Holyoke Memories: First Church of Christ, Scientist, Holyoke

Several Protestant churches were established in Holyoke during the 1800s. A smaller number were established in the early twentieth century, including the First Church of Christ Scientist, the topic for today.

The first Christian Science Society of Holyoke was formed in 1912. Initially, meetings were held at the homes of its initial four members. As more people expressed an interest, meetings or services were relocated to the Knights of Pythias Hall at 437 High Street.

During this time, when a larger venue was required to accommodate a national guest speaker, the Y.W.C.A on Maple Street was used. The speakers were selected by the Mother Church's board of lectureship. The First Church of Christ, Scientist in Boston, was the Mother Church.

In 1917, a Christian Science Reading Room was established independent of Pythias Hall in the Phoenix Building at Dwight and Maple Street. The rooms were available to the general public as a way to learn more about the church's teachings and philosophy. It included space for readers, as well as a lending library and bookstore.

On December 22, 1917, the church meetings were relocated to the Lovering School, which was then numbered 50 Pleasant Street.

In 1919, the Reading Room was moved to the Peoples Savings Bank on High Street.

During the 1920s, the Christian Science Free Lectures were held at Holyoke City Hall, Holyoke High School, the H. B. Lawrence School, and the Masonic Hall. The church had two open-to-the-public lectures annually.

In 1921, church meetings were held at the newly built Masonic Temple on Chestnut Street.

In late February 1924, the church purchased a 13,008-square-foot lot on the southeast corner of Suffolk and Locust Streets. The land was purchased from Holyoke Water Power Company and may have been a site selected for a new church. A portion of the land abutted the north side of St. Paul's Episcopal Church.

On May 19, 1926, the Trustees of the First Methodist Episcopal Church of Holyoke sold the former Highland Methodist Episcopal Church building at 76 Lincoln Street and an adjoining house on Lincoln Street to the First Church of Christ, Scientist, Holyoke. Due to declining membership, the Highland Methodist Episcopal Church was merged with the First Methodist Episcopal Church on Appleton Street.

The adjoining house on Lincoln Street was sold, as it would not be needed for a parsonage, as there wasn't a minister in this denomination. In 1927, the two newly divided parcels at Suffolk and Locust were also sold.

The meetings were led by a First Reader and a Second Reader, each elected by the membership for a three-year term. The sermons would be delivered by the two Readers. The Second Reader would read the Scriptural Texts. The First Reader was responsible for providing the passages from the Christian Science textbook Science and Health with a Key to the Scriptures, written by the movement's founder, Mary Baker Eddy.

Although church meetings were held beginning in early June 1926, the church was not dedicated until June 10, 1928. According to the church's tenets, there could be no outstanding indebtedness before a formal dedication could occur.

In April 1928, the Christian Science Reading Room relocated to the Hadley Falls Trust Company building on Suffolk Street, in Room 621. In 1941, the Reading Room relocated to 313 Appleton Street, and on June 1, 1948, it moved again to 598 Dwight Street, Room 321, in the Phoenix Building.

In February 1958, the Reading Room moved to a ground-level space at 221 Maple Street. In February 1971, the Reading Room moved into the church building at 76 Lincoln Street.

In the late 1970s, the lecture series was held at the church itself. Membership and interest were dwindling. On May 17, 1982, the church was sold to Ronald and Susan Capen, who planned to remodel the church into a residence.

Meetings continued in the church into early January 1983. There was no indication that the church continued elsewhere in Holyoke. It was reported that most of the remaining church members joined the Church of Christ Scientist in Northampton.

Citations:

Newspapers.com (paid subscription): Citations: Holyoke (Massachusetts) Transcript & Transcript-Telegram; publication dates and pages are shown.

Holyoke Public Library History Room, Price & Lee City Directories, Holyoke, Massachusetts.