The Endeavor Chapel started in October 1888 in the old Second Baptist Church on Main Street. The Second Baptist Church had relocated to a new church building at 377 Appleton St. Recognizing that many of its members resided in what is known as the Flats section of Holyoke, the church embarked on plans to build a chapel to maintain a presence in that part of the city.
The Endeavor Chapel, or Ward 1 Mission, was completed in 1890 for $5,000. The chapel, located at the southwest corner of Mosher and West Sts., remained prominent for some time. In 1916, the Second Baptist Church discontinued the chapel and, in late August 1916, sold the land and building to Edouard Gauthier. The plan was to raze the church and build a five-story, 30-apartment building.
Gauthier's plans changed, and the church building remained. In May 1928, Gauthier sold the building to The Saint Michael the Archangel Uhro Greek Catholic Congregation, Inc. In 1931, the church was remodeled in the style of Byzantine churches. To manage the mortgage, a portion of the church building was rented out as a market. The church remained at this location until 1960, when a new church was built and placed in service on Lincoln Street in South Hadley.
In late June 1964, the St. Michael's Church building in Holyoke was sold to Arthur J. and Anne M Brunelle Jr., proprietors of a funeral home on West Street adjacent to the church. Shortly thereafter, in September 1964, the former church was demolished to make way for a 35-car parking lot for the Brunelle Funeral Home. The Holyoke City Assessors' Office shows the property as vacant into 2025.
Source of news articles: Newspapers.com (paid subscription): Citations: Holyoke (Massachusetts) Transcript -Telegram; Dates Published as shown.
Past and Present Views of West and Mosher Sts.
