Immaculate Conception of Notre Dame School in Holyoke
Lastly is the Notre Dame School. Built in 1883 as a girls’ school, it continued to expand for years. By 1895 some high school classes had been added. In 1910 the Saint Jerome High School opened within the building. There were no graduate until June of 1913. An important change at the school caused this. In 1912 the Sisters of Saint Joseph took over at all the Saint Jerome Schools. They were devoted to education unlike the other group of nuns. Thus they were better teachers and the students learned more. The main convent was also renamed and the second convent was turned into administrative offices and classrooms. Notice its formal name above the doorway: School of the Immaculate Conception of Notre Dame de Lourdes. This might be the longest name in Holyoke. In September of 1916 there was the first coed school on campus since the high school became a combined gender school. Finally, in 1923 the schools were all renamed Saint Jerome School and High School and all became coed.
This Saint Jerome School would have sports teams and their nickname would be the Jerries.
In 1963 Holyoke Catholic High School would form from the union of three Catholic high schools around the city – the oldest Sacred Heart, the Rosary, and then St Jerome. They would meet in this building. St Jerome School was disbanded and students would go to Sacred Heart School. This merger into Holyoke Catholic High School was helped along by the 1947 merger of the three schools into one athletic team. Rosary High School was the oldest sports teams at 1910, Saint Jerome started its sports program in 1916, and Sacred Heart in 1920.
As an aside the school population of each high school in 1950 was Sacred Heart – 194, St Jerome – 187, and Rosary – 157.
Saint Jerome Cemetery was expanded in 1904 from its original expanse along Saint Jerome Avenue to include all land to Northampton Street. Father Harkins, his parents, his brother Daniel, and his two sisters Grace and Catherine are buried in the same family plot. It is located along the only north-south crossing road.
Saint Jerome Temperance Hall was located along Maple Street. The group was founded in 1857. The group is called Saint Jerome Total Abstinence Mutual, Benevolent, and Literary Society. Earlier it had been called the Holyoke Catholic Mutual Benevolent Society. The hall had a musical group, a library, and more. The hall was made in 1868 and Father Harkins was made the spiritual head.
