College of the Holy Cross owes its origins to Rev. James Fitton, one of the pioneer priests of Massachusetts. In 1840, a modest structure 70 feet long and 2 stories high was built on a hill called Mount St. James. The building was named Mount St. James' Seminary. Two years later, he deeded the property for college purposes to Bishop Fenwick. The cornerstone was laid on June 2, 1843 by Bishop Fenwick and the first student was a young Irishman, who entered October 26, 1843. It wasn't until January 13th of the following year that the first building was completed.

Ten years later, a major fire threatened the existence of the college. Through the generosity of neighbors and citizens of Worcester, the East Wing and much of the library was saved. The college was rebuilt, remodeled, and enlarged immediately and the college was again opened in 1868 under the presidency of Rev. Robert Brady.

My Uncle and cousin's in the late fourties would go to see Saint PETER'S AND Saint John's play football on Thanksgiving day.

I stumbled on this site looking for something else but will return. I believe that the date on your ariel view of Holy Cross being 1940 is not correct. The picture shows the dorms "on the hill" Clark, Haberlin, Hanselman, I forget the fourth but I believe they were build between 1960 and 1970 during the Presidency of Raymond J. Swords, SJ. Further the field house far right was a Navy hanger acquired I believe after WWII. Regards Mike Davis

The Aerial shot of the campus at Holy Cross that was labeled 1940 is about 20 years too early. Haberlin Hall at the far right of the picture was not completed until 1959 and the four dorms at the far left of the picture were not all completed until 1962. Since a 5th residence hall (Mulledy Hall (1965) and Loyola Hall (1965). originally the Jesuit residence and then converted into a residence Hall since about 1992,and the Hogan campus Center (1967)-buildings whose paint was still fresh when I arrived at Holy Cross in the fall of 1968,-- are missing from the picture (though the foundation for Loyola may be visible in the photo, I would date that aerial view between 1962 and 1965. Thanks for you website

Looking at the ariel view of the Holy Cross campus brings back fond memories of when I was a younster in the Fourties and Fifties. The adjacent Blackstone River was my Huckel Berry Finn / Tom soyer play experience fishing and rafting in that strong smelling river. The chance to see Bob Cousey, Tom Heinson, Togo Palazzi, and the Football games I worked as a grandstand sales boy selling to the croud peanuts, cigars, cireretts and ocourse thoes great Turos Italian Club swandwiches, and getting a peak at the infamous Jim Brown and Ernie Davis when Sarycuse player the worried Croos Team. Jim Brown would run down the side lines and stiff arm the happless Cross hopefull tackler as he steamed to the end zone, and Ernie Davis zig zaging his way to many effortless TD's. These are frequently in my thoughts and since I've been away from Worcester for over 40 years they are fond and grounding memories as once raised in Worcester always in your heart.

The aerial picture of the campus suggesting how it looked in 1940 is about twenty-five years too soon. Please notice Haberlin Hall next to the Beavan Building and the four upper campus dorms built well past 1940. Lehy & Hanselman were opened in 1953 or '54 and the other two up there were opened in 1964 or '65; Haberlin Hall was dedicated in 1959 when Richard Card. Cushing came to the campus to give the convocation speech in the fieldhouse. He spoke and he spoke ....., so much so that the Mayor of Worcester,a man by the name of Joe Casdin went sound asleep in his very prominent chair on the stage; even that fact did not deter His Eminence as he spoke for another twenty minutes. Needless to say, I was then also sound asleep and snored loudly. The only good thing that came out of the affair was that RJC gave us four days off which the College used the next spring so that wwe could all get to the NIT in New York. That's another story for later.

I grew up on city view street one of the streets that border the college. We lived there from 1970 through 1982. I have many great memories of the college and especially the field house where me and my friends were called gym rats. Mr ronald perry the athletic director would give us hand written passes to be able to use the gym when ever we wanted. We would play basketball in the gym until it closed and then go to the out side courts in front of the hogan center and play until we could not walk. no better place in the world that a kid could of grown up. we met many of the colleges athlete's mostly basketball but a few football players mixed in. (gordie lockbaum) ron perry junior, and even met patrick ewing there in the summer of 81. The only thing that I wish is that my family could have afforded to send me there, but thats another story

Tobias F. "Tobey" Boland was the contractor and contributor for the first Holy Cross building. He constucted the school and also a building for the faculty His efforts have been forgotten in the founding of the college. A plaque should be placed on Fenwick Hall in his memory.

New book out called "The Irish Pioneer" telling the story of the founding of Holy Cross College.

On June 20, 2011 a dedication of a stone and plaque and tree took place at Holy Cross College in front of Fenwick Hall. Tobias Boland's great grand daughter took part in the dedication ceremony

Being a poor kid from Kansas Street about 1/2 mile away, Holy Cross was our playground to explore in the 60's. In the winter, the huge steep two tier grass hills along the McKeon Rd field were the best for extreme sliding. Plenty of injuries and pain there. In the fall, we would always be attracted by the sound of the football stadium crowd. My older brother and I would always try to find a way to sneak in to see what all the noise was about. Sometimes a priest near the gates would let us in free. In the summer, we would often play 'army' in the woods way up back near the Stations of the Cross.