Introduction & Survey

        "Hi, my name is Sophia Minassian and my team and I created this History Section of the website for my Girl Scout Gold Award Project. My Gold Award Project centers around the history of St. Gregory Church in Indian Orchard, Massachusetts and the special community of Armenians that settled here. This is the community where my great-grandparents, grandparents, and mother are from and has important and sentimental ties for me. 

        This small but unique community of Armenians prospered in America and made a name for themselves in many Springfield Industries. Their one constant throughout the decades has always been the Church they built in the 1930’s which has served as an important reminder of where this group of people came from and what they have accomplished together. 

        As each successive generation grows up in the Church, many decide to leave Springfield for various reasons. So, the Armenian community is becoming smaller and the lack of access to historical records is becoming a bigger issue. My project aims to address this problem by highlighting the importance and preservation of the Church and its members. My web page is dedicated to the Armenians of St. Gregory Church, both past and present. 

        My hope for this webpage is that it will be a place where Armenians who live in Springfield or whose ancestors once did, can contribute their stories, diary entries, pictures, recipes and more, whether it be in written, audio, or video form. 

        This project would not have been possible without the help and contributions of many people. I greatly appreciate the time and commitment of the following people:

David Canton

Arax & Karoun Charkoudian

Leo Derderian

Dorothy Dobbie

Melanie Donoian 

Ed & Tanya Garibian

Staasi Heropoulos

Seda Matevosian

Lisa Melikian

Sonia Meregian

Lisa Misakian

Claudia Muradian

Stepan Piligian

Nora Santourian 

Gary & Garo Setian

Harry & Sima Setian

Der Hayr Bedros Shetilian

Cori Urban

Leo Vartanian

Shirley Yergatian

My Armenian peers

Thank you, and I hope you enjoy my project!" 

Sophia Minassian

Daughter of Tanya (nee Meregian) Minassian

Granddaughter of John and Sonia (nee Mangasarian) Meregian

Great-Granddaughter of Nishan and Anna (nee Mikaelian) Meregian