The Kenilworth Hotel, like the Summit House before it, attracted out-of-town visitors to Paxton. Some came via a motorized service the owner set up between the hotel and the Tatnuck area of Worcester.
The 25-room Kenilworth was built in 1896 as a country hotel, a retreat for those seeking relaxation or a resting place for travelers. The three-story hotel, near the city park, had modern plumbing and gas lighting, and its interior walls were paneled in North Carolina pine.
It was built on the site of the Summit House, a smaller hotel that burned in 1885. The land is currently home to Paxton Dental Care, 672 Pleasant St.
Modern detectives will know that the circular stone formation to the right of the dental practice car park dates back to Kenilworth times. The stones that covered a water well are visible in some centuries-old photos of the old hotel.
Businessman William H. Hamilton was the hotel’s original owner. The Pleasant Hotel in Worcester was another of his properties.
The Paxton hotel’s stately meeting and dining rooms have made it a popular place for social and business groups to gather. In February 1908, cashiers and office workers at the Denholm & McKay department store in downtown Worcester were treated to a sleigh ride and dinner at the Kenilworth.
A succession of owners and improvements followed Hamilton’s tenure. The sale of the hotel to John F. Daniels in August 1900 was prompted by the need to pay greater attention to the Pleasant Hotel. Daniels, with roots in North Brookfield, was involved in the management of the Paxton Inn.
In January 1924, after a few more deed transfers, the hotel was purchased by two Worcester men, WM Lauf and HW Kerig. The first order of business was the name change to Greystone Lodge. Newspaper advertisements featured holiday dinner dances. The Paxton Fire Department held its annual banquet at the lodge on May 24, 1927.
At one point Greystone was purchased by Jack McGrath of Worcester, a famous wrestler and promoter.
On the morning of October 26, 1927, Greystone’s guest, John Higgins of Worcester, was awakened before dawn by the smell of smoke, according to press accounts at the time. The hotel stairs were on fire. Higgins found a rope ladder and climbed down from a third-floor window to the ground. An alarm sounded.
Paxton firefighters rushed to the scene. Reinforcement from Worcester was called in. But it was too late. Flames engulfed the building.
The hotel was never rebuilt.
McGrath sold the parcel to Mary M. Daniher, a councilman in Holden in the early 1930s. A two-family house was built on the land. In 1960, the property was purchased by Dr. Richard Dowd. He converted the first floor into a dental office. In 1992, Dr. Scott Siemens took over the practice and building. He runs Paxton Dental Care.
Thanks to Paxton Historical Commission and Dr. Paxton Dentistry for your help with this story.
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This article was originally published on Telegram & Gazette: Then and Now: Kenilworth Hotel, Paxton
