Churches on Springfield Street in Chicopee

Start with the Holy Name of Jesus Church and then walk out the back of its parking lot.

Stop 1 – Holy Name of Jesus Church campus

Read about the campus at the LINK.

Leave the back of the campus near the science building.

stop 2 – Chapin house

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The Levi Chapin house is from 1780 and is in the Federal style.

stop 3 – Abbey house

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This is the Charles Abbey house from 1893. He was a home developer that worked during the 1880s and 1890s. He attempted to form the Fairview neighborhood into a trolley neighborhood.

stop 4 – Grace Episcopal Church

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This Gothic church was finished in 1897 and the Grace Church was consecrated on July 6 1897. It is an offshoot of the Christ’s Cathedral in Springfield. It is located at the corner of Springfield and Pleasant Streets.

Across the street from the Grace Church was the First Unitarian Church of Chicopee. It was at the corner of Fairview Avenue and Grape Street. It was taken down in 1973.

stop 5 – Assumption Convent

The convent is the former home of Doctor Kimball. It was purchased in 1925 for the teaching nuns. It has since been demolished. It was built in 1842 in the Greek Revival style.

The order was the Order of the Holy Spirit. They had served Chicopee well and left for good November 30 1993. This order had come to Chicopee in 1903.

stop 6 – Assumption Rectory

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This rectory was the home of the former governor of Massachusetts – George Robinson. It was purchased when the church was built. The first rectory was the home of Father Bonneville.

It was made in 1869 in the Second Empire style.

pastorstartsendsburial
Evariste Pelletier1885May 16 1893Canada
Frederick Bonneville18931928Calvary
Louis T RodierJuly 10 1928July 30 1932
Pierre H Gauthier19331938St Patrick’s of Northbridge
Jean B MessierJuly 31 19381946
Augustin B AugeFebruary 2 19461954St Mary of Putnam Conn
Roy E Leroux19541969Notre Dame of South Hadley
Richard Faucher1969St Rose de Lima

stop 7 – Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary Church

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A mission church of the Precious Blood Church of Holyoke and then of the St Aloysius Church of Springfield was started in Chicopee in 1874 using a temporary building. In 1885 a church was built on Academy Street for the new parish. In 1903 a school (October 12 1903) and convent (September 17 1903) were built near the church. They were at 94 Center Street and at Cabot Street. The nuns were from the order of the Daughters of the Holy Spirit. Their motherhouse is in Saint Brieux France.

The present church was built in 1924. This replaced the other one which had burnt in a fire. The church is now associated with the Holy Name of Jesus parish.

This church is in the Classical Revival style.

Sanborn map 1896

stop 8 – Assumption School

This new Assumption School was made ready and dedicated September 4 1954. It replaced a 4 room schoolhouse that was built here in 1925. It was the home for Holyoke Catholic High School for a few years.

stop 9 – Third Congregational Church

The Third Congregational Church is on Springfield Street at the corner with Pearl.

stop 10 – Charles McClallan

Charles McClallan built his own home at 23 Pearl Street in 1833.

stop 10A – Charles McClallan

Charles McClallan built homes at 25 Chapman Street in 1840 in the Federal style. Charles McClallan was the master mason for John Chase the builder of the Chicopee and Holyoke Canals. He also build 29 and 33 on this street. The years are 1840, 1845, and 1850.

stop 11 – Chapman and Atkins Brush Factory Worker Housing

Now turn onto School Street and look on the left. These three homes are the Chapman and Atkins Brush Factory Worker Housing from 1845. They were made for the workers of George Chapman and Frederick Atkins who operated a brush factory on Springfield Street.

stop 12 – Abner Abbey

This 1846 Classical house is that of Abner Abbey one of the most prolific builders of homes in Chicopee.

Sanborn maps of Springfield Street area:

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