Hanover Street Hotels
Hanover Street has been a hub of the North End of the city, a characteristic that can be attributed to its various hotels and lodging houses that have been a part of the street's history. First noted as the Robertson House, there had been a multitude of titles given to the Hanover Street properties that have garnered mention from news outlets for varying crimes and reported deaths that have taken place on the premises. The mysterious events surrounding the hotel property add an intrigue to the parcel, adding a unique character to the area.
Boston Gas Light Company. "Blackstone Street, Boston." Photograph. 1882. Digital Commonwealth,
Shown on the left is an image on the Robertson House on Hanover Street, the first lodging house noted on AtlaScope. From the picture, one can note the difference in height between the building one the far left and the Robertson House, which is adjacent in the middle. Though the Robertson House hadn't remained in the area for long, this photo provides a visual to the corner of Hanover and N. Centre St.. This photograph is the same image used to display the Ratshesky clothing store, which was located across the road on Hanover St.
Death and Crime On Hanover Street
The first suspicious story that arose from the Hotel Ludwig, formerly the Robertson House, in 1897. A named Henry Gallagher had died from an "asphyxiation on escaped gas" in his hotel room, though it was deemed his death was a suicide (Boston Globe, 1897). According the article, found in the Boston Globe, Gallagher had been robbed of $40 the night before.
Robbery and suicide taking place in the same area would seem to warrant at least a temporary closure or exchange of ownership, but this would not be the last time Hotel Ludwig would find itself in the news for a similar tragedy.
For the information used and picture of news article: BELIEVED TO BE SUICIDE.: HENRY GALLAGHER FOUND DEAD IN A HOTEL ROOM. ... Boston Daily Globe (1872-1922); Aug 9, 1897; ProQuest Historical Newspapers: The Boston Globe pg. 12
"Obituary 1 -- no Title." Boston Daily Globe (1872-1922), Mar 09, 1899; ProQuest Historical Newspapers: The Boston Globe pg.1
Two years following the death of Henry Gallagher, a 35 year old man named Thomas Waldron had mysteriously collapsed and died upon entering Hotel Ludwig (Boston Globe, 1899). The reason for his death was not published, but his seemingly instantaneous death when stepping into the building adds to the eerie history of the Hanover Street hotels.
In 1903, another body had been found in one of the Hotel Ludwig guest rooms. Nettie Colsen had been found dead in her hotel room and that was shared with a man named A.L. Curtis. Her cause of death was not revealed, but the police had determined she taken her own life (Boston Globe, 1903). While this was the last reported suicide in the area, there had been reports of mischief and crime on the property.
"WITH POISON AND REVOLVER.: TWO BOSTON MEN TAKE THEIR LIVES. WILLIAM GRAFFE WAS OUT OF WORK. AGE WAS AGAINST HIS GETTING ANY. PUT BULLET IN BRAIN IN DESPAIR. FRANK STONE, WAITER, DRINKS CARBOLIC ACID. COULDN'T BEAR SEPARATION FROM MARRIED WOMAN. NETTIE COLSEN FOUND DEAD IN A HANOVER-ST HOTEL. COULDN'T BEAR SEPARATION. DEAD IN HOTEL ROOM." Boston Daily Globe (1872-1922), Jan 05, 1903
Though the name had eventually changed from Hotel Ludwig to the Hotel Venice, misconduct still remained within its walls. In 1913, Nellie O'Connor, a cashier at the Hotel Venice, was held at gun point and ordered to hand off the money in the register which summed up to $9. The perpetrator was chased by other staff members but was lost in the crowd of Hanover Street (Boston Globe, 1913). Hotel Venice had begun to amass a certain reputation that fell into accordance with the hotel's upper management.
During the winter of 1920, Moses Mechaber, Albert Golden and Frank Laporto were assessed $500 fines for violating the conditions of the hotel's license by allowing "acts of immorality on the premises" (Boston Globe, 1920). These three men were the main operators of the hotel, as Mr. Mechaber and Mr. Golden were the main proprietors of the land and Mr. Laporto was the hotel's clerk. The "acts of immorality" were not disclosed to the public, though a $500 fine indicates the gravity of these men's violations.
Top image on the left and imformation from the first paragraph found: "AT POINT OF PISTOL: WOMAN HELD UP IN NORTH END. ROBBER GETS $9 FROM HOTEL CASHIER. ESCAPES WHILE VICTIM IS KEPT UNDER DEATH THREAT. YEGGMAN RESEMBLES THE PEABODY BANK THIEF." Boston Daily Globe (1872-1922), May 01, 1913
Lower picture and information on immoral violations found: "THREE APPEAL $500 FINES IN HOTEL VENICE CASE." Boston Daily Globe (1872-1922), Feb 07, 1920.
To learn more about the valuation of this property and the various exchanges in ownership, visit the North End Investments page.
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Bibliography
- Boston Gas Light Company. "Blackstone Street, Boston." Photograph. 1882. Digital Commonwealth,
- "BELIEVED TO BE SUICIDE.: HENRY GALLAGHER FOUND DEAD IN A HOTEL ROOM. ... " Boston Daily Globe (1872-1922); Aug 9, 1897; ProQuest Historical Newspapers: The Boston Globe pg. 12
- "Obituary 1 -- no Title." Boston Daily Globe (1872-1922), Mar 09, 1899; ProQuest Historical Newspapers: The Boston Globe pg.1
- "WITH POISON AND REVOLVER.: TWO BOSTON MEN TAKE THEIR LIVES. WILLIAM GRAFFE WAS OUT OF WORK. AGE WAS AGAINST HIS GETTING ANY. PUT BULLET IN BRAIN IN DESPAIR. FRANK STONE, WAITER, DRINKS CARBOLIC ACID. COULDN'T BEAR SEPARATION FROM MARRIED WOMAN. NETTIE COLSEN FOUND DEAD IN A HANOVER-ST HOTEL. COULDN'T BEAR SEPARATION. DEAD IN HOTEL ROOM." Boston Daily Globe (1872-1922), Jan 05, 1903; ProQuest Historical Newspapers: The Boston Globe.
- "AT POINT OF PISTOL: WOMAN HELD UP IN NORTH END. ROBBER GETS $9 FROM HOTEL CASHIER. ESCAPES WHILE VICTIM IS KEPT UNDER DEATH THREAT. YEGGMAN RESEMBLES THE PEABODY BANK THIEF." Boston Daily Globe (1872-1922), May 01, 1913; ProQuest Historical Newspapers: The Boston Globe.
- "THREE APPEAL $500 FINES IN HOTEL VENICE CASE." Boston Daily Globe (1872-1922), Feb 07, 1920; ProQuest Historical Newspapers: The Boston Globe.