St. James Church, South Deerfield, Massachusetts

The Church of St. James, in South Deerfield, Massachusetts, is Deerfield's oldest Catholic church. Its building was originally the Monument Congregational Church (built around 1847). In 1895, the building was moved to its present location and was christened St. James. Above its altar is a mural by the artist Augustus Tack of Deerfield painted in 1923. St. James is one of three Catholic churches in South Deerfield. In the 1890s, the village was the destination for a large number of immigrants, a majority of whom were Catholic. Immigrants were drawn to South Deerfield by the large amount of available farm work.