Maple Street

  • Private GROUP TOUR (COSTS) is two hours long for this Maple Street and Neighborhood walking tour. Also a one hour indoor presentation can be given.
  • A free public tour comes up every five years.
  • A self-tour is available for anyone using the maps and text seen below.LOCATION
  • Streets of Holyoke

Maple Street is a very interesting street in Holyoke. It has Veteran Park and the Central Fire Station and more. Park at Pulaski Park at the northernmost end of Maple Street.

block 0 – Connecticut River to Pulaski Park

Read about Pulaski Park HERE

Read about the Holyoke Canal gatehouse HERE

block 1 – Pulaski Park to Saint Kolbe Drive

Read about the Our Lady of Perpetual Help Church campus HERE

Read about the Mater Dolorosa campus HERE

block 2 – Saint Kolbe to Lyman

The church was on this city block. Read about the Mater Dolorosa campus HERE

Kosciuszko Park in Holyoke – LINK

block 3 – Lyman to Hampden

Samosett House – LINK

block 4 – Hampden to Dwight

Read about the Veterans’ Park area HERE

Read about the St Jerome’s Church and campus HERE

block 5 – Dwight to Suffolk

This city block has the McAuslan Wakelin Building. Read about it HERE

At the Phoenix there was in 1915 Clark Florist. The Phoenix is on Dwight but also on Maple Street.

Also the St Jerome Temperance Hall. Read HERE

The side of the Holyoke House later called the Roger Smith Hotel is here. It was also called the Nonotuck. LINK

The John Tilley block is at the NE corner of Maple and Suffolk.

block 6 – Suffolk to Appleton

Read about the Strand Theater HERE

block 7 – Appleton to Essex

Read about the Congregational Church HERE

block 8 – Essex to Cabot

Read about the Maplewood Hotel HERE at stop 5

Read about the Holyoke Library HERE

block 9 – Cabot to Hampshire

Read about the Sons of Zion HERE

Read about the Lawrence School HERE

The Maple Street Playground was formed in about 1910. A 1911 scene is shown in the image just above. This park was located at the location now occupied by the Lawrence School.

block 10 – Hampshire to Sargeant

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There are many tenement houses on this block. Housing went up very fast as the mills started to succeed in Holyoke. The Armand at 413 Maple Street and 129 Sargeant Street is from 1907.

block 11 – Sargeant to Franklin

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The Richmond at 462-464 Maple Street is from 1910. It was designed by the famous Holyoke architect George Alderman.

Sacred Heart Church and Campus HERE

block 12 – Franklin to Jackson

The Alba block at 470 Maple Street is from 1911.

The Falcetti Towers is one of the many low income housing sites around Holyoke. Behind it and to its south is a plot of land that will be used for low income housing.

block 13 – Jackson to South Street

Sheard Park is part of the Elmwood Park – read HERE at stop 3

Sanborn map188418891895191519491956
park to Fr Kolbemapmap map map mapmap A B
Fr Kolbe to Lymanmapmap map map mapmap A B
Lyman to Hampdenmapmap map map mapmap A B
Hampden to Dwightmapmap map map mapmap A B
Dwight to Suffolkmapmap map map mapmap A B
Suffolk to Appletonmapmap map map mapmap A B
Appleton to Essexmapmap map map mapmap A B
Essex to Cabotmapmap map map mapmap A B
Cabot to Hampshiremapmap map map mapmap A B
Hampshire to Sargeantmap map map map map map
Sargeant to Franklinmap map map map map map
Franklin to Jacksonmap map map map map map
Jackson to Southmap map map map map map

Judd Paper (Gateway City Arts)

  • Private GROUP TOUR (COSTS) is one hour long for this Judd Paper and Neighborhood walking tour. Also a one hour indoor presentation can be given.
  • A free public tour comes up every five years.
  • A self-tour is available for anyone using the maps and text seen below.LOCATION

The Judd Paper (Gateway City Arts) is at 92 to 96 Race Street. The John K Judd founded Judd Paper in 1883 in Holyoke. At first they were on Main Street but in 1890 they moved to Race Street. John Judd continue as president until his death in 1929. (FINDAGRAVE) A massive fire destroyed the Judd on March 4 1921. They rebuilt quickly. The company still exist to this date – see LINK.

Judd was one of the many paper distributors around Holyoke. LIST

Outdoor Stop 1 – Canal Walk

Read about the Canal Walk area. Also read about the Lyman Mills and area. One additional building to point out is the Cubit. It houses the HCC Culinary Arts Institute in tandem with MGM. On the top two floors is the Cubit Lofts. On the lowest level is the Cubit Co-Works Space.

Outdoor Stop 2 – Main Street

Armour Provision

Outdoor Stop 3 – Depot Square

LINK

Outdoor Stop 4 – Sears Block

Sears Block (Holyoke) LINK

Parsons Hall (Holyoke) LINK

Indoor Stop 1 – Bistro / Famous Cafe

Indoor Stop 2 – Judd’s

Indoor Stop 3 – Devine Theater

Indoor Stop 4 – music hall

Sanborn map analysis of Judd Paper:

Sanborn 1915 map

Sanborn 1949 map

Sanborn 1956 map

American Tissue Mills

American Tissue Mills

The Japanese Tissue Mills were on Crescent Street in Holyoke. They were the makers of crepe and tissue paper. One of their products was called the Crystal Crepe Decorating Paper.

Benjamin Franklin Perkins (1826-1900) and John Lewis Perkins (1865-1928) started the Japanese Tissue mills around Massachusetts. Those two also started the B F Perkins Mills. The Perkins firm was in Holyoke from 1873. The Japanese Tissue Mill started in 1899 and lasted under that name until 1920. The name was then changed to American Tissue Mills.

Earlier on this location on Crescent Street was were the Smith Wilson and Sears Paper Company was. (1895) They built three of the five original segments of the mill. Perkins expanded it to five and later added a somewhat joined double building. Even earlier than that the Merrick Lumber Yard had one of its many buildings here.

The American Tissue Mills in Holyoke ads.

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The company would disband in 1953.

Across Crescent Street is the Holyoke Warehouse and Machinery Company.

Sanborn map analysis:

Sanborn 1884 map

Sanborn 1889 map

Sanborn 1895 map

Sanborn 1915 map

Sanborn 1949 map

Sanborn 1956 mapmap B

Star Theater

Movie Theaters of Holyoke

The Star Theater at 147 High Street is a former Nickelodeon Era theater that lasted from September 17 1908 to 1918. It was in the Craft’s Building on its ground floor. For a short time it was at 344 High Street. It was owned by Theater Eastern Amusement.

Sanborn map analysis:

Sanborn 1895 map

Sanborn 1915 map shows the “Picture Show” note and they entered from 145 and 147.

Sanborn 1956 map