The Highland School Time Capsule, which was placed in the cornerstone of the school in 1900, was opened on February 18, 1997.  Inside were autobiographies, letters, and poems written by the principal, teachers, and students of the Nonotuck School who would be transferring to the new Highland School.  Also found inside were letters by the architects of the new school.

This collection includes the original time capsule contents, a small amount of memorabilia from activities at the Highland School in the early 1900s, and photographs and news clippings from capsule opening day in 1997.

The first high school in Holyoke opened in 1852, meeting in two rooms in Gallaudet Hall on the corner of High and Lyman Streets.  Crowded conditions necessitated the search for better accommodations, which were found in the Chapin Block on Dwight Street between Race and Main.  In 1862, the first High School building, a two-story brick structure with a slate roof and two wings, was constructed on Elm Street.  Rapid population growth increased the demand for expanded course offerings and physical space and in 1898 a new three-story building, covering a city block, was constructed on Sargeant Street, bounded by Pine, Hampshire, and Beech Streets.  The high school continued to grow and a gymnasium was built across the street in 1913.  The Sargeant Street site remained the home of the high school until the current building was erected on Beech Street in 1964.

The Holyoke High School collection is comprised of 45 boxes, 93 volumes, 11 record books/ledgers documenting school history and operations from 1850 to 2005.  The collection includes annual reports, photographs, memorabilia, the school newspaper (The Herald), manuscript material, and a small number of scrapbooks.  While much of this collection is unprocessed, portions are available for research upon request.

The Holyoke High School Yearbook, The Annual, is available for viewing in the Reading Room.  Holdings cover 1915 (the first year of publication)  to 2014 (with minor gaps).

See also (available in the Reading Room):

Local History Files: Schools (individual folders on schools throughout Holyoke’s history)

Municipal Registers:  Annual Reports of Holyoke city department heads, bound volumes, 1851-1968 (with minor gaps)

Holyoke Public Schools Annual Reports (pamphlet-bound)