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
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