Sacred Heart Roman Catholic Church is a neo-Gothic church on Chestnut Street in Springfield. This is in the Liberty Heights neighborhood of the city. Its campus included a rectory, churchyard, convent, and school.
Church
Sacred Heart Church was started in October 21 1888 and finished in 1896. The plans were made by James Murphy. It was consecrated on October 18 1896. The church is made of Longmeadow Sandstone. The church has 27 stained glass window that were made in Munich Germany.
Churchyard
James J McDermott was the founder of this wonderful church. James had been ordained August 11 1866. The first mass was in 1874 at the Chapel of the Sacred Heart which was on Everett Street. The rectory was at 35 Everett Street. (Springfield city directory). Father McDermott was buried alongside the church in 1891 – FINDAGRAVE. He had gone to Paris France to deal with tuberculosis but died there.
Convent
In 1882 the convent was built.
School
The school was at 27 Everett Street and was ready in 1873. The church would be for a while on the ground floor and the school on the second floor. The school was served by the Sisters of Notre Dame who also served the girls’ schools in Chicopee and Holyoke. In 1925 a new school was erected on the site of the old school.
Rectory
In 1872 the house that would become the rectory was built and occupied by a Luther Fisk. After the death of McDermott, Reverend Thomas Smythe took over.
Neighborhood
Two streets over on Carew Street in 1896 the Sisters of Providence started the Mercy Hospital.
Offshoot – Our Lady of Hope Parish was organized in 1906 as a mission church of Sacred Heart. All Souls Church was another mission church of Sacred Heart. It was on Plainfield Street and started in 1907.
Sanborn – 1886 map – 1896 map – 1911 map
