The Hotel Manger (pronounced Mang-er as in hangar), renamed the Hotel Madison in 1959, was a hotel in Boston, Massachusetts , United States, that operated from 1930 to 1976. It was attached to North Station and the Boston Garden . In 1983, the building was demolished to make way for the Thomas P. O'Neill Jr. Federal Building .
24-519: On November 15, 1927, Homer Loring , chairman of the Boston & Maine Railroad , announced that plans had been finalized for the construction of a new North Station facility, which would include a sports arena, hotel, office building, and distributing terminal. On July 15, 1929, Manger Hotels and the Boston & Maine Railroad announced that the two parties had signed a contract for the construction of
48-532: A chambermaid. Hunt had committed suicide by drinking poison. On April 5, 1947, at the Boston Bruins annual breakup party, Bill Cowley unexpectedly announced he was leaving hockey because general manager Art Ross left him off of the roster for a post-season exhibition tour of Western Canada and the United States (Cowley's wife was from Vancouver and he wanted to use the trip as a honeymoon). At
72-467: A local chemical company, was found in a third-floor restroom. The medical examiner ruled that Whittemore's death was a suicide by poisoning. On April 1, 1950, the literary scholar F. O. Matthiessen committed suicide by jumping out of a 12th floor window. On October 21, 1951, groundwork on the Central Artery resulted in the hotel losing its steam supply. The hotel used a steam locomotive to heat
96-649: A restaurant, private dining rooms, oyster bar, banquet hall/ballroom, barber shop, and beauty salon. At the time of its opening, the Hotel Manger had proportionately more marble than any other building in New England . The top floors offered views of the Charles River , Bunker Hill Monument , and Boston Harbor . The hotel had direct access to the Boston Garden and North Station. George L. Bowles
120-622: The Boston Redevelopment Authority purchased the hotel from the MSL Reality Trust for $ 2.2 million. On May 15, 1983, the hotel was demolished by explosives. An estimated 26,000 people observed the implosion, which was also televised live by WNEV . The hotel was demolished in order to make way for the construction of the Thomas P. O'Neill Jr. Federal Building . Homer Loring Homer Loring (1875-1939)
144-792: The Eastern Massachusetts Street Railway , and receiver of the Des Moines, Fort Dodge & Southern Railroad. He also worked for the Saginaw Traction Company and organized the Nevada Consolidated Copper Company. On April 9, 1924, Loring was elected as a director of the Boston & Maine Railroad. On August 19, 1924, Loring was elected chairman of the B&;M executive committee. During his tenure as chairman,
168-553: The B&M built new freight classification yards, improved buildings, roadbeds, and bridges, installed new equipment, consolidated personnel, discontinued or transferred 300 miles of unremunerative lines, enlarged the Hoosac Tunnel , and developed a new North Station complex, which included a new train station, the Boston Garden , Hotel Manger , North Station Industrial Building, and a distributing terminal. Loring's financial reorganization brought $ 13 million of new funds to
192-646: The Hotel Manger. Throughout its early years, acts that were performing at the Boston Garden, including Arthur Godfrey , Paul Whiteman , Gene Autry , and Roy Rogers , stayed at the Hotel Manger. Visiting hockey and basketball teams playing at the Garden stayed at the hotel until they switched from rail to air travel. Track athletes participating at the BAA Meet, including Glenn Cunningham , Harrison Dillard , Charles Beetham , and Ralph Boston , also stayed at
216-703: The International Boxing Club in the 1950s, Arcel retired from training, after being injured with a lead pipe during an attack in Boston, in a case that was never solved by police, returning in the 1970s to work with Alfonso Frazier and Roberto Durán . After Durán quit in his second fight against Sugar Ray Leonard , Arcel helped prepare Larry Holmes for his fight against Gerry Cooney . He retired from training after that fight, having returned to Durán's corner in January 1982 for Durán's fight against Wilfred Benítez . Arcel died on March 7, 1994, at
240-533: The Manger. On July 29, 1932, the Boston Police Department arrested 26 men they believed were involved in the pool and lottery racket . 25 of the 26 men were also charged with suspicion of knowledge of murder. On March 13, 1935, the body of Sturgis H. Hunt, a Quincy, Massachusetts political figure who was a "missing witness" in the removal proceedings against Mayor Charles A. Ross, was found by
264-555: The North Station Industrial Building, and about 17 acres of land behind North Station to Linnell & Cox . Linnell & Cox soon sold the hotel to Dison Corp. for a reported $ 2 million amid threats that the city would take over the property because of tax defaults. As railroad traffic declined, the neighborhood surrounding North Station lost its importance as a commuter center and the hotel began to suffer financially. In 1973, Dison petitioned to convert
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#1732773368569288-720: The age of 94. In 1926, Ray's first marriage was to Hazel Douglas. (It was her second marriage. Hazel's ex husband was Augustus William Masterson and their sons William D. Masterson and Augustus Masterson. Hazel died on August 3, 1946. Ray and Hazel adopted a daughter Adele Arcel Bloch, who died on February 8, 1990.) His second wife and widow was Stephanie Arcel. It was her second marriage. Predeceased by husband, and love of her life, legendary boxing trainer Ray Arcel and adopted daughter and son-in-law Nick Dennis as Mickey Feeney Bill and Clement Bloch. Survived by granddaughters Jill Bloch and Susan Bloch Molloy. Stephanie Arcel died on August 8, 2014. Actor Robert De Niro portrayed Arcel in
312-785: The budget commissioner. He resigned in September 1924 to fully devote his time to his duties as B&M chairman. In October 1928, Loring and associates bought into the Seneca Textile Corporation of New York. On October 9, 1928, Loring announced the formation of the United Merchants and Manufacturers, Inc. Loring served a president of the new company. In January 1929, Loring purchased the Arkwright Mills in Fall River, Massachusetts . Loring
336-468: The hotel and held a press conference there. In 1958, the Boston and Maine Railroad began negotiations to purchase full ownership of the hotel. The purchase was announced on January 30, 1959. The hotel was renamed as the Hotel Madison by B&M. Julius Manger Jr. stated that the reason for the sale was the company's desire to focus on its motel operations. In July 1963, B&M sold the hotel,
360-403: The hotel into an elderly housing complex. The Boston Housing Authority supported the proposal and worked to get federal funding. The BHA also considered moving its headquarters to the hotel if the project was completed. However, plans for the housing development fell through. On October 21, 1976, it was announced that due to financial problems, the hotel would close on October 30. In March 1983,
384-559: The hotel until service was restored. On September 19, 1953, boxing trainer and manager Ray Arcel was critically injured in front of the hotel when he was hit from behind by an assailant wielding a lead pipe. The attack was a warning from the mob, who did not want Arcel to organize a competing television broadcast. The attack was never solved and Arcel remained out of boxing until 1972, when he came out of retirement to train Roberto Durán . On September 12, 1964, The Beatles stayed at
408-477: The hotel. B&M and Manger would each hold 50% of the stock in the building company and the hotel would be leased to a company owned by Julius Manger. The cost of the building was to be $ 2.8 million. The Hotel Manger opened to the public on August 30, 1930. It was the fifteenth hotel opened by the Manger chain, which also owned hotels in New York City and Chicago . The 17-story hotel contained 500 rooms,
432-429: The railroad and extended the maturity of $ 40 million worth of bonds by fifteen years. He also installed George Hannauer as president and brought on John Frank Stevens as an advisor. Loring resigned as chairman on September 24, 1928. In December 1922, Governor Channing H. Cox nominated Loring to serve on the newly created State Commission on Administration and Finance. Loring was the commission's chairman as well as
456-553: The time of his retirement, Cowley was the NHL's all-time leading point scorer. On May 14, 1970, Bruins head coach Harry Sinden held a press conference at the hotel to announce he was leaving hockey to enter private business. His announcement came four days after the Bruins defeated the St. Louis Blues in the 1970 Stanley Cup Finals . On October 25, 1949, the body of Leon G. Whittemore, head of
480-584: Was an American industrialist who served as chairman of the Boston & Maine Railroad from 1924 to 1928. He was known for reorganizing large industries. Loring was born in October 1875 in Newton Center, Massachusetts . He attended Newton public schools. Loring began his business career with his father's brokerage firm. Loring served as president of the Macon, Dublin & Savannah Railroad, chairman of
504-623: Was buried in the Lakeview Cemetery in Holliston, Massachusetts . Ray Arcel Ramil "Ray" Arcel (August 30, 1899 – March 7, 1994) was an American boxing trainer who was active from the 1920s through the 1980s. He trained 20 world champions. Arcel was born in Terre Haute, Indiana , the son of Rose (Wachsman) and David Arcel. His parents were Jewish immigrants from Russia and Romania. He moved to New York City before he
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#1732773368569528-511: Was married to Mary (Bennett) Loring. The couple had one daughter. In 1908, Loring purchased Maple Ridge Farm in Ashland, Massachusetts , for use as a summer place. On January 25, 1925, the mansion house was destroyed by a suspected arson fire. All of the mansion's valuables were destroyed. In 1936, Loring began residing in a room at The Union League Club in New York City . Loring died on June 20, 1939, in his room at The Union League Club. He
552-688: Was six years old. He grew up in Harlem and graduated from Stuyvesant High School in 1917. He began training fighters at Stillman's Gym, near the old location of Madison Square Garden on 8th Avenue, in the 1920s. The champions he trained were Benny Leonard , Ezzard Charles , Jim Braddock , Barney Ross , Bob Olin , Tony Zale , Billy Soose , Ceferino Garcia , Lou Brouillard , Teddy Yarosz , Freddie Steele , Jackie Kid Berg , Alfonso Frazier , Abe Goldstein , Frankie Genaro , Tony Marino , Sixto Escobar , Charley Phil Rosenberg , Roberto Durán and Larry Holmes . After some disputes with Jim Norris and
576-484: Was the hotel's first manager. The hotel was formally opened on September 27, 1930. The reception was attended by over 200 guests, including Mayor James Michael Curley , Secretary of the Commonwealth Frederic W. Cook , and U.S. Representative John McCormack . Former Boston fire commissioner Theodore A. Glynn was the toastmaster for the event. From 1934 to 1936, radio station WMEX had its studio in
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