Church History

     The members of the United Congregational Church of Holyoke belong to the oldest established church in Holyoke and are heirs to a religious tradition that began when the Pilgrims landed at Plymouth in 1620.  Every Congregational Church is, in a sense, a shrine to the memory of those early religious pioneers.  

Before the First Church of Holyoke was established in 1799, there was an antecedent period of 162 years of ecclesiastical life and community development in western Massachusetts.  This period began with the founding of the First Church in Springfield in 1637.  In 1751 the General Court established a new parish to serve the residents both of Chicopee and Holyoke.  In 1786 the General Court ordered a separate parish in Holyoke.  Thirteen years elapsed before the organization of the First Church.

  It was on December 4, 1799 that eleven persons met together to form the First Congregational Church.  Four years later the Baptists in the parish organized the First Baptist Church.  In 1826 the Baptists withdrew from the federation leaving the old meetinghouse to the Congregational group and built themselves the First Baptist Church on its present site.  The First Congregational Church was built in 1838.  In 1887 the First Congregational Church moved to a location closer to the center of the city’s growth and built a chapel there.   In 1848, the Protestant population in the rapidly growing area found that the First Congregational Church was too far away and they formed a religious society and started holding services closer to where they lived.  In 1853, a Second Congregational Church was built at the same time the Holyoke Dam, canals, paper and textile mills were being built in the downtown area.   In 1870, in response to the mill workers “taking over” the downtown area on their one day off from work, the Second Congregational Church opened a mission chapel that was closer to the mills.  The “Grace Mission” was a complete success and by 1896 it had separated from the Second Congregational Church, had its own minister, and had built the Grace Church.   In 1882 the German Reformed Church was founded and their new church was built in 1887.   In 1892 the First Congregational Church chapel had become too small and in 1894 they built a new church.  In 1895 the Second Congregational Church also built a new church.  The year 1899 was one of celebration for both the First Congregational Church because it was 100 years old and for the Second Congregational Church because it was 50 years old.   In 1909 the Skinner Chapel cornerstone was laid as an addition to the Second Congregational Church.  The chapel was dedicated to “The Glory of God and the loving memory of William and Sarah E. Skinner” in 1912.  On the night of March 24, 1919, a fire destroyed the Second Congregational Church and all that remained was the Skinner Chapel, the foundation, and one tower.  From this start, a new Second Congregational Church was built and it was dedicated in late 1921.    In the 1930’s an area in the city of Chicopee became Westover Air Force Base. Until housing and chapels were built there, the area churches welcomed the airmen and their families by providing housing, schooling, wedding services, baptism services and other services.

In 1961 the members of the German Reformed Church (now called St. Andrews Evangelical and Reformed Church) merged with the First Congregational Church to become the First United Congregational Church.  In 1973 Grace Church and First United Congregational Church merged to become Grace United Church.

  In 1996 the Grace United Church merged with the Second Congregational Church and became the United Congregational Church of Holyoke.  The meeting place was the old Grace United Church that would later become the Dr. E. B. Robinson Ecumenical Center.  This building would continue to support the United Congregational Church’s outreach mission by supporting Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, Alcoholics Anonymous, and other church congregations and activities.    

  Presently the United Congregational Church is serving Holyoke’s downtown area with Sunday services held at the corner of High and Appleton Streets.  In addition to Sunday worship, various youth activities take place there and every two weeks, during the fall, winter and spring, there are teen dances at the church.  Additionally, the church is host to music performances, and various N.A. and A.A. groups.  The Skinner Memorial Chapel is adjacent to the main sanctuary of the United Congregational Church and serves the religious needs of the greater Holyoke community.

  Facts and excerpts from the book Highlights of the History of Congregationalism In Holyoke Massachusetts, 1799 • 1999

A more detailed history of Congregationalism in Holyoke is available by contacting the UCC Church Office.