Providence School of Nursing
To the east of the hospital was a home. This home was bought by Harkins in 1872 for his family. At first his sister, and then later his brother and parents lived there. His brother Daniel had a dentist office in the home. In 1912 the last of his family died and by the next year it was turned into a nurse’s home. In 1916 a day care or nursery was started in the home. This was the 10th nursery in the entire state of Massachusetts. The nursery was started by the Saint Agnes Guild of Saint Jerome. By 1919 it moved to the James Newton home on Chestnut Street. LINK
In 1900 the Providence School of Nursing opens at the Joseph Skinner home at the corner of Elm and Essex. Skinner had moved to his summer home in South Hadley and donated his home to the hospital. They used it to train and house the nurses. The new Providence School of Nursing opened in 1938 at the same location and remained opened until 1971 (266 Elm Street). The Providence Hospital moved to Northampton Street in 1958 and the old one torn down.