West Springfield is a canal community like many of the communities in Hampden County. The canal was completed in 1839 and was named the Agawam Canal. The community became a town in 1774. This location was settled in 1655. Agawam would separate in 1855 and Holyoke in 1850.
The Saint Thomas the Apostle Church Campus in West Springfield was founded in 1869. It is located on Pine Street. The parish of Saint Thomas the Apostle started as a mission church of the Holy Name Church of Chicopee. The Holy Name Parish was the first Catholic parish in Western Massachusetts.
The old church was destroyed in 1905. The present was built in 1906 at 63 Pine Street. It is clearly in the neo-Gothic style. The first pastor of the church from its inception in 1877 was William Phelan. Another former pastor is James Tyrrell. FINDAGRAVE – pastor from Dec 7 1905 to Oct 22 1925. A list of pastors can be found at the external LINK.
The Saint Thomas the Apostle Rectory is at 47 Pine Street.
The Saint Thomas the Apostle Rectory Carriage House is nearby.
The Saint Thomas the Apostle School is at 75 Pine Street. It is from about 1961.
The Saint Thomas the Apostle Hall is at 87 Pine Street and is from about 1962. This is the former convent for the nuns that taught at the school. The first convent was from 1931.
The Saint Thomas the Apostle Cemetery is from about 1870 also. It is located nearby at Kings Highway.
Congregation Kodimoh Cemetery – Beth El Chapel is from 1927.
Rohan Park is in the location of the former Kirtland School. This school was at first called the New Oakdale School. It was opened in January of 1909. Sure it was built in 1908 but in 1916 it already received an addition to its back. (the school was at 298 Sargeant Street)
The park is defined by parallel streets – Sargeant and West Franklin Streets and then Chapman and Saint Jerome Avenues. It closed in 1991 and was razed in 1997.
The school is named after Edwin Kirtland a former superintendent of the Holyoke school system. The school was an elementary school and a neighborhood school. PHOTO – Kirtland died in 1910 and the school soon after was changed into his name.
The park is named after Robert Rohan Sr who was a state representative for Holyoke for 18 years. (1975 to 1993) FINDAGRAVE
Robert Rohan’s father was Patrick Rohan who was a driver for the fire chief of Holyoke.
The John Stacy Apartments are from 1910 and are at 320-322 Sargeant Street. These were built as the Oakdale neighborhood developed into a trolley neighborhood. In 1892 the Holyoke Streetcar trolley line went up Sargeant Street. See Line G at this LINK.
In 1914 the apartment complex at 321 Sargeant Street across the street from the Stacey were built. The trolley allowed mill workers to move out of the downtown area.
Down Pinehurst Road is the house of James Newton. This Colonial Revival house was built in 1909 on the massive homestead that Newton had in the Oakdale area. Newton lived at 159 Chestnut Street for many years and then in 1909 moved to the Pinehurst. Read about his original HOME. Then read about the many addresses of this Pinehurst mansion HERE. Lastly, read about his MILL. He would have this beautiful mansion built at 21 and 25 Pinehurst Road.
The house has an address of 25 and the carriage house has an address of 21 but both point to Northampton Street since there was once a private driveway from the west. Thus the front of the house is now in the backyard.
Across the street in 1911 the James Bertram Newton house was built at 6 Pinehurst Road. This house had many addresses through the years including a Franklin Street address. James Bertram Newton was the son of James Hale Newton and would live in this second Newton house on Pinehurst Street. FINDAGRAVE
At 243-245 Sargeant Street is the Skinner Workers House. William Skinner had his manager living in this house. The house is from 1892. Around 1917 Robert Inglis a baker had changed this into a bakery. The bakery was at 408 High Street in 1916 but moved here. This was the home for Robert Inglis (245 Sargeant). The bakery was Inglis and Oliver.
Native American Burial Grounds in Chicopee Massachusetts
There are hints of a native burial at Walnut Island in the Chicopee River that was found about 1910. Also a burial along Chicopee Street that was found in the 1800s.
The South Amherst Cemetery is between South East Street and Middle Street in Amherst. The land was purchased in 1818. External LINK to its history page. In 1846 trees were added.
Sweet Alice Pond Loop Trail – MAP – on Bay Road near the Kestrel Center – 1 mile trail is with purple blazes – another loop leads to the Trolley Trail
Puffer’s Pond – MAP – 171 State Street – attached to the Mill River Conservation Area, the Lower Mill River Conservation Area, and the Upper Mill River Conservation Area
Amethyst Brook – MAP – Amethyst Brook Conservation Area and the Whitney Conservation Area – Thayer Street and Pelham Road
Wentworth Farm – MAP – 135 Stanley Street – Wentworth Farm Conservation Area
Mount Pollux – MAP – off of 1413 South East Street – Mount Pollux Conservation Area
Lawrence Swamp – MAP – 101 Station Road – near the Hop Brook and the Baby Carriage Brook
Eastman Brook Conservation Area – MAP – 280 Leverett Road
Granby was formed June 11 1768 from the eastern portion of South Hadley. Granby had been settled in 1727. The West Street Cemetery in Granby was founded while this land was still part of South Hadley. It is a churchyard cemetery since it is very close to the former Meeting House (or Congregational Church) that was on West Street. The old part of this cemetery is on land donated by James Smith on July 10 1769.
Benjamin Franklin Potter and Lydia Day Potter were moved from a churchyard cemetery in Enfield Massachusetts in the 1930s to this Granby cemetery due to the Quabbin Reservoir construction. Also two of her children were moved. FINDAGRAVE
There are two reburials from the Old South Hadley Cemetery when it was moved from 1903. These are confirmed.
Samuel Dickinson husband of Esther White Dickinson – FINDAGRAVE – stone is there
The North Cemetery (Batchelor Street Cemetery) FINDAGRAVE was started in 1764. Since Granby was incorporated as a town in 1768, North Cemetery was on South Hadley land for its first four years. This is a family cemetery. There were several families that settled in this part of Granby in order to form a Baptist Church but the church was never built. This cemetery might have been a churchyard cemetery but many of those Baptist families moved to land close by in Belchertown or in Wilbraham to form a church. The West Street Cemetery was not formed until 1769 so this North Cemetery is the oldest cemetery in Granby.
Proof of this is that the two children of the reverend Seth Clark and Mary Edwards his wife are in this cemetery. The children are Levi Clark (FINDAGRAVE) and Ruth Clark (FINDAGRAVE). Once Seth Clark had an inclination toward being a Baptist minister, he would have the inclination to moved away from the Congregationalists and also to form a new church, village, and cemetery. The church never formed in Granby but he did move to Wilbraham to be a Baptist minister. The village and cemetery did form in Granby along Batchelor Street. The children Levi and Ruth were born in Wilbraham but they were buried in Granby.
Walter and Lottie Corbin did a great survey of this cemetery – HERE
The Levi Clark gravestone is deep into the ground now and at an angle. Its script was once transcribed by Corbin.
Here Lies the Body of Levi Clark the son of Seth Clark and Mary his wife. He died Janry 11 1764 aged 8 years 5 months.
Here Ive Begun a Congregation
Which You now here may see
It wont be Long er you will throng
into the grave with me
This I have said as from the dead
Therefore Get Ready to
For you must. One day ask ____________
Elliot Ferry
Elliot Ferry died in 1862 in Annapolis Maryland in his 20s. He was a soldier for the Northern forces. – FINDAGRAVE
Ashael Smith (FINDGRAVE) is another early burial and again this time of a child.
Gad was the 2nd great grandson of John Preston of South Hadley fame. FINDAGRAVE
He had 6 wives and all of them are listed on the gravestone.
Hunter family
Luther Newell and Polly
The two stones below are footstone and headstone for the same person.
The Samuel Ayres and Martha Bell house is at 218 Batchelor Street. – FINDAGRAVE – Martha is buried at the North Cemetery. The house is a mid-1700s colonial house in the salt box style. Macris PDF
The Eleazer Ayres and Sybill Clark house is at 232 Batchelor Street and is from 1762. – FINDAGRAVE
The Eliphalet Green and Mercy Selden house is at 326 Batchelor Street. – FINDAGRAVE
The David Smith Cook Jr. and Lucinda Taylor House is at 7 School Street. – FINDAGRAVE
The Asahel Smith and Elizabeth ? house is at 117 Batchelor Street. – FINDAGRAVE – The house is a mid-1700s colonial house in the salt box style.
The John Warner and Margaret Shumway house is at the same address but with a red barn added. – FINDAGRAVE
row
family
highlights
1
Lyman
2
(many)
3
(many)
Lieut Asahel Smith
4
Barton
5
Preston
Gad Preston and his six wives
6
Clark
Levi Clark is the first burial in the cemetery
7
Kellogg
8
Ayres / Clark
Lois and Chester Ayres start the row but gravestones are gone
9
Preston / Ayres
Martha Ayres died 1765 second burial ever here / Joseph and Hannah Clark young children have footstones
10
Ferry / Preston
Elliot Ferry died in Civil War
11
Burnham
Georgiana Gorham Joslyn in the 17th row was in the WRC
