Cherry Hill Pitch & Putt Greens

There are times in research when a place unexpectedly appears, sparking my curiosity. This was one of those times, and here is the story of the Cherry Hill Pitch & Putt Greens, later called the Cherry Hill Short Course.

The year was 1931, and the country was in the grip of the depression. Costly entertainment was a luxury for many. Johnny Campbell, who was a golf pro at the Mt. Tom Golf Course (later Wyckoff Country Club), decided to build a pitch and putt course in Holyoke. 

This was a short course that didn’t need much land to place the fairways and greens for the 18 holes. The course was laid out on the John Delaney family farm tract on the north side of Cherry Street, opposite the Carpenter Hospital for contagious diseases. The Day Brook, which ran through the property, also served as a water hazard. 

This offered an inexpensive, enjoyable, and time-saving alternative for an individual or family than paying a greater sum to purchase equipment and play at a local golf course.

The course opened up on the weekend of June 13, 1931. The fee to play was 25¢ for adults and 10¢ for children on weekdays. Clubs and golf balls were provided to the players.

In May 1932, Mr. Campbell hired Edward “By” Twohig, a Holyoke resident and golf pro, to provide golf lessons for newcomers and those looking to improve their game. Over the 4th of July weekend, a tournament was held with prizes awarded for low scores. 50 entrants participated in the matches. The list of the top 8 finishers was published on the Sports page of the Holyoke Transcript.

In August 1932, parts of the course were redesigned. One hole’s distance was increased to 90 yards. The condition of the fairways and bent-grass greens was greatly improved from the first year of operation.

In early 1933, Edward Twohig left the Cherry Hill Short Course after being selected as the golf pro at Middle Meadows Golf Course in Northampton. 

No further information was found about the short-lived Cherry Hill golf course, which likely closed after its second year. The land is now part of Interstate 91 at the Cherry Street exit.

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

Carpenter Hospital- Cherry Street (Part 7- The Path Towards Demolition)

Although a contract was signed in 1949 to demolish the old Carpenter Hospital, located west of the homes on Queen Street, the process was delayed for several years.

Neil Doherty, a longtime prominent Holyoke photographer, captured an aerial image of the new Soldiers Home site in 1949 and, just beyond the photo’s lower left, identified the location of the former Carpenter Hospital, well down Cherry Street Hill.

In May 1952, the trustees of the forthcoming Soldiers’ Home requested $75,000 from the State to construct 2 homes for the commander and medical director. Each home would be allocated $25,000 for construction.

The final $25,000 would be used to restore the northern portion of the former Carpenter Hospital. The plan would be to convert the building into living quarters for the Soldiers’ Home’s 2 resident physicians, 2 assistant physicians, and two student interns. There was no living space available at the Soldiers’ Home for these employees.

The plan included tearing down the old boiler building, which was irreparable and rehabbing the north building to accommodate 3 3-room apartments and 9 single-room apartments. Occupants would be charged rent for the 2 homes and the former Carpenter Hospital apartments. This would facilitate hiring and retaining staff. In December 1952, it was announced that the cost to convert to apartments would be around $100,000. It appears the plan was abandoned.

On July 21, 1952, there was a flag-raising ceremony at the site of the future Soldiers’ Home. The flagpole was unearthed from the former Carpenter Hospital and positioned at the Soldiers’ Home.

The unused buildings of the Carpenter Hospital were a magnet for vandalism. The city was concerned for the safety of children, given that the building’s ruins posed a hazard. In May 1956, the state informed city officials that funds were appropriated to demolish the buildings. The State also planned to build a storage area for the Soldiers’ Home on the parcel.

The requirements for Invitations to Bid were issued on August 9, 1956. The Bay State Wrecking Company of Boston was the successful bidder. The demolition of the former Carpenter Hospital was completed in November 1956, ending the building's 39-year life.

Citations:

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

Carpenter Hospital- Cherry Street (Part 6- Subsequent Uses)

 The Carpenter Hospital for contagious diseases may have closed, but the facility was available and used for other purposes. On December 15, 1937, shortly after the Carpenter Hospital closed,  Mayor Yoerg appointed Michael J. Donoghue, a WPA worker, as caretaker of the property. He would not receive a salary, but would live there free of charge.

In mid-1938, the Cherry Street property was selected as the site for the National Youth Association (NYA) Regional Training Center. This was a vocational training camp, which included about 60 participants from various parts of Massachusetts. Youths would attend Massachusetts State College in Amherst in the morning, where they would receive training in agriculture, machine-shop skills, and carpentry. They would work in the afternoon and receive a monthly stipend. Their dormitories were situated in the former Carpenter Hospital. 

The training center opened on September 12, 1938. The program was less successful than initially anticipated and was closed in March 1940.

There were hopes of establishing a City Home hospital in February 1940, but the facility’s layout was unsuitable, as it was not organized into wards. However, in December 1940, the plan was revisited, and the former Carpenter Hospital was opened as a temporary City Home hospital for 54 patients in January 1941. Mayor Toepfert indicated that the building had previously been extensively remodeled for the National Youth Association program.

Another use of the hospital property was unveiled in June 1941, when Mayor Toefert indicated he would like to see the former hospital used as a summer camp for underprivileged children. The camp would run during July and August, and would provide each child with a one-week stay. Up to 800 children in Holyoke would benefit from the program. Nurses and nutritionists would be available at the camp. The proximity to Anniversary Park, with its wading pool and hiking trails, made this a promising site. 

In August 1941, NYA returned with a proposal to house 150 young men enrolled in the defense training program at the NYA Work Experience Centers in Springfield, Chicopee, and Holyoke. NYA would pay for the renovation costs.

In June 1944, the site was offered as housing for some of the 1,500 delegates participating in the State V. F. W. convention.

In August 1944, two real estate investors were interested in purchasing 14 acres of land west of the 12.5-acre hospital site for building ventures. The plans were being reviewed by the Board of Aldermen.

In December 1944, local physicians and hospital administrators met with the mayor to discuss turning the former facility into a hospital for chronic and recuperative patients. It was anticipated that 35 to 40 persons could be accommodated. If approved, the Board of Public Works would be responsible for renovations and repairs. The property was offered to Providence and Holyoke Hospitals for an annual rental charge of $1. However, neither hospital was interested in using the former hospital as a convalescent home.

In January 1945, the mayor sought an individual willing to use the space as a rest home. He saw the success of an entrepreneur in South Hadley with a similar venture and hoped someone would be willing to do the same in Holyoke.

Later that month, the mayor was pursuing the use of the facility as a State Rehabilitation Center for veterans. Later, he approached the U.S. Veterans Administration for a hospital; however, the federal agency was seeking 400-500 acres, and the best Holyoke could provide in that area was 50 acres.

In 1946, the Cherry Street site was selected as the future home of the Holyoke Soldiers Home. Governor Tobin accepted the area, provided the Board of Aldermen approved. After discussions, the Board of Aldermen agreed to convey the entire property to the state for $1. 

In August 1949, the first contracts were signed to build the entry roads from Cherry Street and Fairmont Avenue to the new Soldiers Home and to tear down the Carpenter Hospital. The Carpenter Hospital was not going away so quickly, as will be revealed in the final chapter.

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