There was an emerging interest in developing health care facilities with 24-hour nursing care in the mid-20th century. The story of Holyoke's Filos Nursing Home is made particularly interesting by the health center's location, which this edition also will touch upon.
On September 2, 1953, Russell Davenport and Charles Chase Davenport, the surviving trustees of the Estate of Charles E. Mackintosh, sold the Mackintosh residence at 1913 Northampton Street to Concettina Filos of Springfield. The property was actually a composite of several land acquisitions made by Charles Mackintosh over 24 years beginning in 1883.
> February 19, 1883- Charles O. Carpenter to Charles E. Mackintosh
> October 4, 1892- Delia T. Conklin to Charles E. Mackintosh
> June 26 and August 2, 1899- Mary A. Martineau to Charles E. Mackintosh
> October 25, 1907 John Tilley to Charles E. Mackintosh
Eleven days after the purchase, Dolorose Filos sought a permit to convert the former Mackintosh residence into a nursing home. In November, 1953, the permit was granted, and it included an additional bathroom in the health care facility. In December, Ms. Filos placed help wanted ads for a graduate nurse or a licensed attendant.
Dolorose Filos held an open house for guests to view the facility on October 24, 1954. The nursing home provided 24-hour staffing by Registered Nurses and was a member of the Massachusetts Federation of Nursing Homes. Dolorose Filos had operated a nursing home at 44 Sumner Avenue in Springfield for 20 years before relocating her business to Holyoke. She was 27 years old when she went into business in Springfield.
In 1959, the Springfield Real Estate Exchange purchased an option to develop 60,000 square feet of land between the nursing home and Northampton Street. The nursing home was set back quite a distance from the street, and the plan was to use 200 feet of frontage and 300 feet depth. The developers also took an option to purchase the neighboring home to the north owned by W. Roy Hampson with 129 feet of frontage and 320 feet depth along Argyle Street.
The planners hope to construct a medical facility close to Holyoke Hospital. The Holyoke Planning Board, Ordinance Committee and Board of Aldermen all denied the zoning change in response to neighbors' protests. The plan fell through.
On March 28, 1966, Dolorose Filos retired, and Concettina Filos sold the real estate and business to Holyoke Nursing Home, Inc. for $75,000. The new owner planned to raze the existing structure and build a new nursing home for $850,000. Land clearing and the demolition of the former Mackintosh estate began in early April, 1966.
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
Massachusetts Cultural Research & Information System, Boston, Massachusetts
Massachusetts Secretary of State's Office, Corporations, Boston, Massachusetts
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