Weldon Hotel

The Weldon Hotel was built by F.O. Wells in 1905 using a similar design to his Greenfield Tap and Die Corporation. The hotel was originally used as company suites and residential apartments and later became a hotel serving the public in 1914. The structure is believed to be the first all-concrete hotel in the United States, with a metal frame surrounded by concrete to make the building fire resistant in an era where apartment and hotel fires claimed many lives. The Weldon Hotel closed as a hotel in 1977 when the interstate bypass reduced the number of travelers to the city center. The building now serves as a senior living facility composed of apartments.

The Weldon Hotel established a reputation as a luxury hotel at the same time the community served as a popular winter vacation spot because of its proximity to local skiing, sledding, toboggan runs, skating, and Greenfield’s Winter Carnival. The hotel was also popular as a summer stopover with the rise of simply driving for leisure because it was located on the scenic Mohawk Trail. In 1927, the Weldon was expanded, adding 60 more rooms to the property. After the expansion, the building housed four dining rooms, a bar/lounge, a hairdresser, and shops for gifts, dresses, and furs. Strand Mikkelson, a ski jumping Olympic medalist, was in charge of the ski shop on site. He taught skiing from a wooden slope he built from the porch of the Weldon.  

George Grennel, whom we will be talking about next initially lived across the street from The Weldon Hotel at 53 High St until 1846. We'll be moving to his second house now before we talk more about his life and impact.

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