Collapse of Malone Hotel building

In January, we posted about the former Smith/Hogle House hotel on Main Street in Malone.  Unfortunately, this 145-year old structure collapsed early Monday, July 25, 2011.  The remainder of the building was demolished Monday evening and the rubble is being removed today. 

Photos by Doug Buchanan of The Malone Telegram

Roberts House Hotel

From the September 30, 1964 Chateaugay Record:

According to Seaver (1918) in his chapter on Chateaugay, "The Roberts House ... was originally a log structure, built in 1837 by John and Alonzo Roberts, who were landlords there for a considerable time, and who replaced the log with a frame building."

Hogle/Smith House Hotel

The three-story building on the corner of Academy and West Main Streets in Malone has stood vacant for several years now, but it has a history as a prosperous tavern and hotel, as well as a slightly seedy rooming house.  It has been known alternately as the Hogle House, Cushman House, The City Hotel, Hill Crest Inn, Smith House, the Franklin Hotel Annex, The Tavern, the Tavern Arms, and Nikki's Place.

The Tavern, late 1930s

From the collection of the Franklin County Historical and Museum Society  (1986.102)

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Over the years, ancillary businesses have also been housed with the hotel, such as a barber shop , billiard room, bowling alley, and livery stables.   Additionally, it appears that on at least one occasion, a gambling parlor operated out of the hotel:

September 15, 1926  Malone Farmer

The building was erected about 1866  by Canadian Hotelier James L. Hogle and operated by him as the Hogle House until 1875, when Hogle sold it and opened the Elmwood House hotel on the corner of Main and Pearl Streets.

The hotel nearly constantly changed hands, almost always with name changes.  In 1877, George H. Hogle was proprietor of the Hogle House.  But beginning in April 1885, George W. Cushman leased the hotel from George Hogle and renamed it the Cushman House.

May 26, 1887  Malone Palladium

In October 1887, Cushman decided to try his hand at the running of a hotel in Oswego, however, and leased it to J.A. Stratton, who was obliged by June 1888 to relinquish his lease.   Alex Chisholm took over the lease and changed the hotel's name to The City Hotel.

September 7, 1888  Franklin Gazette

Chisholm's lease was revoked in September 1889 when George Cushman, returning to Malone, purchased the hotel from George Hogle and resumed management, reverting the business' name to Cushman House.  Chisholm purchased the Elmwood House hotel (also from George Hogle) in July 1889 upon receiving notice that his term as landlord of the City Hotel was nearing its end. 

In March 1902, the firm of Ladd & Smallman (primarily a lumber and mill business) purchased Cushman House, with George Cushman continuing as manager. 

March 13, 1902 Malone Palladium

Despite the optimism of the Palladium's editors, by December 1903, Charles McCarthy was the proprietor and the hotel's name had changed to Hill Crest Inn.  Not two years later, Fred A. Smith owned the hotel and changed its name to the Smith House. 

Businessman F. Roy Kirk purchased the hotel around 1921 and changed its name to the Hotel Franklin Annex (or Franklin Hotel Annex or Franklin House Annex), and operated it as a rooming house in conjunction with the Franklin House Hotel (located where the W. Main St. Stewart's Shop currently stands).

After the sudden and early death of F. Roy Kirk, in October 1921 the hotel was sold again and renamed the Smith House. 

 It was leased and operated by Henry Badore from its new owner, local businessman George Northridge (who had been associated at various times with the Malone Milling Co. and the Benware Broom Co., in addition to his own feed and produce firm of G.D. Northridge & Son and earlier real estate business).   From June 1921-January 1922, Troop B of NY State Police, newly located at Malone and in advance of the construction of their barracks, were housed at the Hotel. 

October 5, 1921  Malone Farmer

After Northridge's death in 1923, it was purchased by Badore's brother Herbert and William Monaghan.

July 9, 1924  Malone Farmer

In 1927, the business again changed hands:

August 31, 1927  Malone Farmer

The Smith House found itself in the hands of an old friend again in 1935, when former hotel clerk and manager Henry Badore purchased the property as an investment, but with no intention of being involved in its daily operation again. 

July 3, 1935  Malone Farmer

Under the ownership of Henry Badore and the management of W.E. Rodman, the hotel became known as "The Tavern."

July 24, 1935  Malone Farmer



Hotel reservation, 1886-style

From the collection of the Franklin County Historical & Museum Society:

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Howard House Menu

From the collection of the Franklin County Historical & Museum Society:

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Dinner menu from the Howard House, Malone, NY

March 25, 1887

Columbian Fire Insurance Company

The Franklin County Historical and Museum Society has in its collection (1975.72.1) a ledger of the O'Neil and Hale Insurance Agents, Malone, NY who were local agents for the Louisville, KY Columbian Fire Insurance Company.  This ledger from 1893-4 includes the policies of individuals and businesses from every corner of Franklin County.  From the Town of Bombay's policy insuring their covered bridge at Hogansburg

To the Tupper Lake Village school district #1 (formerly the town of Altamont) two-story school building:

Both structures were insured for $1250.00 with a November 14, 1893-November 14, 1894 policy.  The premiums on these policies were $18.75

O'Neil and Hale did a good business with the hotels in the county, selling policies to Loon Lake House:

the Berkley Hotel in Saranac Lake:

and Paul Smith's Hotel in the town of Brighton:

...among others.

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Miller House Hotel

The Miller House was a well-known hotel that stood at the corner of Main and Elm Streets in Malone (on the site of the current Flanagan Hotel). Built as the residence of W.D. House, it was purchased by Orlando Furness and enlarged into a hotel. Furness' son-in-law, Philip B. Miller, became its proprietor in 1834 when Furness died. Miller ran the hotel from 1834-1857, when Alexander and Mary Flanagan purchased it. They ran it until 1871, when they took over the Ferguson House (across the street). (It's their sons who built the current Flanagan Hotel). The Miller House was torn down in 1886.

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From the collection of the Franklin County Historical & Museum Society, 1969.106.1

Merrill House

Pages from one of the three hotel registers from the Merrill House on Upper Chateaugay Lake in the collection of the Franklin County Historical & Museum Society (1976.310.1)

Note the patrons from both the North Country and far-flung, exotic locales... like Newark, N.J.

July 17 &25, 1890:

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August 9, 1899:

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August 22, 1905 (in two parts):

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Merrill House was first opened by Darius Merrill, namesake of the hamlet of Merrill, just over the line into Clinton County.  Oliver Young acquired the hotel from Darius' son Shepherd, and expanded the hotel and added several ancillary businesses such as a telegraph office.  His daughter Marjorie ran the hotel from 1933-1963.   According to an 1889 travel guide, "Descriptive Guide to the Adirondacks" a night's stay at the Merrill House cost $2.00 and a week's lodging was between $10 and $15.  A meal could be had for $.75.  A reprint of Marjorie Young Reilly's account of the history of the hotel can be found here.

Loon Lake Hotel

Loon Lake House was opened by Ferd and Mary Chase in 1879 and stood as a magnificent Adirondack hotel until it burned in 1956.  This photo, from the collection of the Franklin County Historical & Museum Society, features the hotel staff in 1896: 

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For more information on the history of Loon Lake, visit the wonderful Town of Franklin website.