Tours allow riders to learn about Holyoke history from their bicycles.
Contestants at the Bicycle Parade and Race held on Labor Day, September 7, 1936 by the Western MA, Cycle Association of Holyoke Residents interested in learning more about Holyoke history while enjoying the outdoors are invited to participate in a new program being offered by the city’s Wistariahurst Museum. “Bicycle Tours of Holyoke – a Healthy Dose of History” combine historic tours of the city’s industry and large estates with leisurely bicycle rides.
The first tour, focusing on the city’s old mills and canals, takes place Saturday, June 1 from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. The second tour takes place Saturday, June 8, also from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. It will focus on the mansions of the Fairfield Avenue Historic District and surrounding areas.
“This is a new program we developed,” said Wistariahurst Curator and City Historian Penni Martorell. “We met up with (historian) Craig Della Penna to talk about bicycles and rail trails, and we thought it would be great to bicycle around Holyoke.”
Della Penna, who will be leading the tours, is a Holyoke native, bicyclist and author of books on Holyoke history.
Martorell said an intern recently worked on creating a smart phone application that allows people to go on a tour of the city and learn about its history while they view buildings and other historic features. That app will be made available to participants on the bike tours who have smart phones as well.
“You’ll ride your bike a couple of blocks and stop and take a look at a building,” Martorell said. “You’ll have that app available, but Craig will be able to tell you a bit about the history of the building as well. It’s not too strenuous.”
The mills/canals tour will begin and end at Holyoke Heritage State Park, and will include stops on Race, North Canal, Bridge and Lyman streets. The tour is 3.5 miles long.
“You’ll take North Canal and see all the paper mills along the river, and go out over the bridge so you can take a look at the dam, and back near Open Square,” Martorell said. “The Lyman mill building is there and then we’ll go back up to Heritage State Park.”
The tour will pass the H.H. Richardson railroad station, as well as the old trolley barn, where the Department of Public Works is now housed.
A week later, on the historic homes tour, riders will check out the Fairfield Avenue Historic District and Northampton Street.
“They’re in private ownership, but many of the homes up there have been entered into our historic inventory, so we have information about the architecture and when it was built,” Martorell said.
The tour of the mansions is 4.5 miles, but again, is not strenuous. It begins at Kennedy Park, at the corner of Lincoln and Nonotuck, and includes Fairfield, Lexington, and Madison avenues, along with Riverside Terrace.
Martorell said this is a great opportunity for residents to learn more about something they might drive by often.
“It’s an opportunity to slow down and actually look at the architecture and learn a little about the buildings, and the history of manufacturing and industry in Holyoke,” she said. “There are some fairly well-known architects – H.H. Richardson is one, George P.B. Alderman is another. When you drive in a car, you just kind of take it for granted that things are there. When you slow down a little bit, you can see much more of the detail and appreciate more of the art and architecture.”
Martorell said the program is appropriate for both those who know little about Holyoke and those who have some background about the city’s history.
“I think people will come away with learning something new about Holyoke, and I think it’s great for anyone who’s new to the area,” she said. “It’s a good introduction to our history and they can get a sense of the layout of Holyoke.”
Participants are asked to bring their bicycle, helmet and water. The cost of the tours is $15 per person for one tour, or $24 for both tours. Registration is required and can be completed at www.wistariahurst.org. The rain date for the June 1 tour is June 2 at the same time; the rain date for the June 8 tour is June 9 at the same time.