Comments on: The First Years of Sacred Heart Parish: Lowell, Massachusetts, 1880′s

By: Mary Mulherin

Mary Mulherin — Wed, 31 Oct 2012 16:58:18 +0000

I remember it well. Went to school there and was married at SH in 1968. Was wondering if you know of a Father Smith that was assigned there in 1905 when my grandparents were married?
Mary

By: The Story of Lowell’s Rogers Hall « Forgotten New England

The Story of Lowell’s Rogers Hall « Forgotten New England — Mon, 23 Jul 2012 01:54:21 +0000

[...] The First Years of Sacred Heart Parish: Lowell, Massachusetts, 1880′s (forgottennewengland.com) [...]

By: Judy Molligi family name Sweeney

Judy Molligi family name Sweeney — Mon, 11 Jun 2012 03:55:49 +0000

Thank you that will help. I wish I had asked more questions. That was in 1980 and she was 85. She would point to each bedroom and say that was father so in so’s room. The front of 27 was the front of the house the kitchens being added. The front rooms and porches of 21 and 23 were added later. The dirt celler ended just before the parlors and the was no heat in them from what I can remember. When I was living there we had a tree stall garage to the right of the house and then a large lot with a chicken coup. We also had pigs. phasents. My grandfather had a tractor that we drove around. St. James St was a coasting street with posted signs that snow plowing was not allowed. We played over in the mountains (hill behind the house) in the coal bins where the coal trains used to dump the coal. I have many fond memories of living there.

By: Forgotten New England

Forgotten New England — Sat, 09 Jun 2012 11:58:08 +0000

Hi Judy – I hadn’t heard that story before. I couldn’t find much on the move of the old rectory, but did learn that the new rectory was built in 1922. My guess would be that the move of the former rectory to St. James Street must have happened in the earlier half of that year.

By: Judy Molligi family name Sweeney

Judy Molligi family name Sweeney — Thu, 07 Jun 2012 02:06:29 +0000

Looking for information on the old rectory. What year was the new rectory built? My family lived at 21,23, and 27, St James St. My greatgrandmother bought the house from the parish and it was moved down the hill while the priest where still living in it. It was seperated into two buildings but I don’t know if this was before or after it was moved. My aunt who died at age 103 said it was put on logs and pulled by horses and took two weeks. Any information greatly appreciated. We are doing a family history

By: Sheila

Sheila — Sat, 02 Jun 2012 03:47:22 +0000

Interesting article. Thanks. I remember the old building, especially the cloakroom, which I thought was cool. I attended from 1st – 3rd grades. Funny I don’t remember the other one burning down. Perhaps it burned down before I started school, which would have been 1967. Anyhow, now that I’ve read your article I wish I paid more attention to the architecture.

By: Mary Ellen Murphy

Mary Ellen Murphy — Thu, 31 May 2012 01:10:03 +0000

Thanks for this article! My grandfather came out from Ireland in 1912 to his cousin Dennis Crowley who lived at 26 Andrews St. which must have been next door to the school. After seeing that the Church was closed, I was wondering about the history of the Sacred Heart Parish where my relatives must have belonged.
Love your articles!

By: Forgotten New England

Forgotten New England — Tue, 29 May 2012 00:34:40 +0000

Hi Karen – I know that area well – and have been thinking about doing a post on Prince and Spaghettiville at some point. The Bleachery – there was a train stop out on Moore as far back as President Polk’s presidency when he delivered a short speech there in the 1840′s. With all the recent talk on Dickens’ visit to Lowell a few years earlier, it’s interesting to also recall some of Lowell’s other prominent visitors over the years.

By: Forgotten New England

Forgotten New England — Tue, 29 May 2012 00:16:45 +0000

Hi Bill – Originally, I was going to say that the existence of two Whipple Streets in Lowell was a left-over from Lowell’s annexation of what is now South Lowell from the town of Tewksbury, which happened in a series of waves between 1834 and 1906. What I’ve seen in other annexed areas is the changing of street names several years after the annexation.

But, the area that is now So. Whipple was annexed in 1834. I doubt much existed at all in that area back then. I noticed that Oliver Whipple also owned land on the corner of Moore and what is now So. Whipple. I think that this second Whipple Street, in today’s Sacred Heart neighborhood, was known both as Whipple and South Whipple, and, in the 1890 range, finally settled into its current name – “South Whipple” – to eliminate any future confusion as the neighborhood continued to be developed and its population grew.

My second thought is that plans might have existed to connect the two Whipple streets for some time, but this never happened, and eventually this became impossible as properties were developed.

By: Bill

Bill — Mon, 28 May 2012 13:57:39 +0000

Interesting map – what is now known as “South Whipple” Street was known only as “Whipple”. How and when did that change get made? What was “Whipple”Street known as? I do believe that Oliver Whipple lived on the current Whipple Street, just a stone’s throw from his powder mill.