Southbridge Hotel changes name following historic designation
Image | Courtesy of Wellsworth Hotel
The Wellsworth Hotel in Southbridge
A hotel located on the former campus of the American Optical Co. is undergoing a name change, in a move meant to embrace the location of the hotel being added to the National Register of Historic Places.
The Southbridge Hotel and Conference Center will now be known as the Wellsworth Hotel, as part of a branding reconfiguration meant to reflect the historic nature of the district it is located in, according to a press issued by the hotel on Monday.
The 81-acre American Optical Company Historic District will be formally designated to the National Register of Historic Places during a plaque ceremony at the hotel on Thursday.
The district, which sits within the larger 150-acre Southbridge Innovation Center, was first added to the register in May, according to the National Park Service’s website.
The hotel’s new name and branding is a reference to a line of Wellsworth glasses produced by the American Optical Company, which was founded in Southbridge in 1833 as a small optical store.
“As the pandemic changed the way people travel, growing a larger mix of business and leisure travel clientele came into a stronger focus,” Charles "Chip" Norton, owner of the hotel and president and owner of Franklin Realty Advisors in Wellesley, said in the release. “The hotel embodies a distinctive hybrid of hospitality with storied history, top-notch amenities and a state-of-the art-conference center. The rebrand better tells this story and carries it forward as we continue to attract new leisure guests and business clients.”
Thursday’s ceremony will include remarks and reflections on the historic significance from Congressman Richard Neal (D-Springfield), according to a separate release issued Monday by Franklin Realty Advisors, which invested an estimated $150 million into the Southbridge Innovation Center.
“I’m always delighted when important landmarks get the distinction they deserve, and I’m especially pleased to see such historical recognition land in Southbridge,” Neal said in the release issued by Franklin Realty. “ This type of celebration – one that recognizes multiple centuries of benevolence and significant economic output – is something that can only happen in a few locations, and I’m proud Southbridge is one of them.”
The Wellsworth is ranked seventh on WBJ’s list of largest hotels in Central Massachusetts as ranked by number of guest rooms, with 203 rooms, and the 22nd largest meeting venue as ranked by maximum banquet accommodation, with space to accommodate 300 people.
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