Mansion House

The Mansion House was built in the late 1820s and stood here on the site of the town’s first tavern, Calvin Munns Tavern. Munns was a Revolutionary War soldier who purchased the house in 1792, and he was the owner and landlord until 1815 when he sold the property. The building and land surrounding it were later purchased and developed by Isaac Newton Jr. He built a 3-story 64’x49’ building, which became the Mansion House in April 1825. The tavern and building to the east, which both ended up becoming the Mansion House, were used in 1795 as a printing office for the Greenfield Gazette, the post office, a bookstore, and as a town meeting spot in the early 1800s. On January 8, 1959, flames were discovered by a former reporter who wrote the history of the hotel for the bicentennial edition of the Recorder Gazette. The fire was discovered in a bathroom on the third floor of the Mansion House hotel. Fourteen towns sent firefighters to fight the fire and ensure that it did not spread to the Public Library and other nearby buildings. However, the Mansion House itself burned down. The empty lot which was the site of the Mansion House remained vacant until 1963 when Greenfield Savings Bank was constructed.

The Mansion House housed both a tavern and a hotel which was popular because it was situated on the crossroads of the North South and East West lines of the Boston and Maine Railroad. It was a modern hotel with elegantly furnished rooms, train service, a large dining room with excellent meals, cool and pure water from the Town’s water supply, reasonable nightly rates, friendly service, and a great location. In two years, it was furnished from top to bottom at a cost of $25,000.

On May 15, 1938, WHAI went on the air for the first time. The station operated two studios, a reception room, a control room, and four offices all housed within the Mansion House.

The Mansion House was used for many different businesses. At one time it housed the Cutler grocery store and a post office. An unfortunate salesperson parked their car behind the Mansion House on the day of the fire. Because of the spray of water from the fire and the cold temperatures, the car became encased in ice, and a wallpaper steamer was required to thaw and open the vehicle

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