Not long ago, I said 1952 was the year of modern, large supermarkets making their debut in Oneonta. This time, it was 1962 when Oneonta began to see modern motels established within the city limits.
The Oasis Motor Inn on Chestnut Street and the Town House on Main Street were established that year.
The Oasis is known today as Motel 88. A restaurant and nightclub opened on-site, also named the Oasis, is known today as the Iron Chef Buffet.
The Town House, at 318 Main St., was built around the property of the Masonic Temple, the former residence of Congressman George W. Fairchild.
"Joseph (Jerry) Monser, a former Oneonta restaurateur, plans to build a 20 unit motel and restaurant on Chestnut Street within the city limits," reported The Oneonta Star of Tuesday, May 1, 1962.
"Mr. Monser asked the Zoning Board of Appeals on Monday night if the property he purchased at 340 Chestnut Street could be commercially rezoned to a greater depth than the 150 feet stated by the law at this time."
The home and frontage on Chestnut Street was purchased from Helen and Bruce VanBuren.
Monser wanted a deeper lot so there could be ample parking in the front and give neighboring properties a less "impaired vision" from their houses. The zoning board did grant the change, which required the demolition of a small barn in the back of the property. Construction began that year.
Once again the Zoning Board of Appeals was called on in late August 1962, regarding the establishment of a downtown motel, the Town House. The board gave an initial approval to the plan Monday, Aug. 27, and sent it on to the Common Council.
The Star reported: "The pair planning the motel are Donald M. Charles, manager of the Oneonta Community Hotel, and Henry L. Hulbert, an Oneonta attorney. ...
"Proposed site of the L-shaped motel is on Main and Grand Streets bordering the two sides of the Oneonta Masonic Temple. ...
"First phase in the motel construction -- will be 28 units with entrances on both Main and Grand Streets. The Masons gave the pair an option on a lease of land earlier this year. ...
"Eventual plans -- which may be realized by 1966 -- call for construction of 20 more units for a total of 48 in all. ...
"'We want to build something of beauty, as well as a set of bedrooms,' Mr. Hulbert said. Plans were for keeping trees in front of the Masonic Temple, and there would be 'green space in the overall plan.'"
As presented to the Common Council, no one appeared to oppose the motel plans at a public hearing, so the property was rezoned commercial.
"As far as official barriers are concerned there are none left," the Star reported Tuesday, Sept. 11.
Construction began but was suddenly halted in November. At a special meeting Friday night, Nov. 23, Common Council met and voted, 3-2, to have the construction halted, after discovering in a building permit process that an obscure city ordinance had been ignored, regarding fire limits on buildings.
The building had been designed to have exterior walls of redwood, the point of contention.
Alderman C. Wesley Coddington, First Ward, spoke in favor of backing up the 1932 ordinance, but qualified his answer with, "In this occasion, I see no reason why we can't amend the ordinance."
While construction was indeed halted, the problem was eventually resolved, and the Town House opened in 1963.
This weekend: News about the D&H Railroad in Oneonta was plentiful during January 1912.
City Historian Mark Simonson's column appears twice weekly. On Saturdays, his column focuses on the area during the Depression and before. His Monday columns address local history after the Depression. If you have feedback or ideas about the column, write to him at The Daily Star, or email him at simmark@stny.rr.com. His website is www.oneontahistorian.com. His columns can be found at www.thedailystar.com/marksimonson.
Mark Simonson
Oasis, Town House motels new to Oneonta in 1962
- Mark Simonson
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A Main Street facelift for Oneonta in the 1920s
It has been just a little over 30 years, 1980 in fact, that Main Street in Oneonta went through a major transformation in appearance. Even now I'll hear mixed comments about the changes, which included antique style lamps, trees, planters and brick trim. Some liked the changes while others liked the wider street with the even-sized sidewalks.
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Perfect attendance by Saturday’s Bread for 20 years in Oneonta
Oneonta became a settlement and has been a place to do one's "trading," whether it was the 18th century, or 2012, because of the five valleys that converge here. Only the places of doing the "trading" have changed a bit over the last 100 years, and Oneonta remains a place that attracts visitors and has always been a decent place to live and work.
100 Years Ago -
Recalling the Hindenburg, John D. Rockefeller in May 1937
A young person of 75 years ago may still recall where they were or what they were doing in the month of May, as two big news events took place. They were the Hindenburg disaster and the passing of billionaire John D. Rockefeller. There were some local connections with both news items.
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Oneonta residents had diversions aplenty in the spring of 1952
It is always good to keep up with current events. However, it is starting to become an unwritten requirement to seek some diversions from staying up to date on news, as for some it can become overwhelming or depressing.
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Damaschke essential to ensuring Oneonta baseball in 1927
Oftentimes, in the distant past, the place you worked for became a social nucleus in the village or town. Employees at large companies such as Endicott-Johnson Shoe Co. or IBM in the Binghamton area took part in activities after work such as sports, music and theater, both in and out of town, to represent their company.
- Monday, May 7, 2012
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Area tunes to WONT in November 1972
As a youngster growing up in the area and having a fascination with radio broadcasting, I used to consider it a part-time hobby to put the earphone into my transistor radio and go exploring what was out there to listen to, up and down the dial. It was indeed a long-distance journey at night when listening to AM radio, as you could hear live and locally staffed stations from Chicago, Windsor/Detroit, Atlanta and New Orleans, to name a few cities. I never spent a lot of time listening to FM radio 40 years ago, simply because there wasn't the same "excitement" of the long-distance journey. Little did I realize, things were changing locally on that "other" band of radio frequencies that included decimal points.
- Saturday, May 5, 2012
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Congressman Fairchild added downtown growth in 1912
Another case of wandering imagination struck this historian recently, while learning about the building at 244-248 Main St. in Oneonta, storefronts for the Autumn Café and Razzle Dazzle. This structure is known as the Fairchild block, and it turns 100 this year.
- Monday, April 30, 2012
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From no TV to saving eagles, it was life in April 1982
No television. No place to pay the phone bill. No more Spaulding's baked goods. Possibly no more Center Street School. While these were some of the noes in the news of our area in April 1982, there were some yeses as well, including a new structure at Corning Inc. of Oneonta and help to save bald eagles.
- Saturday, April 28, 2012
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A daily newspaper for Oneonta was an achievement in 1887
Depending on the electronic device you have these days, accessing news can be made nearly as soon as something happens. Oneontans of 125 years ago got their news on a weekly basis, courtesy of The Oneonta Herald.
- Monday, April 23, 2012
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Area saw Hollywood stars up close in April 1952
It has been a mighty long time since Greer Garson, Victor Jory, Don Taylor and Audrey Totter drew big numbers of people at the box office of our local movie theaters. Make it 60 years, in fact. Now generations removed from popularity, some are still able to remember the names of these four movie stars who paid a visit to our area in late April 1952.
- Saturday, April 21, 2012
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Spring tree plantings were numerous in 1927
None of my calendars at home or at my other workplaces show that April 27 of this year is Arbor Day.
- Monday, April 16, 2012
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Nuclear weapon debates were plentiful in April 1982
Plan for a nuclear war -- or seek a nuclear weapons freeze. That was a frequent debate going on in our region during the month of April 1982.
- Saturday, April 14, 2012
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A Titanic survivor stopped in Oneonta days after disaster
Edward Bean was one amongst the lucky one-third of the passengers aboard the Titanic who lived to tell about the disaster of the ill-fated ship that sank after hitting an iceberg on April 15, 1912. Only about a week after the disaster, Bean was in Oneonta, on his way home to Cincinnati.
- Monday, April 9, 2012
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Simonson: April 1952 brought educational developments in Oneonta
There were some interesting new developments in education in Oneonta during the month of April 1952. These took place in the public and private schools, as well as on the Hartwick College campus.
- Saturday, April 7, 2012
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Oneonta's first automobile exhibition took place in April 1917
An automobile show as large as those in Albany or Utica. That was the heady claim of the organizers of Oneonta's first such show, set for early April 1917.
- Monday, April 2, 2012
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Thruway bridge collapsed 25 years ago into Schoharie Creek
I had just started my evening music shift at a Binghamton radio station on Sunday evening, April 5, 1987, with a network newscast at the top of the hour.
- Saturday, March 31, 2012
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Oneonta responded to declaration of World War I
"President Asks For War."
- Monday, March 26, 2012
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Devastating fire, loss in sports status, education made major area news in March 1982
A fire destroyed a foundry in Morris, Hartwick College basketball dropped a division level, two schools considered a merger, and a local Odyssey of the Mind was born. These news items and more made for a busy month in March 1982.
- Saturday, March 24, 2012
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Useful advice for farmers came to the area in 1912
It is practically a rite of autumn for high school students, or college students looking to transfer to a different college.
- Monday, March 19, 2012
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St. Mary's Church of Oneonta dedicated 55 years ago
"With solemn, historic pageantry, the Most Rev. William A. Scully, bishop of Albany, yesterday dedicated the new St. Mary's Church."
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A Main Street facelift for Oneonta in the 1920s
