1856 - St. Jerome Church - Holyoke, MA - Dated Buildings and Cornerstones on Waymarking.com

The Gothic Revival style St. Jerome Church is both the first Catholic church in Holyoke and is now the oldest church building in the city. The church was founded in 1854 by the Reverend Jeremiah O'Callaghan from Vermont, whose grave is located on the church grounds, to serve the families of English-speaking mill workers. The church was designed by architect Patrick Charles Keeley William and construction of the church began in 1856 and was completed in 1860. A fire damaged the church in 1934 and it was restored the following year from the original plans by the diocesan architect John W. Donahue and the contractor the Lynch Brothers Brick Co.

The brick church has the form of a cross and has a cross gable slate covered roof. The south facing façade has a protruding central tower with a Gothic style entrance at the bottom. Above is a large triple stained glass window set within a brickwork Gothic arch. Higher up is a small rounded triangular window a pair of louvered belfry windows. The brick tower is topped by a square copper tower with two rectangular windows on each side and a tapered, hexagonal, copper steeple topped by a cross.

The sides of the church have five bays before the transept. A pavilion auxiliary entrance occupies the first bay and tall stained glass windows are located at he remaining four bays. The transept arms have entrances on their south sides and a large stained glass windows flanked by a pair of smaller stained glass windows on the gable ends. A copper spire is located on the roof where the nave and the transept cross.

Year of construction: 1856 Full inscription: St. Jerome Church "1856" Cross-listed waymark: Not listed

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