The Corser’s Block at 149-153 High Street is now gone. In fact both building at this location are now gone.
The William Miles Photography Studio was here in 1885.
1871
Sanborn map analysis:
Sanborn 1915 map shows that a photographer was still there
The Allyn Building is at 164-170 High Street and has served many purposes through the years. It started in 1871 in the Italianate style. It once housed the City Boot and Shoe Store.
In 1885 the M P Conway Piano Dealer was here too.
By 1915 this building and the one just north of it are being called the Roy’s Building and the Roy’s Block.
In 1940 the building is being called Bail’s Block.
By 1885 there are two more Allyn Blocks. There is one at 278 and 282 High Street and then there is one at 253 and 257 High.
Sanborn map analysis:
Taber Building was made in 1884 by the son of Luther Taber. By 1885 the wonderful ad shown below ran.
The Cunningham Block is at 302-308 High Street. Also called the Thime’s and Cordes’ Block.
Frank Cordes the sign painter was based here. Cordes did murals and sign painting. Some of his work might still exist but this is hard to verify. The Hampshire County Courthouse has his murals in the old part of the building in front. He also made some murals in Connecticut. In 1883 he was at 239 High.
That block is gone and the People’s Bank is here.
The Toggery was at 302 High Street and was a men’s clothing store.
In 1908 the Suffolk Cafe was at 308 High.
Sanborn map analysis:
Sanborn 1884 map has the artist shop here
Sanborn 1889 map shows that paint for artists and wall painters are here
The Sycamores is many houses.
This is also part of the South Hadley Heritage tour. Navigate back to the tour page HERE.
The Old Meeting House is the first one in what would become South Hadley. It is still there and all the other meeting houses built after that are gone. It is now used as a restaurant.
The Maple Grove Cemetery in Chicopee is the third oldest cemetery in the city. Take this walking tour to view this great cemetery.
stop 1 – cemetery gates
When this cemetery started in 1836 it was called the Cabotville Burial Ground. In 1878 it changed to Maple Grove Cemetery. The Grape Street Primary School is seen at the top of Auburn Street. It was built in 1861. FINDAGRAVE
The Mosman family lived at 119, 122, and 123 Grape Street.
To family historians, the town and city of Chicopee used MG to denote burials within this cemetery from the inception of Chicopee in 1848 onwards. MG means Maple Grove Cemetery. Thus Maple Grove Cemetery has had this name in an unofficial form for much longer than the timeframe that I have given above.
stop 2 – Elisha Bullens
Notice the very many family plots in this cemetery. Many have raised ground around the family plot. Also many have iron railings around the family plot. There is a good chance that the many iron railings are due to the Ames Mill being nearby. The Bullens family plot is a good example of the use of the iron railings. Note also the raised ground around many of the family plots. This might be a nice touch but after a century it will lead to many overturned gravestones due to increased solifluction in the soil. In 1978 about 60 thousand dollars was spent on fixing the cemetery but now it is getting back to its former state. FINDAGRAVE
stop 3 – Mosman family
The Mosman family lived in the two homes on Grape Street directly behind the gravestone. They also lived in the house directly across Grape Street from there two houses. Silas was a blacksmith at the Ames Mill. His grandson Melzar Mosman made Civil War monuments around Massachusetts. FINDAGRAVE
stop 4 – James Ames
James Ames and his brother Nathan brought the Ames Company to Chicopee. FINDAGRAVE
The Valentine School and the Robinson School are directly behind the James Ames gravestone.
stop 5 – Mary Bates
Mary Bates has her gravestone embedded into a tree. Fine example of what NOT to do to keep a cemetery looking good. This is however what happens to items left near trees for a long time. FINDAGRAVE Trees grow from its top tip and all end of branches and also grow outward in the trunk and branches, but they never grow up and out at the same time from any given area. Thus this stone will never be lifted.
stop 6 – Le Roy
Not much is known about this plot. It seems to be for a single burial and at that for a person named Le Roy. The name Le Roy appears on the front bottom, the front middle, and the back middle. FINDAGRAVE
The iron fencing is very close to the burial. The fence being around a single burial is a sign that they were attempting to stop graves robbers. See this LINK for a wonderful story on grave robbing. I do not know of any medical schools that were nearby so it is not known why this is so closely guarded.
6A-B – Old Burials and the Town Cemetery
In the oldest section of the cemetery, there are burials from the 1830s.
This old section also has a large, empty-looking northern edge. This might be a potter’s field section. Thus these are pauper’s graves. In the town burial records, this section is denoted with a burial of Town Cemetery. In the 1840s to 1860s town burial records, the burials here are called either Cabotville, Maple Grove, or Town Cemetery.
stop 7 – John Chase
John Chase was the agent in charge of the Cabotville Canal including getting the canal, dam, housing, and mills built. He was also the agent in charge of the Holyoke Canal System including getting the canal, dam, housing, and mills built. His large obelisk is still in place and in great shape but his small tombstone is fallen. FINDAGRAVE
stop 8 – Alton Phillips
Alton Phillips was a Civil War soldier from the North who died during the course of the war from his injuries. He died the 4th of May 1863 in Culpeper, Virginia. FINDAGRAVE
Nearby is George Croshier who also died during the course of the war from his injuries. FINDAGRAVE
stop 9 – Chapin
Look at the burial location of the Chapin stone. Thus this is a cenotaph. FINDAGRAVE
stop 10 – John Spier
John Spier is buried in the SE section of the cemetery. There are three repaired stones in this fashion in this cemetery. FINDAGRAVE
stop 11 – Nathan Ames
The brothers Nathan and James Ames came to Chicopee to start their factory. The Ames Mill produced cannons and swords. FINDAGRAVE
Some of the other families that have fence around their lots are Wardwell, Streeter, Smith, Howard and Ball, Cutler and Brown and Meade, Miller, Burnett, Charter, Merrick, Brigham, Taylor, Babcock and Jacobs, Phillips, and Denison.
stop 12 – neighborhood
This cemetery is near Springfield Street which is a very historic street in Chicopee. Follow my other tours in this area of Chicopee.
Holy Name Church and other churches
stop X – Angelina Worswick
FINDAGRAVE – Angelina started the temperance movement in Holyoke
Sanborn map analysis:
Sanborn 1910 map shows the Grape Street School along with the Robinson School and Valentine School
Burial Grounds of Chicopee throughout its History is a presentation format of the cemeteries of Chicopee. Before 1851 the Catholics of Chicopee would have been buried in Saint Matthew’s Cemetery of Springfield. Before 1739 the Protestants of Chicopee would have been buried in Springfield Cemetery of Springfield.
To find a burial site of a person, use the town copy of the death records on ancestry. From 1848 to 1881 the cemetery is listed.
| cemetery | link | religion | ethnicity | type | year | |
| 1 | Calvary Cemetery | link | Catholic | for all Western Massachusetts Catholics | lawn | 1851 |
| 2 | Sainte Rose de Lima Cemetery | link | Catholic | Quebec | lawn | 1910 |
| 3 | Saint Stanislaus Cemetery | link | Catholic | Polish | lawn | 1924 |
| 4 | Saint Patrick’s Cemetery | link | Catholic | for all Chicopee Falls Catholics | lawn | 1873 |
| 5 | Sons of Zion Cemetery | link | Jewish | for Holyoke | lawn | 1897 |
| 6 | Rodphey Sholom Cemetery | link | Jewish | for Holyoke | lawn | 1923 |
| 7 | Chicopee Street Burying Ground | link | Protestant | Congregational | churchyard | 1739 |
| 8 | East Street Cemetery | link | Protestant | Chicopee Falls | lawn | 1825 |
| 9 | Maple Grove Cemetery | link | Protestant | Chicopee Center | lawn | 1832 |
| 10 | Fairview Cemetery | link | Protestant | all | rural | 1870 |
| 11 | Holy Mother of the Rosary Cemetery | link | National Catholic | Polish | rural | 1897 |
| 12 | Holy Name of Jesus Churchyard | link | Catholic | pastors | churchyard | 1889 |
| X | Town Farm at the Chicopee Almshouse | link | none | none | none | 1848 |
| Y | Native American Burial Grounds | link | none | none | none | unknown |
| OUTSIDE | ||||||
| 13 | Pine Grove Cemetery | link | Baptist | was in both in South Hadley and Chicopee | churchyard | 1788 |
| 14 | Saint Rose Cemetery | link | Catholics of Saint Anne Church | South Hadley | lawn | 1884 |
| 15 | Saint Matthew Cemetery | link | Catholic | Springfield | lawn | 1845 |
| 16 | Saint Augustine Cemetery | link | Catholic | Boston | churchyard | 1818 |
| 17 | Temple Ohabei Shalom Cemetery | link | Jewish | Boston | lawn | 1844 |
| 18 | Old Springfield Burial Ground | link | Protestant | Springfield | churchyard | 1600s |
| 19 | South Hadley Falls Cemetery | link | Protestant | South Hadley | lawn | 1839 |
| 20 | Notre Dame Cemetery | link | Catholic | South Hadley | lawn | 1891 |
| 21 | Native American | none |
Holy Name of Jesus Church and the 3 neighborhood churches is a walking tour of the Springfield Street area in Chicopee Massachusetts.
stop 1 – Sacred Heart of Mary Convent
The Sacred Heart of Mary Convent (LOCATION) was built in 1867 for the Notre Dame nuns who staffed the girls school. It had a small front on South Street but a longer section along Clinton Street. It gained a chapel in 1899.
Notre Dame de Namur nuns – EXTERNAL LINK
stop 2 – Holy Name Girls’ School
This was the first Catholic school in Western or Central Massachusetts. It was built in 1868 between the church and the convent. This was the Saint Joseph School. The school (LOCATION) was only for girls. In 1894 Holy Name campus finally gained a high school but it was only for girls also – Holy Name High School.
In the early days the classrooms (September 2 1867) were in the side chapel of the church.
stop 3 – Patrick Healy Gravestone
Patrick Healy was the third pastor of this parish.
He is buried in the churchyard. His FINDAGRAVE page has much information for you. Usually only the first and perhaps the second pastor of a church are buried alongside the founding church. He is neither but what he did was found the first Catholic school in Central or Western Massachusetts. Thus he is buried alongside that school.
stop 4 – Holy Name of Jesus Church
The church was originally a wooden clad church that was built from 1839 to 1843. This was Saint Matthews Church and was on Pleasant Street.
The brick church of the Holy Name of Jesus was built in 1857 and 1858. (Land was purchased in 1854.) The dedication was May 29 1859. This brick church had been designed by Patrick Keeley.
William Blenkinsop the third pastor had the brick church built.
In 1874 the organ was installed.
stop 5 – Henry Lorenzo Robinson Gravestone
More about Father Robinson is at this FINDAGRAVE page.
During the 1820s Rev Fitton WIKIPEDIA travelled around the area having masses from place to place. He celebrated a mass in 1831 in Cabotville. In 1838 the first Catholic parish in Western Massachusetts was formed. The cousin of the John Brady below served as a pastor in Hartford. FINDAGRAVE That Holy Trinity Church is gone but the successor is still there. ENTERNAL LINK
| pastor | starts | ends | burial | burial |
| John D Brady | 1840 | 1847 | burial | St Augustine in Boston |
| James Strain | 1847 | 1849 | burial | St Mary’s in Lynn |
| William Aloysius Blenkinsop | 1849 | 1864 | burial | St Augustine in Boston |
| Patrick Healy | 1864 | 1889 | burial | this churchyard |
| Henry Robinson | 1889 | 1894 | burial | this churchyard |
| John J McCoy | 1894 | 1905 | burial | St Jerome’s in Holyoke |
| John F Conlin | 1905 | 1953 | burial | Calvary in Chicopee |
| Joseph Ryan | 1953 | 1963 | burial | St Jerome’s in Holyoke |
| Thomas Shea | 1963 | burial | unknown | |
stop 6 – Rectory
(LOCATION)
The rectory was made in 1857 for the pastor. It is in the Second Empire architectural style. In 1868 the roof was raised to make it a two story building.
stop 7 – Chapel
This chapel was built in 1871. A second chapel was built attached to the back of the convent.
stop 8 – Boys’ School
The Holy Name Boys’ School (LOCATION) was made in 1881 in the back of the church and convent. This was called the St Joseph’s School. Until 1882 classes were held in the girls’ school. The monks that taught here were from the De La Salle Christian Brothers. They taught here from 1881 to 1906.
stop 9 – Monastery
The Holy Name Monastary was made in 1881 in the back of the boys’ school. At first there were only two brothers here but it grew from that point.
stop 10 – Science School
The Holy Name Science School was made in 1925. In September of 1962 this building also housed the Holy Name High School for Girls.
stop 11 – Cemeteries of Holy Name of Jesus
Notice at first the two priests that are buried on the campus. They are mentioned above. From 1845 to 1910s the churchgoers of this church used the Saint Matthews Cemetery of Springfield. John Brady the priest bought this land in Springfield (about a football field length south of the present Calvary Cemetery). The parish used this cemetery until it was mostly filled up. From the 1920s until now, the Calvary Cemetery of Chicopee was heavily used. Calvary Cemetery was a Springfield Catholic Diocese cemetery started in 1852. In 1868 Father Healey had purchased the cemetery from the diocese to have it has a parish cemetery.
For the remainder of the tour go to this LINK.
Sanborn map analysis
