Junction House
Known as the Junction House, today this structure houses multiple apartments and is located on Railroad St. in the Town of Chemung, NY. The road leading around the building and below is a dead end. Years before this road took you across the flats of corn fields to the Chemung River Bridge. It was a busy road with the Erie Railroad Depot sitting at the bottom of the hill below the Junction House. The Railroad Depot is gone and the building of the Interstate has created a new crossing of the highway that connects to the River Bridge. Next to the Erie Railroad Depot sat the Junction Canal, which ran parallel to the train tracks. It would appear the Junction House was named for the Junction Canal, or possibly because of it's location being at a junction of roads, rail and canal. Date of the building of this structure is unknown at this time.
A very special thank you to Mike Tuccinardi, for taking the time to locate this history. He is a great history detective!
The History of the Junction House
It is believed that William Guthrie, Proprietor of the Junction House, built the large seventeen room hotel around the time of the Erie Railroad expansion through the Town of Chemung, early 1850’s. The building did not yet appear on the 1853 map of Chemung. Wm Guthrie died July 16, 1880, aged 79y 8m 8 d. He is buried in the Chemung Cemetery. (1860 Elmira Business Directory)
Former resident of Chemung, Robert Batterson returned to Chemung in the 1870’s to take proprietorship of the imposing structure. (Waverly Free Press, July 13, 1878)
Charles DeWitt, was proprietor of the Junction House in the year 1880 as listed on a Washington Birthday Party poster.
Mr. & Mrs. Stephen T. Reynolds, were proprietors of the building from 1887 until January of 1892. In the Waverly Free Press dated January 28, 1892: Stephen and wife, Athendia died at their home. The former, January 26th and the latter the 27th. Cause of death was pneumonia and grippe, (Evening Times).
At the turn of the century (1900), Harold D. Baker, Proprietor, saw it fit to change the name of the Junction House to the Baker House or Hotel Baker as it was known. Mr. Baker sold to Ernest S. Marcy circ 1905 to 1910. Harold Baker died in 1920.
Ernest S. Marcy and John E. Skinner, partners; were notified to stop selling liquor at the “Baker House” on October 1, 1916. which was located at the corner of Railroad and Chemung St in Chemung, NY Although the Volstead Act of 1919, (The National Prohibition Act) didn’t take effect until 1920, some areas of the country went dry before this date as was the case with the Town of Chemung. Elmira, at that time was the only place in Chemung County where a legal drink could be purchased. In 1917 Marcy and Skinner both signed a Town of Chemung petition to allow liquor licenses. Among the familiar names signing the petition were Harry Gunderman and Charlie Liddy.
Ernest Marcy owned the Baker House circa 1911 to fall of 1919. His partnership with John E. Skinner: including the dates are not clear. From 1911 to 1915 Marcy had been trying to sell a 17 room hotel with two outbuildings and 1 or 2 acres of land. In March 1915, he took out an ad in the Binghamton Press listing a hotel for sale, as the only place having a license between Binghamton and Elmira. In the fall of 1919 Marcy sold to Mr & Mrs Simcoe who in turn sold it to Mr & Mrs Charles Peterson, February 1920. At that time it was renamed to the Peterson Hotel.
Click to enlarge photos
The History of the Junction House
It is believed that William Guthrie, Proprietor of the Junction House, built the large seventeen room hotel around the time of the Erie Railroad expansion through the Town of Chemung, early 1850’s. The building did not yet appear on the 1853 map of Chemung. Wm Guthrie died July 16, 1880, aged 79y 8m 8 d. He is buried in the Chemung Cemetery. (1860 Elmira Business Directory)
Former resident of Chemung, Robert Batterson returned to Chemung in the 1870’s to take proprietorship of the imposing structure. (Waverly Free Press, July 13, 1878)
Charles DeWitt, was proprietor of the Junction House in the year 1880 as listed on a Washington Birthday Party poster.
Mr. & Mrs. Stephen T. Reynolds, were proprietors of the building from 1887 until January of 1892. In the Waverly Free Press dated January 28, 1892: Stephen and wife, Athendia died at their home. The former, January 26th and the latter the 27th. Cause of death was pneumonia and grippe, (Evening Times).
At the turn of the century (1900), Harold D. Baker, Proprietor, saw it fit to change the name of the Junction House to the Baker House or Hotel Baker as it was known. Mr. Baker sold to Ernest S. Marcy circ 1905 to 1910. Harold Baker died in 1920.
Ernest S. Marcy and John E. Skinner, partners; were notified to stop selling liquor at the “Baker House” on October 1, 1916. which was located at the corner of Railroad and Chemung St in Chemung, NY Although the Volstead Act of 1919, (The National Prohibition Act) didn’t take effect until 1920, some areas of the country went dry before this date as was the case with the Town of Chemung. Elmira, at that time was the only place in Chemung County where a legal drink could be purchased. In 1917 Marcy and Skinner both signed a Town of Chemung petition to allow liquor licenses. Among the familiar names signing the petition were Harry Gunderman and Charlie Liddy.
Ernest Marcy owned the Baker House circa 1911 to fall of 1919. His partnership with John E. Skinner: including the dates are not clear. From 1911 to 1915 Marcy had been trying to sell a 17 room hotel with two outbuildings and 1 or 2 acres of land. In March 1915, he took out an ad in the Binghamton Press listing a hotel for sale, as the only place having a license between Binghamton and Elmira. In the fall of 1919 Marcy sold to Mr & Mrs Simcoe who in turn sold it to Mr & Mrs Charles Peterson, February 1920. At that time it was renamed to the Peterson Hotel.
Click to enlarge photos
Newspaper Clippings about news on the Junction House Contributor, Mike Tuccinardi
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