by Laurel | January 29th, 2014
24 January 1943
The “Old Ely place” at 2037 Riverdale Street, believed to be the second oldest house in West Springfield, will soon be torn down because of road widening.
A familiar West Springfield landmark, the “Old Ely Place” at 2037 Riverdale Street, is slated for demolishing to make way for the widening of the upper part of Riverdale Road leading to Holyoke. The exact year of its construction is not known but it is generally considered the second house to be built in the town, the Day house on the common, built in 1751, having been the first. The “Old Ely Place” used to be the change place for stage horses on the old post road.
The house has 12 large rooms with summer and winter kitchen and still retains the wide floor boards and the large central chimney with three large fireplaces opening into it with the bake oven at the side of one of them. Several generations of the Ely family occupied it. In later years it has changed owners several times, and until taken over by the state was used for the display and sale of antiques. It has seen many changes since the old stagecoach days, on through the horse and buggy period, the electric trolly era and now the buses and automobiles. The final scene in the life of the old house is scheduled for Saturday when the personal property it how houses is sold at auction.
Adapted from The Springfield Republican.
