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Date: 4/11/2023
HOLYOKE – Holyoke City Hall has stood tall and been a gem of the city since it was finished being constructed in 1876, yet now in the city’s 150th anniversary it was time to officially dedicate the building as it had never been done.
To honor the building as well as kick-off celebrations for the city’s 150th birthday, the Holyoke community at large gathered on April 6 inside the City Hall Ballroom to dedicate the building as well as reflect and celebrate the city’s history.
“We’re here today to finally dedicate – to my knowledge, city hall has never been dedicated since it was built – so we want to dedicate this City Hall that is truly the beating heart of the city of Holyoke,” Mayor Joshua Garcia said. “Construction was completed 148 years ago, but for reasons unknown, a formal dedication never really happened so now as we celebrate Holyoke’s 150th anniversary, I think it’s about time we’re going to take care of that.”
Garcia called City Hall a living and working companion of the community and called it “a monument to democracy.”
“If our City Hall looks like a palace, that’s because it is and as often we like to refer to it as the people’s palace,” Garcia said. “Within these walls are the offices and meeting rooms where we work together to preserve and improve the quality of live for every resident in the city of Holyoke.”
Along with the many speakers to come up during the ceremony, the dedication also included a presentation of the flag, live music and food from different popular Holyoke spots. There were also stations set up from city groups, businesses or departments for residents and visitors to check out while walking in the city hall ballroom.
The historic sesquicentennial milestone speaks in many ways to the city’s story but specifically shows the resiliency of the Holyoke community over the years, a theme mentioned by many of the speakers.
“We come together today to celebrate this physical structure that we have in the City Hall and what it represents in regard to civic participation and civic pride,” Office of Planning and Economic Development Director Aaron Vega said.
City Historian and Curator at Wistariahurst Penni Martorell spoke more about the history of City Hall and the story of its construction. Martorell explained that the Building Committee at the time for City Hall employed an inspector to oversee construction and after going out for bid, the city secured the construction project of City Hall for $167,000.
“What a deal,” Martorell said to a laugh.
At-Large City Councilor Kevin Jourdain spoke on behalf of the council and expressed gratitude for the building and to be able to serve the community.
“I can say as a Finance Committee member, boy mayor [Garcia] I got a great finance committee report for you, this one really worked out well. Boy was that a great investment, $167,000, can you imagine? It’s still standing after 150 years,” Jourdain said.
The next speaker was Western Mass. Commissioner on Native America Affairs Rhonda Anderson and she spoke about the land the city sits on history before it became the Holyoke it has been known as. Anderson spoke about native American history in Holyoke and the greater area and spoke of the importance of lifting and acknowledging native American voices in the community as she put it, “they never left.”
It was an important note from speakers through ceremonies that the first inhabitants of this area of the Connecticut River Valley include: Native Americans – the Algonguins, including the Nipmucs, Pequots and Mohegans, as well as Agawams to the south, and the Nonotucks and Pocumtucs to the north. Eventually early European settlers obtained the land that would be incorporated into the future boundaries of Holyoke. Holyoke was first colonized in 1745, officially incorporated as a town in 1850, and later as a city in 1873.
Lt. Gov. Kim Driscoll also made an appearance during the dedication on behalf of the governor’s office. She noted as the former mayor of another city with a lot of history in Salem, she could appreciate how special the milestone was for the community. Driscoll also added she appreciated the ceremony acknowledging the Native American history of the land.
“I know what this building means to the people of this community as the center of local decision making and local democracy, as a place where community comes together, and that’s what makes it special from my perspective to be here,” Driscoll said. “Local government, whether we’re talking about 150 years ago or today, still plays a meaningful role in passing the quality of life in places people live.”
Garica’s official reading of the dedication capture the spirit of the building and the spirit of those working in the city to make Holyoke what it is while also recognizing where they came from.
“This City Hall is specifically for civic engagement and the practice of good governance,” Garcia said.