Croysdale Inn

History

The Croysdale Inn was built in the spring of 1911 at 21 Woodbridge Street by John Parfitt, and was named after a family ancestor. Because so many had helped plan, build and finish the inn, it was decided to have cut on the outside of the north chimney, "This is the House that Jack Built", and townspeople often referred to it by that name rather than as the Croysdale Inn. John Parfitt's sisters, Frances and Isabella, operated a tea room on the first floor and lived upstairs for about 18 years. In June 1959, Mount Holyoke bought the property, and uses it as faculty housing.

As an added bonus, I was able to locate a menu from Croysdale Inn from around 1937. It measures about 8" long, and about 3.5" wide, and is one sheet of paper folded down the middle. The outside portion has a small picture of the Inn's entrance, the address (interesting; this says 19 Woodbridge, which conflicts with the information above), the phone number ("2628-w"), its motto ("Cups that Cheer but not inebriate"), and its hours. The inside portion shows the menu items and prices. Many of the prices have been corrected by inking out the old prices and writing the new ones next to them. Two new items were added in ink as well. Prices range from 5 cents for a small cup of coffee, to $1.25 for chicken and waffles.

The Images

All cards are available with both front and back scans, and comments about what is written on the front or back, either by the user or by the publisher, are included below.

Greetings from South Hadley, Mass.

front "Greetings from South Hadley, Mass." Two scenes: Croysdale Inn, and "This is the House that Jack built", which is also Croysdale Inn.

back Divided back, unused, stamp box. Published by C. A. Gridley & Son. #1055. Printed in Germany.

Croysdale Inn

front "Croysdale Inn So Hadley, Mass" A handmade card; it's not as stiff as a regular postcard.

back Divided back, postmarked in the morning of an indecipherable day in South [Hadley?]. "My dear Miss Forbes: Thank you so much for your letter & beautiful cards. Soon I hope to write you a letter. Our repairs are finished & I have been spending a few days in N. Y. My sister is away for a week & we must hurry & get our house in order by the 20th. Remember me to Miss Carieer & I will surely write as soon as I can stop long enough to draw a long breath"

The House that Jack Built

front "The House that Jack Built, South Hadley, Mass." The sign over the door clearly reads "Croysdale Inn".

back Divided back, postmarked Jun 17, 1916 6pm in Boston, Mass. Flag cancel with "Back Bay Station" in the star field. Written in a childish hand. "June 17, 1916. Dearest Aunt:- Mamma said you told her that my wrens were still in our back yard. We are in Boston now. This morning, we went to the art gallery and saw many interesting things. From your nephew, George D. Gill."

Croysdale Inn and Tea Room

front "Croysdale Inn and Tea Room. South Hadley, Mass."

back Divided back, postmarked Sep 4, 1924 3:30pm in Holyoke, Mass. Addressed to Caroline Keeler.

Croysdale Inn

front "Croysdale Inn, South Hadley, Mass."

back Divided back, unused.

Croysdale Inn

front Real photo view of Croysdale Inn.

back Divided back, unused. CYKO card [circa 1904-1920s].

Photo, September 7, 1998

I was curious as to how the Croysdale Inn has changed over the years, so I took this photo on September 7, 1998. The sign over the door is gone, and the entryway has been altered.