The financial demise of the Ingleside Hotel in 1874, followed by a major fire in 1875, did not spell the end of this Ingleside property. A resourceful and forward-thinking priest envisioned a use for the property that would outlast the short-lived hotel. This is the story of Mount St. Vincent Hospital & Orphanage.
The story begins in South Hadley in 1859, when St. Patrick's Church was established as a mission of St. Jerome's Church in Holyoke. In 1867, Monsignor Patrick J. Harkins, St. Jerome's pastor, purchased land on North Main Street to build a church, and for several years, he remained in charge of the church.
In 1873, he established an orphanage and hospital off North Main Street, now Crescent Lane in South Hadley. The Sisters of Providence (Charity) from Kingston, Ontario, were called upon to serve at the facility. The space was soon outgrown and remote to Holyoke, so it was time to seek new locations for the hospital and orphanage to fulfill their mission.
The Sisters of Charity arrived in Holyoke around 1880 and initiated a fundraising campaign to solicit contributions from businesspeople and residents to purchase land for the facility's construction. The sisters raised over $7,000 through their efforts.
The land at the former hotel site, comprising over 50 acres, was purchased in 1880. Mount St. Vincent Hospital & Orphanage, a three-story structure, was constructed the following year. The driving force behind the projects at Ingleside was Dr. James J. O'Connor, a renowned physician and civic contributor, who later served as mayor of Holyoke. When Mount St. Vincent was completed, a life-size portrait of Dr. O'Connor was hung in honor of his contributions.
Approximately 30 of the 50 acres would be used as farmland to serve the needs of the residents and the sisters.
When a surviving parent could pay, the monthly assessment was $6, with an additional $2 per month if the sisters provided clothing. If the city assigned a child to the facility, the exact charges would apply.
By 1883, there were 125 children at Mount St. Vincent. The sisters maintained the entire facility themselves, including cooking, cleaning, teaching, farming, and contributing to the infirmary. The farm had 6 cows to provide milk for the children.
The classrooms and two guest rooms were located on the second floor. Students were taught in the same manner as in other schools. Senior children also received piano lessons. The third floor served as the children's dormitory, with cots neatly arranged. The basement dining halls were separate for boys and girls.
In 1887, the hospital was expanded by a 50-by-52-foot addition that included a dining room and a laundry. The building was 3 stories tall, with a 2-story "L" that housed the boiler room and laundry. The new section would allow for doubling the resident capacity. The first floor had 4 classrooms; the second floor housed the boys' infirmary and a nursery; and the third floor housed the boys' dormitory.
The exterior had a tower to match the original building. The construction contract was awarded to Toomey & Shea, and Lynch Brothers performed the masonry work. The building was unfurnished, and the public was encouraged to make donations to support this aspect of the endeavor.
There were 105 children housed at Mount St. Vincent, 20 of whom were from Holyoke. Boys were housed until age 14 and girls until age 10. Suitable family homes were sought for the children.
The sisters continued fundraising to sustain their mission. Charity concerts, card games, and other forms of entertainment, along with social get-togethers, annual fund drives, and holiday clothing solicitations, were routine means of funding their remarkable work.
Their dedication to securing community support was impressive and recognized. Whiting Street established a trust fund whose earnings would be used annually to help support the sisters in their undertaking.
In May 1893, the Brightside home for orphan boys opened, providing separate facilities for boys and girls.
The good works of the Mount St. Vincent Orphanage continued into the mid-20th century, when new developments took shape with the construction of a new facility. More on that will be revealed in the concluding chapters.
Citations:
Newspapers.com (paid subscription): Citations: Holyoke (Massachusetts) Transcript & Transcript-Telegram; publication dates and pages are shown.
Ancestry.com (paid subscription): Price & Lee Holyoke, Massachusetts, City Directories
Hampden County Registry of Deeds, Springfield, Massachusetts
Segment of Map of Holyoke, Massachusetts, 1903, James L. Tighe, Civil Engineer
The Mount St. Vincent Orphanage (red pointer) was built on the site of the former Ingleside Hotel. 
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