The Endicott - More Than Just a Hotel??

Built in the late 1800s, the Endicott Hotel was the first large commercial structure to be built on Main Street south of Pleasant Street.

From its beginning, the hotel, which was only a couple of blocks from Concord’s imposing railroad station, catered to the many people coming to Concord on business. With its turreted corner, the Endicott quickly became a city landmark.

By the time I came to the hotel to work in the early 1970s, the building had been around for more than 75 years.

On the Main Street side, it housed two popular clothing stores – Hooz’s and Edward Fine. In between the stores was a staircase leading to the hotel’s lobby and sitting area. Walking up the steep stairs provided many a person with a cardiovascular workout.

Most people entered from the Pleasant Street side which afforded them the opportunity to ride upstairs in an elevator that slowly made the journey, providing the rider with enough odd noises to create a feeling in the pit of the stomach that it just might not complete the trip.

On either side of the Pleasant Street entrance were two popular local businesses. On the right was a barber who cut hair the old-fashioned way and on the left, Starkey Vaeni provided some of the best food in Concord at the Endicott Grille.

Hungry “Concordians” packed the popular eatery every day and were never disappointed with the heaping plates of delicious homemade fare that was presented to them.

When I began working at the Endicott, the hotel was being run by John and Violet “Vi” Jones. John, a master chef, was known around town as “Big John” because of his imposing size.

They leased the Endicott and had built quite a dynasty in the greater Concord area with businesses they were successfully running. At the foot of Pleasant Street was Big John’s Restaurant, a 24-hour restaurant that catered to a diverse crowd including a number of Concord’s “Ladies of the Night,” taking a break in between clients. John and Vi also ran the Casserole Restaurant in Hopkinton where I frequently “tickled the ivories” in the lounge and a soft-serve ice cream stand (now known as Langs) located in Pembroke about five miles from the hotel.

Until I worked at the Endicott, I never realized how popular the hotel was. I’d thought that everyone stayed at the Highway Hotel, which was located off the traffic circle in the spot that now houses Uno’s and Petco. The Endicott was usually spoken of in whispers and I had personally witnessed some of Concord’s hookers perched precariously as they balanced themselves on heels that were scarily high as they escorted a departing Concord Theatre customer across Main Street to the Endicott. Four or five of these garishly made-up and overly coiffed escorts made their "nests" in the Endicott

Within days of starting my job at the front desk, I came to realize that most nights the hotel had an occupancy rate that other hotels and motels envied. It hovered somewhere around 95 percent.

The rooms were reasonable. Nothing cost more than $ 28 per night and if you didn’t mind a shared bath, you could stay for under $ 20 per night. The hotel, while old, was clean and the contingent of maids who worked there made sure that there was never so much as a speck of dust or any other remnant of someone’s stay.

The hotel was extremely popular with members of the New Hampshire Legislature when it was in session. Being far less expensive than the Highway Hotel, the lawmakers, who received next to nothing for providing their services to the state, liked the comfortable unfettered environment of the Endicott.

Hilda Brungot, who was in her 80s at the time, was one of those serving in the Legislature. In fact, she was elected to the Legislature 18 times and loved staying at the Endicott. She would jokingly remark that she was even older than the hotel.

At the time, Hilda was the oldest female legislator in the United States and had earned a great deal of respect from her fellow legislators who deliberately toned down their sometimes raucous behavior around her.

Hilda spent a great deal of time chatting with me and from her and conversations I overheard in the lobby, I learned a great deal about how the Legislature in New Hampshire worked at the time. It was almost a college course and gave me an unquenchable thirst for knowing more about how we govern.

The relaxing environment at the Endicott seemed to promote bipartisanship and engender respectful conversations about how members of the different political parties could come together by finding common ground. True the occasional companionship the legislators found from their “escorts,” who were sometimes vocal with their opinions, coupled with a few libations no doubt contributed, but the rancor and bitter fighting we sometimes see today was almost non-existent.

The Endicott was a real throwback to another era, an era that was already somewhat passé nearly 40 years ago. However, to the thousands of guests who either climbed the stairs or took their life in their hands by getting on the elevator, it became a home away from home.

Next time: Brother can you spare a (five and) dime.