The Maplewood Hotel as seen in 1895. Image source: Holyoke Past and Present (1895)

Early Days

The Maplewood Hotel was designed by architect Frank Beebe in the Tudor Revival and Romanesque styles and was completed in 1889.

The sixty-room building was designed with luxury in mind and was notable at the time for having an elevator. Though known for its time as a hotel, it was initially private residences. As an 1895 history of Holyoke described it, “The Maplewood illustrates the perfection attained in the preparation of homes for people who want a home feeling without the cares attending it.” It likewise attracted well-off residents, such as Joseph Ring, a major player in the Boston and New York high end hat markets.

Joseph Ring, a typical resident in the Maplewood's early days. Image source: Holyoke Past and Present, Prospects and Prosperity (1910)

Conversion and Future Uses

The building reopened as a hotel in 1908 and offered long term boarding in addition to its locally acclaimed dining room.

When Beebe died in 1925, however, he deeded the property over to several self-help charities, and the building was repurposed once again as the home of the Holyoke Junior Achievement Foundation and Home Information Center. The Junior Achievement Foundation ran life skills programs for children, including classes on carpentry, sewing, and electronics. The Home Information Center conversely focused on adult learners and offered home economics and art classes.

The building was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1983 for its architecture and social significance. Today, the building is once again used as apartments.