengths, not their illness. "In that crumpled-up shot of the dining room is my father! He is looking to his left at something Tom West has (hidden by the man back-to). I can't place the 4th man at the table, but you might have a candid of four Draper executives there!" This identification, referring to the fourth picture, was sent by David Snider. His father was Claude Snider. The last four pictures show the second home on the site. The one taken from the air was shot before the water tower was built in 1948-49.. The one above the satellite view was taken in 2006. Here's more on The Larches, from a Milford Daily News article, printed in 1978. 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 .Virginia Cyr, Milford Daily News, July 10, 1978. Now and Then Menu HOME |
2010
The caption says after the fire, the house was rebuilt to its original design. Can't say that I see that. I don't have the date for this, but it was the Rockwell era - the late sixties or the seventies. |