by Laurel | May 27th, 2010
Scene In Front of the Church During the Fire
May 27, 1875
Today marks the 135th anniversary of the tragic Precious Blood Church fire in Holyoke. The devastation from this fire received national attention and in part contributed to the modification of building code to promote greater safety. The event was covered in most national papers including the New York Times.
I have published online what I consider to be a very good compilation of articles, images, death records and other resources about this fire. So, instead of attempting to use this small blog space, I will instead direct you to the Precious Blood Church Fire page on HolyokeMass.com and advise you to read the first couple of articles. Then have a look at some of the images originally sketched for and published by The Daily Graphic.
But at the very least, pause a moment to reflect upon this large group of Holyoke people who lost their lives.
