Cemeteries of Ludlow. Ludlow was settled in 1751 and became a district in 1774 and a town in 1775. Anna Sikes is the only known burial in Ludlow before 1775. Any burials before 1772 must have been brought to the Old Springfield Cemetery.
Lovering School at 253 Oak Street from 1905 to 1917 (12 schoolyears) and then at 250 / 252 Pleasant Street from 1917 to 1939 (23 schoolyears). Thus there were 35 schoolyears in all. Benefactress is Mary Ranlet Lovering. At first it was called the Private Clary School but from September of 1912 onward it was called the Lovering School.
The Highland Park Community House met at this 250 Pleasant Street location from 1917 to 1923. Samuel Hoyt and his construction firm built the house in 1917. Samuel Hoyt lived from 1873 to 1954. He was the leader of the Highland Park Associates. From 1911 to 1927 he would live in many houses in the neighborhood.
The Olmsted firm made plans for the Jones Point Park from 1908 to 1911. Holyoke worked on the park from 1911 to 1912 but never completed it. It was to be called City Park and was to compete with Mountain Park. A new trolley was run up to it.
The house was abandoned from 1939 to 1947 and was to be razed.
Joseph Pelczarski and his wife Mary Chowdrey bought the house and converted it. Pelczarski was a musician that played the saxophone. He would often play with Big Bands in Springfield. During the 1930s he would be in WPA music projects and in the 1940s he would be in military bands. To supplement his income he also worked at furniture stores including 25 years at Epstein Furniture as a sales person. His wife would die in 1963 and he would sell the house the next year.
In 1949 Hart-Lester Allen would move into the house as a tenant. Her husband Joseph Allen had broken up the Charles Ponzi scheme.
The Gionfriddo family would own the house from 1964 onward. Mark is also a musician and a music teacher. Hart-Lester Allen would remain at the house. Jeannie and Mark Gionfriddo would jointly write a book about her called Good Night, Dear Hart, Good Night.
Sanborn map analysis:
Sanborn 1915 school is not there yet and the three earlier maps do not cover this
Saint Mary’s Roman Catholic Church is on Seventh Street in Montague’s Turners Falls village. It is from a 1888 construction. Its first mass was Dec 17 1891.
