Major Bibliographical References (Cite the books, articles, and other sources used in preparing this form on one or more continuation sheets.) Previous documentation on file (NPS): Primary location of additional data: - preliminary determination of individual listing (36 x State Historic Preservation Office CFR 67) has been requested - Other State agency - previously listed in the National Register - Federal agency - previously determined eligible by the National - Local government Register - designated a National Historic Landmark - Unersity - recorded by Historic American Buildings Survey Name of repository: # _ recorded by Historic American Engineering Record #. NPS Form 10-900 (Rev. 10-90) United States Department of the Interior National Park Service National Register of Historic Places Continuation Sheet Section number 8 .Page1 OMB Approval No.
1024-0018 St George Antiochian Orthodox Church Lowell (Middlesex), MA 8. STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE: The present St. George Antiochian Orthodox Church was built as the French Congregational Church during the period 1879 to1881. It is significant under Criterion A for its association with the development of the City of Lowell, specifically the influx of immigrants to work in the Lowell textile mills that were the center of the American Industrial Revolution. It is significant under the themes of religion and social history as the first French Protestant Church erected in Lowell to serve immigrants from Eastern Canada who came to work in the Lowell mills during the 19" century. These immigrants became part of a large-scale plan by Protestant American leaders of New England to convert the masses of Roman Catholic immigrants to Protestantism during a time of anti-Catholic sentiment.
In 1917, the church was converted to an Orthodox church for Christian Syrian and Lebanese immigrants who settled in Lowell to work in the mills. St. George Antiochian Orthodox Church is also significant under Criterion C as an example of the use of the Romanesque style of architecture by Congregational churches in the United States during the mid-19th century. The building retains integrity of design, location, setting, materials, feeling, workmanship, and association; and fulfills National Register criteria A and C at the local level. The period of significance begins with the completion of the building in 1881 and ends in 1958, which is the standard 50-year cut off. The City of Lowell is located thirty miles northwest of Boston at the confluence of the Merrimack and Concord rivers. Lowell is bordered to the north by Dracut, east by Tewksbury, south by Chelmsford, and west by Tyngsboro.
A major urban industrial center, it was the center of cotton textile manufacturing during the American Industrial Revolution. Lowell was incorporated as a town in 1826, and its land was previously part of East Chelmsford. The bulk of Lowell is annexed land from the surrounding towns of Tewksbury (1834; 1838), Dracut (1851; 1874; 1879), and Chelmsford (1874). In the 17* century, most of what is now the modern downtown area of Lowell was one of seven "Praying Indian Towns" of the Bay Colony where Native Americans accepted and converted to Christian ways. Much of the land was agricultural with family- owned farms and Native American settlements. After King Philip's War of 1675 the local Pennacook tribe abandoned the area and the land was sold to settlers.
The area remained primarily agricultural until 1821 when the farmland of East Chelmsford was bought by a group of businessmen known as the Boston Associates who intended to use the site for textile manufacturing. Formed by Francis Cabot Lowell in 1814, this group had outgrown its Waltham location and looked toward the area now known as Lowell. Transportation improvements had became a focus in Massachusetts between 1790 and 1860, and the 1½ mile Pawtucket Canal was constructed in 1793 as a direct connection between New Hampshire and Newburyport at the mouth of the Merrimack River. The Middlesex Canal was finished in 1803, and at 27 miles long connected the Merrimack River to the port of Boston. The location of this land, at the meeting of two rivers with a supplemental canal system, was ideal for a water-powered factory system.
The Merrimack Manufacturing Company textile mills were established in 1822, followed by the Hamilton (1826), Appleton (1828), Lowell (1829), Middlesex (1831), Suffolk (1832), Tremont (1832), Lawrence (1833), Boott (1836), and Massachusetts (1840) Mills. An extensive canal system was developed between 1823 and 1850 to feed the mills. At the Pawtucket Falls, near the junction of the Merrimack and Concord Rivers, the Merrimack drops 30 feet in less than a mile, thus providing the kinetic energy needed to power the mills. These mills employed close to 10,000 workers by 1850.!' The first groups of mill workers were young women from New England farms, but by 1845 the dominant labor group was Irish immigrants. (continued) 'U.S. Dept. of the Interior, National Park Service Lowell, The Story of an Industrial City, Pg. 15-21 NPS Form 10-900 (Rev.
10-90) United States Department of the Interior National Park Service National Register of Historic Places Continuation Sheet Section number 8 Page 2 OMB Approval No. 1024-0018 St. George Antiochian Orthodox Church Lowell (Middlesex), MA The Acre neighborhood refers to the area first settled in the 1820s by Irish laborers who built the canals and mills of Lowell. The term "Acre" traditionally refers to the acre of land where the Irish laborers had their original encampment near Merrimack and Tilden Streets. The Acre is in close proximity to the downtown where 90% of the mills were located. As the labor force grew, a wave of house building occurred to accommodate the workers. The Acre was the central focus of the Irish population by the 1830s, and remained primarily Irish until the French Canadians came to Lowell in the 1860s and 1870s.
The French Canadians settled in an area surrounding the Northern Canal in a northern section of the Acre. A wave of Greek, Syrian, and Lebanese immigrants settled in the area in the 1880s. As one immigrant group moved up the socio-economic ladder, the next wave of immigrants would take their place in the tenements of the Acre. French Canadian immigrants came to Lowell as part of a large immigration wave from Quebec and the Maritime Provinces in Eastern Canada between 1840 and 1930. The introduction of the railways connecting Canada with New England in the 1840s greatly increased the number of French Canadians who could afford to travel. Between 1860 and 1920, close to a million French Canadians migrated to the United States.?
The immigrants were mostly agricultural workers who left Canada to escape poverty and overpopulation, seeking well-paying jobs in the industrial mills of New England. Advertisements for the textile and shoe industries of America lured the immigrants who became a major part of the labor force in the Lowell mills. Since many kept close ties to family in Canada, many immigrants stayed in New England instead of moving southward. By 1882, 11,000 French Canadians had settled in Lowell, most in the northern section of the Acre known as "Little Canada." They replaced the Irish as the dominant labor force in the city by the 1870s. French Canadian workers had an impact on the industrial mills of Lowell because they worked for lower wages and often crossed picket lines to replace striking workers.
The pro-union Irish mill workers were angered by the influx of cheap labor, as well as the encroachment on their Roman Catholic religion. A small number of these French Canadian immigrants were Protestant Huguenots, but a much larger percentage were Roman Catholic. The hierarchical Catholic religion was seen as at odds with democratic Protestant America and therefore met with suspicion. Anti-Catholic sentiment was rampant in New England during this time, and one such outspoken leader was Charles Chiniquy, ex-Roman Catholic clergyman from Canada. After the Catholic Church excommunicated him in 1858, Chiniquy was ordained a Presbyterian minister and spent the rest of his life speaking out against the Catholic church.
He was in attendance for the dedication of the French Congregational Church of Lowell on October 13, 1881 where he spoke of "a danger ahead for this country which it did not expect, in the efforts of the Roman church to control England, and with it the United States...." Many Protestant leaders focused their attention on converting Catholic immigrants to Protestantism, which they believed was the key to assimilation. Calvin Elijah Amaron, a Canadian Presbyterian pastor, set out to convert the masses of French Canadian immigrants coming to the United States. Amaron would become involved with the French Congregational Church of Lowell and serve as a pastor from 1884-1886. While serving in Lowell, Amaron published a brochure titled "The Evangelization of the French Canadians in New England" (1885), which outlined his program for assimilation of the French Canadians.
Amaron later extended his writing in Your Heritage; or New England Threatened (1891), which included his views of the French Canadian allegiance to the Papacy and the effects they would have on Protestant New England. (continued) ' Healey, Mark Alan. "The Eldorado to the South": French Canadians in the U.S. NPS Form 10-900 (Rev. 10-90) United States Department of the Interior National Park Service National Register of Historic Places Continuation Sheet Section number 8 Page3 OMB Approval No. 1024-0018 St. George Antiochian Orthodox Church Lowell (Middlesex), MA The Congregationalists of Lowell supported this cause, and they were instrumental in founding and supporting the French Congregational church. There were five congregational churches of Lowell in 1877 when a committee was formed to address the need for a French Protestant Church.
This was not counting the original 1797 Pawtucket Congregational Church (not extant) that was part of the land annexed to Lowell from Dracut in 1874. The First Congregational Church of Lowell was founded in 1826 and their small brick church stood on Merrimack from 1827, until it was demolished in 1884 for the building of the new First Congregational Church (400 Merrimack Street, NRDIS 1975). Due to limited space in the original church the Second Congregational Church (also known as the Appleton Street Congregational Church) was founded in 1831, and became the Eliot Congregational Church (273 Summer Street, NRDIS 1982) in 1874. The Kirk Street Church was founded in 1845, and the original building was on the site of the present Lowell High School (50 Father Morrissette Blvd). The John Street Congregational Church was founded in 1839.
The High Street Congregational Church was founded in 1846, and inhabited the abandoned Saint Luke Episcopalian Church (180 East Merrimack) by 1847. The Honorable Judge Nathan Crosby, who had served as the justice of the Lowell police court since 1846, was a founding member of the High Street Church, and his name appears often in documents and articles regarding the French Congregational Church. In May of 1877 a Committee of Congregational Pastors headed by Judge Crosby petitioned Thomas G.A. Côté, reverend of the French Protestant Church in Joliette, Canada, to come to Lowell and begin French Evangelical work. The American Missionary Society identified Reverend Côté as a general missionary among the French Canadians of Massachusetts in 1877. In June of that year, the Reverend Côté arrived in Lowell and began his work to convert the French-Canadian immigrants to Protestantism.
The Kirk Street Congregational Church records indicate that Deacon S.G. Mack was chosen as the delegate of the Kirk Street Congregation to go to council at the Wyman Exchange in July 1877 to "deem advisable to assist the organization of a French Protestant Society." On July 3, 1877, the seven-member French Congregational Society of Lowell, also known as the French Protestant Society of Lowell, came together for their first meeting at the original Wyman's Exchange building at 9-11 Central Street/60 Merrimack Street in Downtown Lowell. In attendance were several pastors of Lowell's Congregational churches, including Rev. Dr. Charles D. Barrows of the Kirk Street Church, who gave the sermon. Reverend Smith-Baker of the First Congregational Church of Lowell, Rev. J.B. Seabury of the John Street Church, and Rev. Dr. Owen Street of the High Street Congregational Church were also present.
The Kirk Street Congregation records show that in January of 1878 the congregation donated a communion table to the French Congregational Society. In 1878 a fire at Wyman's Exchange caused the building to be taken down and rebuilt that year. The French Congregational Society moved its headquarters to the Young Men's Christian Association building located in Barrister's Hall on at the corner of Merrimack and Central Street (non extant). It was at this time that Judge Crosby began petitioning for funding to buy land for a permanent location. A committee, appointed by the Congregational Churches of Lowell, was commissioned in 1879 to buy a parcel of land to build a permanent church building. William Parker, trustee of the church committee, bought a plot of land on October 1, 1879, from Leavitt R.
and Daniel Varnum on the corner of the westerly side of Fletcher Street and northerly side of Bowers Street. On the deed there is a condition that Mr. Parker would hold and manage the property for up to three years, at which time the pastors of the five Evangelical Congregational churches in Lowell would request in writing that the premises be given to the corporation. With the help and support of the local Congregational churches, the French Congregational Society Church of Lowell was erected between 1879 and 1881 in the Victorian Romanesque style. The church was built of gray quarry-faced granite. The 1½- (continued) NPS Form 10-900 (Rev. 10-90) United States Department of the Interior National Park Service National Register of Historic Places Continuation Sheet Section number 8 Page4 OMB Approval No. 1024-0018 St.
George Antiochian Orthodox Church Lowell (Middlesex), MA storied front-gabled building had a simple basilica plan with red brick Romanesque details such as a corbel table under the gable roof, round arched window moldings, quoins, and belt course. A round window of colored glass was on the front façade facing southeasterly There are several factors that may have influenced the choice of architectural style for the French Congregational Society's church in Lowell. In 1853 the Congregational Churches in the United States had released a publication entitled A Book of Plans for Churches and Parsonages that contained designs by various architects such as Richard Upjohn, Andrew Jackson Downing, and James Renwick.
This publication encouraged the use of the medieval style for Congregational churches and was considered a catalyst in the spread of medieval styles, the Romanesque in particular, throughout American church architecture? The picturesque, but restrained, ornamentation of Romanesque architecture was the preferred style of Congregational churches in the United States in the mid 19t century. The medieval styles of architecture were also becoming popular in Canada during this time. The trends in architecture of the Eastern Provinces, especially the Maritimes, followed that of American architecture after improved communications between Canada and the United States occurred from the mid-19" century.* Stone parish churches were a common sight in Eastern Canada since the 17" century, as stone was a plentiful building material and fit with the geography and climate of Canada.
These stone churches were often copied from the major churches of Quebec and Montreal, which were medieval in style. Although the identity and nationality of the architect/builder of the French Congregational Society Church of Lowell in unknown, these stone churches that dotted the landscape of Eastern Canada may have influenced the choice of the Romanesque style for this church. The French Congregational Church was similar in plan to other Congregational churches in Lowell, but in ornamentation this church was unique. In 1879, the original Congregational churches of Lowell were of a basilica plan with classical ornamentation. These churches had simple plans that allowed unobstructed views and clear acoustics similar to early Colonial meetinghouses.
Romanesque detailing was simpler and more economical than the Gothic Revival style, and the Romanesque style fit with the Congregational churches' conservative spending habits concerning the new French church. The only other Congregational church with Romanesque ornamentation in Lowell at the end of the 19* century was Pawtucket Congregational Church (15 Mammoth Road, NR 2007), whose congregation rebuilt their church in 1898 in the Victorian Romanesque/Queen Anne style of architecture. Other congregational churches chose to rebuild in the Victorian Gothic style of architecture, such as the new Eliot Congregational Church (1874)(NRDIS 1982), the new First Congregational Church (1885)(NRDIS 1975), and the Highland Congregational Church erected in 1888.
While there were only a few examples of Romanesque Revival architecture in Lowell in the 1870s, such as the Lowell Jail at 201 Thorndike Street (1856)(NRDIS 1982), in the following two decades there were many civic buildings built in the Richardsonian Romanesque style, including the new City Hall, 375 Merrimack Street (1893)(NRDIS 1978), Memorial Hall, 401 Merrimack St (1893)(NRDIS 1975), and the Lowell Post Office (now the Middlesex County Juvenile Court-Lowell Session), 89 Appleton Street (1893)(NRIND 2002). The interior of the church was basilica in plan, with the ceiling separated into three parts by two partitions running north south (continued) 3 Steege, Gwen. "The 'Book of Plans' and the Early Romanesque Revival in the United States: A Study in Architectural Patronage." The Journal of the Society of Architectural Historians. Vol. 46, No. 3 (Sept., 1987). p.
215 4 "Religious Architecture: The Nineteenth Century," The Canadian Encyclopedia. http://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.com/index.cfm?PgNm=TCE&Params=A1SEC900473 NPS Form 10-900 (Rev. 10-90) United States Department of the Interior National Park Service National Register of Historic Places Continuation Sheet Section number 8 Page5 OMB Approval No. 1024-0018 St. George Antiochian Orthodox Church Lowell (Middlesex), MA down the length of the church. The partitions meet the north and south walls at pilasters topped with large brackets. There is a main ceiling gallery with half-barrel vaults on each side of the gallery that mimic a main nave and side galleries without the use of columns or supports. The pulpit was located on a platform at the north end of the church, and the north wall of the church had three interlocking circles that were slightly recessed.
On the north wall above the pulpit a quotation was written; C'est ici la maison de dieu or "Here is the house of God." On May 23, 1881, William Parker gave the deed to the church property to trustees of the church. The deed stated that these eleven trustees would manage the church for not more than three years, after which the pastors of the five local evangelical churches would manage the church. The dedication of the church took place on October 13, 1881 and Reverend C.D. Barrows of the Kirk Street Congregational Church preached the dedication sermon. When Rev. Barrows was leaving for a post in San Francisco later that month, Rev. Côté was quoted in Morning Mail as saying: "Without his[Rev.
Barrow's] influence there would be no French Protestant Church in this city and others in Worcester, Fall River, and five or six other stations waiting to be opened...." Many prominent Lowell citizens were in attendance, as well as such Congregational pastors from Boston as Rev. J. B. Clark. Charles Chiniquy spoke at the dedication urging those in attendance to support the church in the face of Roman Catholic adversity. Dr. Sullivan Ward, head of the Building Committee for the church, gave a report of the finances and the total cost of was noted that the Sabbath School of the First Congregational Church had donated the pulpit, chairs, and table, and the Cheerful Workers of the Kirk Street Church presented the pews. Alderman Ambrose Ready had donated the bell, and the cross atop the belfry was a gift from Daniel Cushing and Company. Mr. William H.
Wiggin, a prolific builder and contractor in Lowell, was credited with installing the pews and settees free of charge. It was implied in newspaper articles that it was William H. Wiggin who built the church, but there are no surviving church documents to verify the claim. Reverend Thomas G.A. Côté served the French Congregational Church as pastor from 1877 until March 1883, when he left the congregation to accept the position of General Missionary with the Home Missionary Society continuing French Evangelical work in Massachusetts. He would later return in 1895 to serve the French Congregational Church of Lowell once more as its pastor. In September of 1885, Reverend Calvin Elijah Amaron, then pastor of the French Congregational Church, was instrumental in getting a charter issued for a French Protestant College.
With aid from the Massachusetts Home Missionary Society, Amaron proposed a French Protestant boarding school with an educational program to "prepare future missionaries." The mission of the college was as follows: The French Protestant College was created for the purpose of giving instruction to both young men and young women in such branches of education as are usually taught in our New England schools and colleges, with reference to training students to become efficient teachers, missionaries, and preachers of the Protestant faith. (continued) NPS Form 10-900 (Rev. 10-90) United States Department of the Interior National Park Service National Register of Historic Places Continuation Sheet Section number 8 Page _6 OMB Approval No. 1024-0018 St.
George Antiochian Orthodox Church Lowell (Middlesex), MA The French Protestant College opened October 27, 1885 with classes held in the basement of the French Congregational church. wenty-five students and six teachers attended the first year, but the college was struggling after just two years from lack o upport and students. When Rev. Owen Street, pastor of the High Street Congregational Church, passed away in 1887 he lef $1,000 for "religious work." The college was offered the $1,000 by his heirs to erect a building with the condition that an additional $15,000 be pledged within a certain time. The largest contributions came from the Springfield area, and when the former site of the Springfield Hospital was offered as a new location, the French Protestant College left Lowell for Springfield in October of 1888.
In 1894 the name was changed from the French Protestant College to the French American College. However, of the thirty-six students in its various programs in the fall of 1902, only three or four had French names . The college became the American International College in 1904. The founding vision of Calvin Amaron, to prepare future missionaries of the Protestant faith, was no longer the mission of the school. According to Samuel H. Lee, president of the College in 1904, the new mission was to address "the need for an educational institution focused on the unique needs of immigrants." American International College is still in operation in Springfield Massachusetts. The Illustrated History of Lowell, Mass (1897) states that Miss T. Inez van Tassell raised a reported $1,000 for beautification of the church in 1887. This included painting, decoration, and a new communion table.
By 1890, the membership of the church was seventy-one. Rev. Côté returned to the congregation as pastor in 1895, and the rosters included twelve new members that year. In 1902 the French Congregational Church received a permit from the City of Lowell for an addition for extra accommodation, which entailed adding the front block addition, or exonarthex. While the original permit was lost, contemporaneous newspaper articles provide detailed descriptions of the church's appearance in 1881, mentioning a "large circular window of colored glass on the easterly side, near the roof...." This refers to the semi-circular window above the main entrance, which was most likely altered and fitted with a granite sill in 1902. The exonarthex had a set of round-arched windows in its center with a set of wooden doors leading into the lower level.
There were entrances to the church on either side of the addition, which served as a narthex. Corner entry porches and wooden steps led down to Bowers Street. By 1905 the French Congregational Church was in decline, despite the addition needed for the building in 1902. As Franco- Americans were rising up the socio-economic scale, the textile industry was rapidly declining. Due to lower labor costs in the south, many mills were closing and relocating. The new social status caused many Franco-Americans to leave the cheap labor to the new immigrants from Greece, Poland, and Italy. When they moved from the tenements to suburban areas of Lowell, such as Pawtucketville, they assimilated at a quicker rate.
With the language barrier breached, and a greater tolerance of Roman Catholicism, new French Canadian immigrants remained with the Roman Catholic faith and enrolled their children in Catholic French-speaking parochial schools. By 1910 there were 133 French-speaking schools, constituting 41% of all parochial schools in New England'. (continued) 5 Cork, William J. Protestant Evangelization of French Canadian Immigrants in 19th Century New England" http://wquercus.com/acadie/evangelization.htm ' Letter written by Samuel H. Lee to the Springfield Daily Republican on February 8, 1904 Liptak, Dolores, Immigrants and Their Church (New York: Macmillan Publishing Co., 1989), p. 166. NPS Form 10-900 (Rev. 10-90) United States Department of the Interior National Park Service National Register of Historic Places Continuation Sheet Section number 8 Page _7 OMB Approval No. 1024-0018 St.
George Antiochian Orthodox Church Lowell (Middlesex), MA By 1910, the French Congregational Church was abandoned and had suffered from repeated vandalism. Church records of this congregation were scattered and ultimately lost over time, with few documents in existence in records of the surviving congregational churches. In 1917 Albert D. Carter, Alexander G. Cumnock, and Artemis B. Woodworth, the surviving trustees of the 1881 trust deed, signed the deed over to Michael Ansara, George Husson, Najel Hayeck, and Asaf Masorid, who were serving as trustees for the Saint George Antiochian Society of Lowell. Protestant Franco-Americans joined other Congregationalist churches, which greatly dwindled in number and influence in the early 20* century Lowell. By 1917, the John Street Congregational Church was no longer in existence.
The Kirk Street Congregation merged with Eliot Congregational in 1919. The congregations continued to decline, and the First Congregational, Highland Congregational, and All Souls Churches finally merged into the Christ Church United (180 East Merrimack Street) in 1969. Christian immigrants from Syria and Lebanon came to America to escape oppression by the Ottoman Turks starting in the late 19#h century. After the Ottoman Empire gained general control of the area of what is now Lebanon and Syria in 1516, Lebanon continued to maintain an oppressive feudal system of rule by local chieftains. In 1860 a religious sect in Lebanon and Damascus, the Druze, massacred many Christians; by some accounts more than 8,000 were slaughtered. Christians moved westward to avoid the persecution and unrest.
Many of the immigrants that settled in Lowell were young men who were escaping conscription into the Turkish army. The founding families of the St. George Antiochian Society came to Lowell from two small towns: Aita al-Fakhar in the present- day Lebanon and Saydnaya, Syria, starting in the 1880s. These immigrants settled in an area between Fletcher Street, Broadway, and the Western Canal known as the "Acre Triangle." Besides supplying the Lowell Mills with a cheap new labor force, these immigrants also served as peddlers who played a vital role in the distribution of goods to the agricultural families living on the outskirts of nearby cities and towns. The immigrants brought with them their Christian Orthodox faith. Saydnaya in Syria is a village known for its faithfulness to Orthodoxy and proximity to the seat of the ancient Patriarchate of Antioch, Damascus.
These immigrants practiced their faith in private homes in Lowell until the church building was bought in 1917. There was a "hall off Suffolk Street" that the immigrants met in for a span of six months before the church was bought. The Ansara family owned a building located at 98 Suffolk Street that was built ca. 1906. The Ansara family was a founding family of the St. George Syrian Society. Michael Ansara was listed as a grocer operating out of 98 Suffolk Street in the 1917 Lowell City Directory and was the president of the men's branch of the St. George's Syrian Society at the dedication of the church in 1919. After purchasing the building, the parish was granted a permit by the City of Lowell to alter the interior for use as an Orthodox Church. The members used the basement for services while the upper floor was renovated.
The remodeling took place from 1917 to1919 and included the addition of an oak iconostasis, which separated the sanctuary from the nave. Eastern Orthodox iconography, done in the Renaissance style, and two Bavarian cut-glass chandeliers decorated the church. The identity of the original iconographer is unknown, and was only identified as "a Syrian from Lawrence" in an article describing the renovation of church in the Lowell Courier-Citizen newspaper. The original iconography was stored after it was removed in 1988, and a few pieces remain in the church. On May 25, 1919, Metropolitan Archbishop Germanos Shehadeh of Zahle dedicated the St. George Antiochian Church edifice. In his sermon, he said that the building of churches meant, "People were here to stay." In attendance to assist were the new (continued) NPS Form 10-900 (Rev.
10-90) United States Department of the Interior National Park Service National Register of Historic Places Continuation Sheet Section number 8 Page 8 OMB Approval No. 1024-0018 St. George Antiochian Orthodox Church Lowell (Middlesex), MA pastor Seraphim Nassar, who was a renowned orthodox theologian and church historian, and several visiting priests. There were three parts to the dedication: the dedication in the morning, a luncheon in the basement of the church, then a social in the fternoon, attended by Mayor Perry D.
Thompson, who then spoke, praising the congregation for their "enterprising efforts and ambitions for progress." The dedication ceremony had many American motifs in the service, including the addition of American flags, the Pledge of Allegiance, and the singing of both "The Star Spangled Banner" and "America." The Archbishop addressed the celebrants at the social gathering: We should not lose sight of the fact that the country that enables us to build churches and equip them as we are equipping them, and that protects us and our religion, is the country that we should uphold under any and all circumstances and we ought to rejoice that we are living under the 'Stars and Stripes,' in the land of the free and the home of the brave.
Miss Elizabeth Yerid, representing the Ladies' Society, recognized the men and women of the parish, numbering less than fifty, who accomplished a "seemingly impossible task" to overcome all obstacles to establish "one of the most representative of Syrian Orthodox Churches in the United States, from a viewpoint of interior construction and arrangement." On May 27, 1920, a fee of $5.00 was paid for a certificate of organization and the corporation was formed under the requirements of the 6 section of chapter 125 of the revised laws. A charter for the "St. George Syrian Orthodox Church" was issued on that day, with Michael J. Husson as president of the Standing Committee. In 1919, this Orthodox Church was one of only 24 Antiochian Greek Orthodox churches in the United States.
Many members of the parish had previously attended the Holy Trinity Hellenic Church in Lowell located on Lewis Street. Built in 1906-08, Holy Trinity was the first Byzantine-style church built in the United States for Orthodox worship. The original parish of St. George Antiochian had between twenty-five and thirty families, and grew as more families immigrated to Lowell. Father Seraphim Nassar, the first pastor to serve St. George Antiochian Church in Lowell, produced the first and only comprehensive collection of texts needed for the chanting of complete services in English called The Book of Divine Prayers and Services (1938).
When the church was dedicated, the church services were spoken in the "old Syriac tongue." Syriac is the Edessene dialect of Aramaic that was the primary language of Syria until the 10" century, when control by the Arabs led to their adoption of the Arabic language. The church went through renovations in 1955 when the original six double-hung colored glass windows that lined the east and west façades of the church were replaced with six single rectilinear stained-glass windows depicting various religious scenes. The windows of the west wall are the Annunciation, Christ as the Good Shepard, and the Transfiguration. The windows of the east wall depict St. George, St. Michael, and the Madonna and Child. These windows were memorial windows dedicated by members of the parish.
The same year a single stained-glass window with an arched frame depicting the Madonna and Child replaced the two round-arched windows in the exonarthex. The Daughters of St. George Society donated this window. A choir loft was built in the south corner of the church in 1955 as well. (continued) NPS Form 10-900 (Rev. 10-90) United States Department of the Interior National Park Service National Register of Historic Places Continuation Sheet Section number 8 Page9 OMB Approval No. 1024-0018 St. George Antiochian Orthodox Church Lowell (Middlesex), MA In 1958 a two-story wood parish house was built at 44 Bowers Street on property owned by the church. Traditionally this uilding has served as the home of the pastor and his family. The parish house is a two-story, garrison colonial with vinyl sidin ca. 1989) and brick veneer.
It is outside the boundary of the present nomination The church has had much interior beautification since 1958. The pews were replaced in the 1970s. In 1988, the west entry porch on the front façade was enclosed and covered by white clapboarding to accommodate a handicapped lift. At the same time the wooden stairs were redone in concrete. All of the woodwork of the church, including the iconostasis, was sanded down and stained with a natural oak coloring during the renovation. The iconostasis originally had a semi-circular structure with two icons and symbols centered over the main doorway to the sanctuary ("Royal Door"). This piece was also removed around the time of the rehabilitation. The wooden door between the narthex and the sanctuary was also replaced at this time with a set of wooden doors.
During the 1988 rehabilitation of the church, construction altered the north wall behind the iconostasis. Originally, the north wall had three interlocking circles (trefoil) that were slightly recessed. A semi-circular apse was constructed in 1988 to comply with Orthodox tradition and iconography written depicting the Platytera or "Queen of Heaven." The icons of the church are painted with egg tempura with gold background and were done by an iconographer who was trained in the Traditional Eastern Orthodox style of the 10th-15th centuries, Constantine Youssis, a well-known iconographer who has decorated more than 55 Orthodox churches in North America. Youssis wrote the current iconography of St. George Antiochian in 1988, including the icons on the iconostasis, the lunettes above the windows, and the fresco above the main door.
Youssis is a follower of the rules the Eastern Orthodox Church has prescribed for iconographers. These rules include an ascetic life of fasting and prayer, active participation in Church Sacraments, and humbleness of spirit. Traditionally, the iconographer was not only an artist, but also a The extensive renovation that took place in the 1988 involved finishing the downstairs area by adding two handicapped restrooms and new kitchen equipment. None of these changes have affected the church's overall integrity. The stage that had once been downstairs was removed, and the area was remodeled. The basement is where the church offices are located, as well as the Sunday school classes and meeting rooms for the church's organizations.
The current organizations include the Saint George Church Choir, Saint George Church School, Saint George Parish Council, Saint George Ladies Society, and the Saint George Teen Syrian Orthodox Youth Organization (SOYO). (continued) NPS Form 10-900 (Rev. 10-90) United States Department of the Interior National Park Service National Register of Historic Places Continuation Sheet Section number 8 Page10 OMB Approval No. 1024-0018 St. George Antiochian Orthodox Church Lowell (Middlesex), MA The church is still in use today as an Eastern Orthodox Church. While the majority of the current parishioners are descended from the founders from Aita al Fakher and Saydnaya, many are also from Palestine, Jordan, and Egypt who immigrated after World War Il; these are also parishioners who came to work in the high-tech industries of the area in the mid 1970s and 1980s.
There are also some of Greek and Slavic background, and some Orthodox converts. The parish includes doctors, lawyers, graduate students, and business owners who all contribute to the community. (end) NPS Form 10-900 (Rev. 10-90) United States Department of the Interior National Park Service National Register of Historic Places Continuation Sheet Section number _9 Page 1 OMB Approval No. 1024-0018 St George Antiochian Orthodox Church Lowell (Middlesex), MA 9. BIBLIOGRAPHY "About The Antiochain Orthodox Church." From the website of The Self Ruled Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North America http://www.antiochian.org/about Amaron, Rev. Calvin Elijah, A.M. Your Heritage; or New England Threatened. French Protestant College. Springfield, MA, Amaron, Rev. Calvin Elijah, A.M. "The Evangelization of the French Canadians in New England." Lowell: Campbell and Hanscom, 1885.
Atlas of the City of Lowell, Mass. Richards Map Company, Springfield, Mass. Years consulted: 1879; 1896; 1906;1924;1936 Bélanger, Claude. "French Canadians in the United States." Marianopolis College, 2001. Cheney, Liana, and Donna Cassidy, Nancy Gill. Religious Architecture of Lowell, Vol. II & I. Lowell 1984. Cork, William J. D. Min. "Protestant Evangelization of French Canadian Immigrants in 19th Century New England" http://wquercus.com/acadie/evangelization.htm Cowley, Charles A. History of Lowell. Lowell, Mass; 1868. Divers Hands, ed. Illustrated History of Lowell and Vicinity. Courier Citizen Co. Lowell, Mass; 1897; 881 pgs. "Dedication of the French Protestant Church." The Lowell Daily Courier, October 14, 1881. Healey, Mark Alan. ''The Eldorado to the South': French-Canadians in the U.S." Curriculum Materials for the Center for North American Studies.
Prepared with Title VI Funding from the U.S. Department of Education. http://www.duke.edu/~mahealey/ Hengen, Elizabeth Durfee. "The Lowell Neighborhoods: An Historical and Architectural Overview." City of Lowell Neighborhood Cultural Resource Inventory. Jointly funded by the City of Lowell and Massachusetts Historical Commission. August, 1981. "Holy Patriarchal Convent of Our Lady of Saydnaya" THE WORD; the official publication of the The Self-Ruled Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North America. May 1984, pp. 8-9. Hurd, D.Hamilton. History of Middlesex County, Massachusetts. Vol. II. Philadelphia: J.W. Lewis & Co., 1890. Liptak, Dolores. Immigrants and Their Church (New York: Macmillan Publishing Co, 1989) (continued) NPS Form 10-900 (Rev.
10-90) United States Department of the Interior National Park Service National Register of Historic Places Continuation Sheet Section number 9 Page2 OMB Approval No. 1024-0018 St George Antiochian Orthodox Church Lowell (Middlesex), MA "Lowell". The Bay State Monthly. Volume 1, Issue 3. Mar., 1884. Pgs. 161-200. John N. McClintock and Co. Boston, MA, http://cdl.library.cornell.edu/cgi-bin/moa/moa-cgi?notisid=AFJ3035-0001-27 The Lowell Directory. Sampson & Murdock Co. Boston, Mass. Volumes consulted: 1875-1925 "Lowell Syrians of Orthodox Faith Dedicated New Church Yesterday." Lowell Courier Citizen, evening edition. May 26, 1919. Meeks, Carroll L. V. "Romanesque Before Richardson in the United States" The Art Bulletin, Vol. 35, No. 1. (Mar., 1953), pp. 17-33. Reimer, Milt. "The Conservative Congregational Christian Conference (CCCC) French Canadian Connection" The Foresee.
Sept/Oct 2003, Vol.36, No.5 Steege, Gwen W. "The "Book of Plans" and the Early Romanesque Revival in the United States: A Study in Architectural Patronage."The Journal of the Society of Architectural Historians, Vol. 46, No. 3. (Sep., 1987), pp. 215-227. U.S. Department of the Interior, National Park Service. Lowell. The Story of an Industrial City. A Guide to the Lowell National Historical Park and Lowell Heritage State Park. Lowell, Massachusetts. Washington D.C.: U.S. Department of the Interior, 1992. Varnum, A.C. History of the Pawtucket Church and Society, with Reminiscences of Pastors and Founders, Sketches of Congregational Churches in Lowell, and a Brief Outline of Congregationalism._Lowell, Morning Mail Print, 1888. "Will Dedicate New Syrian Church Sunday" Lowell Courier Citizen, Wed.
May 21, 1919 (end) StGeorgeAntiochianOrthodoxChurch Name of Property Middlesex,MA County, State 10. Geographical Data Acreage of Property less than one acre UTM References See continuation sheet. (Place additional UTM references on a continuation sheet) 1.19 309440 4724080 Zone Easting Northing "Zone Easting Northing 3. Zone Easting "Zone Easting _ See continuation sheet Verbal Boundary Description (Describe the boundaries of the property on a continuation sheet.) Boundary Justification (Explain why the boundaries were selected on a continuation sheet.) 11.
Form Prepared By name/title_Kim Zunine, Lowell Historic Board with Betsy Friedberg, NR Director, MHC organization_ Massachusetts Historical Commission dateApril 2008 street & number_220 Morrissey Boulevard _telephone_617-727-8470 city or town Boston _ stateMA _ zip code_02125 Additional Documentation Submit the following items with the completed form: Continuation Sheets Northing Northing A USGS map (7.5 or 15 minute series) indicating the property's location. A sketch map for historic districts and properties having large acreage or numerous resources. Photographs Representative black and white photographs of the property.
Additional items (Check with the SHPO or FPO for any additional items) Property Owner (Complete this item at the request of the SHPO or FPO.) name St George Antiochian Orthodox Church street & number 55-61 Bowers Street telephone city or town Lowell state MA _ zip code. 01854 Paperwork Reduction Act Statement: This information is being collected for applications to the National Register of Historic Places to nominate properties for listing or determine eligibility for listing, to list properties, and to amend existing listings. Response to this request is required to obtain a benefit in accordance with the National Historic Preservation Act, as amended (16 U.S.C. 470 et seq.).
Estimated Burden Statement: Public reporting burden for this form is estimated to average 18.1 hours per response including the time for reviewing instructions, gathering and maintaining data, and completing and reviewing the form. Direct comments regarding this burden estimate or any aspect of this form to the Chief, Administrative Services Division, National Park Service, P.0. Box 37127, Washington, DC 20013-7127; and the Office of Management and Budget, Paperwork Reductions Project (1024-0018), Washington, DC 20503. NPS Form 10-900 (Rev. 10-90) United States Department of the Interior National Park Service National Register of Historic Places Continuation Sheet St George Antiochian Orthodox Church Lowell (Middlesex), MA Section number _10 Page _1 OMB Approval No. 1024 10.
GEOGRAPHICAL: Verbal Boundary Description The boundary of the nominated property is shown on the accompanying City of Lowell Assessor's map. Note: the number of St. George Antiochian on Bowers Street is listed as #55 on this map. The parcel listed at 44 Bowers Street containing the parish house and parking lot is owned by the church but is not included in this nomination. Boundary Justification The boundary includes the entire single parcel of land in the legal description containing a church building and a church sign (end) NPS Form 10-900 (Rev. 10-90) United States Department of the Interior National Park Service OMB Approval No. 1024-0018 National Register of Historic Places Continuation Sheet St George Antiochian Orthodox Church Lowell (Middlesex), MA Section number photos Page 1 PHOTOGRAPHS Photographer: Kim Zunino, Lowell Historic Board 1. 2.
Exterior, facing west Interior, facing northwest UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR NATIONAL PARK SERVICE NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES EVALUATION/RETURN SHEET REQUESTED ACTION: NOMINATION PROPERTY St.
George Antiochian Orthodox Church NAME : MULTIPLE NAME: STATE & COUNTY: MASSACHUSETTS, Middlesex DATE RECEIVED: DATE OF 16TH DAY: DATE OF WEEKLY LIST: 4/30/08 5/29/08 DATE OF PENDING LIST: 5/14/08 DATE OF 45TH DAY: 6/13/08 REFERENCE NUMBER: 08000507 REASONS FOR REVIEW: APPEAL: N DATA PROBLEM: N LANDSCAPE: N LESS THAN 50 YEARS: N OTHER : N PDIL: N PERIOD: N PROGRAM UNAPPROVED: N REQUEST: N SAMPLE: N SLR DRAFT: N NATIONAL: N COMMENT WAIVER: N ACCEPT RETURN REJECT 610.08 DATE ABSTRACT/SUMMARY COMMENTS : IMBHR : 08000587 Entered in The National Register Historic Places RECOM./CRITERIA COMMEN WAI VISR: REVIEWER DISCIPLINE TELEPHONE - DATE DOCUMENTATION see attached comments J/N see attached SLR Y/N If a nomination is returned to the nominating authority, the nomination is no longer under consideration by the NPS.
8as08s NOSd +_ Lowell(MiddlesuxCoauty)_StfeorgeAutiochian/.fif Wwto #1 'xferior woto taben hy Kim Zuniro, Lowell Historic Board. NOSdB NOSd NO Jaded le laded P isSajold uosda UU AA U 1A_Lowell (MiddLesexCounty)-StGeoge Aufiochian Z.tif ploto #2 luterion photo talceu by Kin Zumiao, Lowll Htistonic Boarl NOSd3 Jaded jeu Epsoll NOSdE 1243300 18 14550) STREET. 18833) PAW TUCKET ARLINGTON slo : Sã STREET : 19 104 7 1222 g.la (023J) SCHOOL STREEX 120 TO09 0178) HUNNICUT T 8 ASSOCIATES, INC. A DIVISION OF RORERT NILAMee INCINEERS. APeRAIPaS, ST PETERSBURGfIORInA 18 10c x0a STAEE WASHINGTON 32 35 SOLS TOOT 54 1700 353 340 342 1330 TTNA STREET VERNON 32 F/ = B/ 261 05/8 STREET 18129 130 C9, 138 SAMRETO TOTA Ve la BOWERS 320 TTTT + 2337 FLETCHER 8 1: STREET TASh "3.
100 MLAS PAYOS 20 TRRT, 20 WHITING STREET SANA (6340) Hag SE ORORGE'S SYRLAN ORTHOOOI (647,300 200 200 SALEM 17° + 34. + 165 STREET 150 B3%g HEW HELLENIC ORTHODO CHURCH OF THI 100 X CLARY (3983) CLARK HANCOCK 160 150 152 + CITY OF LOWELL DonocoTy nwrcoemsmn cITY OF LOWELL, MASSACHUSETTS oATE: (982 S1 0 1700~ 123 (2035) LONCLL 98 99 100 136 137 St. George Antiochian Orthodox Church 44 Bowers St. Lowell, Ma. 01854 .Office Phone: (978)452-4816 Fax: (978)452-6041 Rev. Fr. Leonard Faris, Pastor 44 Bowers St. Lowell, Ma. 01854 Phone: (978)452-4816 Email: FatherFaris@comcast.net RECEIVED APR 24 2007 MASS. HIST. COMM April 19,2007 Betsy Friedberg Mass Historical Society Commission 220 Morrissey Blvd Boston MA 02125 Dear Ms. Friedberg: We, the Parish Council of St.
George Antiochian Orthodox Church, consent and agree with the Lowell Historical Society regarding our application to the National Historical Society. The Church was purchased by our grandparents and parents in 1917. After some renovations the Church was dedicated in 1919 and has been used as a house of worship since. The Parish Council and I whole heartily agree with the Lowell Historical Society's application to the National Historical Society. Thank you for your consideration of our application. Sincerely, ChakepSkef Temy Moaos hler Council President Council Vice President CHARO IENE PLACIDAN LSYE LIBEATATO The Commonwealth of Massachusetts William Francis Galvin, Secretary of the Commonwealth Massachusetts Historical Commission RECEIVED 2280 APR 3 0 2008 NAT. REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES NATIONAL PARK SERVICE April 23, 2008 Mr. J.
Paul Loether National Register of Historic Places Department of the Interior National Park Service 1201 Eye Street, NW 8"" floor Washington, DC 20005 Dear Mr. Loether: Enclosed please find the following nomination form: St. George Antiochian Orthodox Church, 61 Bowers Street, Lowell (Middlesex), MA The nomination has been voted eligible by the State Review Board and has been signed by the State Historic Preservation Officer. The owners of the property in the Certified Local Government community of Lowell were notified of pending State Review Board consideration 60 to 90 days before the meeting and were afforded the opportunity to comment. One letter of support has been received.
Sincerely, Betoy Frudkerg Betsy Friedberg National Register Director Massachusetts Historical Commission enclosure cc: Kim Zunino, Steve Stowell, Lowell Historic Board Reynold Ilg, Chair, Lowell Historic Board Edward C. Caulfield, Mayor, City of Lowell Rev. Leonard Faris, St. George Antiochian Orthodox Church Chair, Lowell Planning Board John Giangregorio, JAML Realty Trust 220 Morrissey Boulevard, Boston, Massachusetts 02125 (617) 727-8470 - Fax: (617) 727-5128 www.state.ma.us/sec/mhc
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