1934-12-07 - Laserfiche WebLink

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92 operation of the club. They closed the Westminster Tavern and opened the Castle Club at Gardner and they were granted the first license that was granted for -the sale of liquor. ; Mr. Harrington stated that at one time he operated the Dan- forth Farm County Club and that he would no*. -like to get nearer Boston. He acted in the capacity of president of the club which had a large following of the better class of people. They did not, however, want to go into the city of Boston. He also stated that those that belonged now in Gardner would attend the club here in Lexington and the matter had been taken up and ,gone into very thoroughly with the Board of Directors appointed by all the members. The club was actually a social club. He had been with the club ever since they were inaugurated. The club has never been a paying club but has been more of a gathering place.and a good dining place. The letter from the Chairman of the Board of Selectmen of Westminster was read by the Chairman of the Board of Appeals. Mr. Neil McIntosh stated that he owns some property in this vicinity and that he did own the Cary House which had been a white elephant since it was bought in 1924. In 1926 he sold it to a Mrs. Gavin who attempted to run it as an Inn and she did not make it pay. He did not know of anything that would be put in there that would make it pay unless it was something privately operated. He called attention to the replacement value of the very expensive ' building which he thought would be about $80,000, and he felt that a proposition such as Mr. Harrington had to offer would be the only way by which the building could be operated as a paying proposition. Miss Anna Hannaford stated that and was a charter member of a club in Cambridge that met at the Cary House in the past and they were very anxious to be able to go there again and she saw no reason why Mr. Ryder should hot be allowdd the privilege of having a license for this purpose so that he could pay his taxes. Mrs. Goodrich of 248 Lincoln Street stated that she had quite a few dealings with Mr. Ryder and she felt that if he has anything to do with the club that it would be run as a very good place and she was in favor of having a place where club ladies could have a meeting and felt it would be run in very high class order. No other persons appeared in favor of the application. Mr. Robert Boleyn of Shade Street presented a petition signed by forty-five persons who were opposed and protested the variation of the Zoning Law to allow a club to be operated at the Cary House on Cary Avenue and also to the ' placing of a Neon sign on the premises.