Former First Presbyterian Church - Holyoke, MA - Presbyterian Churches on Waymarking.com

Currently the Spanish language Centro Restauracíon Emanuel, Inc. church, C.R.E.I. Church, occupies the building build for the former First Presbyterian Church.

The First Presbyterian Church in Holyoke was organized on May 7, 1886 when the New England Presbyterian Board of Home Missions held a meeting with the local, mostly Scottish, residents to establish a Presbyterian Church. Construction of the church began in September, 1887, services were first held in August, 1888, and the church was officially dedicated on March 5, 1889.

The church is located on a corner lot at the intersection of Chestnut and Cabot Streets. It is constructed in the ornate Romanesque style made famous by Henry H. Richardson that uses light granite blocks with dark brownstone trim. The Chestnut street side of the building has a set of stairs leading up to the main entrance located at the base of a tower with circular windows and a tapered, circular, slate covered roof with a copper cap. To the west is the main block of the church which has a slate covered gable roof. Projecting from the main block is section with a flat roof and three windows with rounded tops and brownstone trim. A large circular stained glass window, outlined with alternating granite and brownstone blocks dominated the façade. This window is flanked by a pair of lancet windows with rounded tops and brownstone lintels and a smaller rectangular window. Below the apex of the roof is a stepped set of five rectangular windows with the tallest window in the center.

The Cabot Street side has a circular tower with a conical slate roof on the east corner. The tower has rectangular windows on the lower level and circular windows on the upper level. Projecting from the main block is a one story high, one bay wide and six bays wide section with a flat roof with each bay has a window with rounded tops and brownstone trim. The wide side of this section is divided by a square granite column topped by a brownstone cross.

Presbyterian Denomination: Presbyterian Church (USA) Status: Converted to other use Address: 237 Chestnut Street Holyoke, MA United States 01040 Date Built: 1887 Architect: unknown Relevant Web Site: [Web Link]

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