The Mount Saint Vincent facility, which has not been used as an orphanage since 1954, was renamed. It was known as the Mount St. Vincent Home for Aged Women, dedicated to caring for elderly women. The facility had been caring for the elderly for some time, concurrently with the orphanage.
The Diocese of Springfield advanced social services and support for those in need, much of this funded by the annual Catholic Charities Appeal.
In 1965 and 1966, the diocese of Springfield announced that a new facility would be built atop Mount St. Vincent. The new care home could accommodate 232 elderly people and would be built to the south and west of the old Mount St. Vincent Home. Henry J. Tessier of Springfield was awarded the contract to design the new building.
The former Mount St. Vincent Home would be demolished once the new building was completed and residents had been transferred. The plans for the vacant site included a graded terraced park for the residents of the new Mount St. Vincent's Home.
These plans, advanced in 1965 and 1966 for building a new facility, did not materialize. However, plans to close the facility proceeded, and in April or May 1968, the facility closed permanently. Residents were relocated to other care facilities.
At the time, there were 121 women at the Mount St. Vincent Home and 71 men at the Beaven-Kelly Home for Men. The homes were staffed by the Sisters of Providence.
On May 30, 1968, Edward Sacks, the noted Holyoke Auctioneer and Hampden County Deputy Sheriff, conducted an auction of the many contents of the former Mount St. Vincent's Home. The auction was initially planned for two days, but was extended to three. More than 400 people attended the auction's opening day. The building was to be demolished shortly after the auction concluded.
On May 7, 1970, the diocese of Springfield announced plans to build the new Mount St. Vincent Home. The plans harkened back to the 1965 and 1966 plans as designed by architect Henry J. Tessier, except for a smaller version. The home, priced at $2.1 million, would accommodate more than 120 people. The plan to construct a terraced park for residents at the former Mount St. Vincent site remained intact.
The structure would have three stories facing the main entrance to the west and four stories at the rear, facing the river. The frontage would extend 264 feet. The crest of the hill would be lowered 16 feet as part of the construction.
The building would be one of three to support the elderly population. The renovated Beaven-Kelly Home for Men accommodated 50 residents, and St. Luke's Home for Women in Springfield would house 90 women once the elevators were installed.
The new Mount St. Vincent Home was dedicated on October 22, 1972. Mount St. Vincent Care Center continued until the facility was sold in February 2021. At the time of transition, the census at Mount St. Vincent was 56 residents. As of 2026, the skilled nursing facility is known as Mission Care of Holyoke, a long-term care residence for specific medical needs.
Mount St. Vincent served the area's orphaned children and elderly population in need for 140 years at Ingleside, and nearly 150 years when its early roots in South Hadley are included.
Citations:
Newspapers.com (paid subscription): Citations: Holyoke (Massachusetts) Transcript & Transcript-Telegram; Springfield (Massachusetts) Republican; publication dates and pages are shown.
Ancestry.com (paid subscription): Price & Lee Holyoke, Massachusetts, City Directories
Assessors' Office, Holyoke, Massachusetts
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