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United States Department of the Interior NATIONAL PARK SERVICE 1849 C Street, N.W. Washington, D.C. 20240 March 1, 2011 Notice to file: This property has been automatically listed in the National Register of Historic Places. This is due to the fact that the publication of our Federal Register Notice: "National Register of Historic Places: Pending Nominations and Other Actions" was delayed beyond our control to the point where the mandated 15 day public comment period ended after our required 45 day time frame to act on the nomination. If the 45* day falls on a weekend or Federal holiday, the property will be automatically listed the next business day. The nomination is technically adequate and meets the National Register criteria for evaluation, and thus, automatically listed in the National Register of Historic Places.
Edson Beall Historian National Register of Historic Places Phone: 202-354-2255 E-mail: Edson_Beall@nps.gov Web: www.nps.gov/history/nr NPS Form 10-900 OMB No. 1024-0018 United States Department of the Interior National Park Service National Register of Historic Places Registration Form 069 RECEIVED 2280 JAN 1 4 2011 NAT. REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES NATIONAL PARK SERVICE 1. Name of Property Historic name Grace Universalist Church Other names/site number Grace Unitarian Universalist Church, St. George Hellenic Orthodox Church 2. Location street & number 44 Princeton Boulevard city of town Lowell State Masachusetts code MA 3.
State/Federal Agency Certification county Middlesex code 017 not for publication - vicinity zip code 01851 As the designated authority under the National Historic Preservation Act, as amended, I hereby certify that this V nomination _request for determination of eligibility meets the documentation standards for registering properties in the National Register of Historic Places and meets the procedural and professional requirements set forth in 36 CFR Part 60. In my opinion, the property meets does not meet the National Register Criteria.
I recommend that this property be considered significant at the following level(s) of significance: _national - statewide local Broa Suron Signature of certifying official Brona Simon, SHPO, MA Historical Commission fanuary ", 201/ Date Title State or Federal agency and bureau In my opinion, the property meets _ does not meet the National Register criteria. Signature of commenting official Brona Simon, State Historic Preservation Officer Title 4. National Park Service Certification I, hereby, eertify that this property is: V entered in the National Register _ determined eligible for the National Register _ determined not eligible for the National Register _removed from the National Register _ other (explain:) Date State or Federal agency and bureau som Vt Beall Date of Action 3.1-1/ Grace Universalist Church Name of Property 5.
Classification private public -Local public - State public - Federal private Category of Property (Check only one box) building(s) district site structure building(s) object Name of related multiple property listing (Enter "N/A" if property is not part of a multiple property listing) N/A - 6. Function or Use Historic Functions (Enter categories from instructions) RELIGION: religious facility 7. Description Architectural Classification (Enter categories from instructions) Late VictorianVictorian Eclectic - Middlesex, MA County and State Number of Resources within Propertj (Do not include previously listed resources in the count.
Contributing Noncontributing 1 1 buildings sites structures Objects buildings Total Number of contributing resources previously listed in the National Register N/A Current Functions (Enter categories from instructions) RELIGION: religious facility Materials (Enter categories from instructions) foundation: Painted masonry walls: Brick & limestone Church: metal dome Vestry: metal,shingle,rubber roofing Towers: terra cotta tile roof: other: 2 Grace Universalist Church Name of Property Middlesex, MA County and State Narrative Description (Describe the historic and current physical appearance of the property. Explain contributing and noncontributing resources if necessary.
Begin with a summary paragraph that briefly describes the general characteristics of the property, such as its location, setting, size, and significant features.) Summary Paragraph The former Grace Universalist Church (built 1895-1896), now known as the St. George Hellenic Orthodox Church, stands on a 19,152-square-foot lot on the corner of Princeton Boulevard and South Canton Street (photo 1), in the western section of Lowell, MA. The church is a 2½ story, asymetrical, brick structure with a raised basement, large central dome, a two-towered front façade, and an attached vestry. The design is ecclectic, incorporating Romanesque, Beaux Arts, and Classical Revival motifs. Surrounded by a mixture of single-and multi-family residential housing generally dating to the late 19" century, the church is located in the densely settled Highlands neighborhood.
The Acre neighborhood and the Merrimack River lie to the north; the South Lowell and Back Central neighborhoods are to the east. The property consists of one contributing building, the church, with an attached vestry. A significant feature of this building is the 70-foot diameter masonry dome, constructed by Rafael Guastavino, Jr. Narrative Description The church is located on the northwest corner of a block bounded by Princeton Boulevard, South Canton Street, Westford Street, and Wilder Street. The building faces north, and is situated in the center of a rectangular lot that measures 100 feet along its Princeton Boulevard frontage, and 208.38 feet along South Canton Street. Both the corner location of the building and its design make the church a prominent feature in the immediate residential neighborhood, which is largely charaterized by modest, wood-frame, late 19t-century houses.
The setting of the church was altered somewhat during the mid 20" century, when several large brick apartment buildings replaced two-story, wood-frame houses. One of the brick apartment buildings stands west of the church, on the opposite side of South Canton Street. A brick nursing home (ca.1969) stands next door to the east on Princeton Boulevard. In 1981, the church demolished a ca. 1890 wood-frame house which stood on the lot abutting the church to the south (along South Canton Street), creating the present church parking lot. Since the parking lot parcel was not associated with the church during the period of significance, it is not included in this nomination. The 1896 Sanborn atlas shows two large brick churches in the area - Grace Universalist Church on Princeton Boulevard, and Highland Congregational Church (1884) on Westford Street.
They are surrounded by wood-frame houses, generally built between 1880 and 1890. The 1924 Sanborn Atlas also shows the two churches surrounded by the houses. The Highland Congregational Church was razed in 1971 to build the present Montefiore Orthodox Synagogue (460 Westford Street). Exterior The principal façade (north elevation), which is Romanesque Revival in design, features a central front-gabled section flanked by a short and a tall tower. The raised foundation is brick, covered with cement which is painted and scored to look like stone. The building appears as a heavy and solid structure, enhanced by the use of brick as a building material. The use of brick as an exterior material ties the church and attached vestry together. The brick also provides a contrast with the limestone trim (painted yellow) and zinc dome, which is painted gold and topped by a golden cross.
A limestone (continued) Grace Universalist Church Name of Property Middlesex, MA County and State stringcourse divides the mass of the brick walls of the church, while texture is achieved with patterns in the brick. The brick walls are set in a Flemish bond pattern, with every seventh course being black-headed brick on the upper sections of the church. The main façade of the church (north elevation) is a symmetrical, three-part composition up to the principal cornice. The lower section of the center bay has a set of concrete stairs leading from ground level into a porch. The metal stair railing dates to 1951. On either side of the stairs are small concrete pillars, each engraved with an iron cross medallion. The lower sections of the flanking towers each have a small vertical window.
The middle section of the center bay of the front façade has an arcade of three round archways, supported by two columns with composite capitals. Between the ionic volutes of the capitals are round medallions with a Celtic-cross design. From the porch, three doors lead to the interior, with the middle door serving as the main entrance. Above each door is a transom containing three-lights with arched tops. The glazing is green opalescent stained glass with lead crosses. A band of limestone trim runs above the transom and continues as a stringcourse that separates the lower and middle sections of the façade. Above the decorative stringcourse, the recessed center bay has three brick arches, each with two rows of red-headed brick segments and one row of black-headed brick segments. Above each arch is a limestone Celtic-cross medallion edged with black brick headers.
A large limestone panel above the medallions holds a rectangular sign, with the name of the current parish - Saint George - in English and Greek. On either side of the recessed bay are brick pillars that are flush with the lower part of the middle section of the flanking towers. The upper parts of the towers are recessed and contain identical small square windows topped by a sill and blind arch. A wide concrete cornice separates the middle and upper sections of the façade. Above the cornice, which was originally decorated with corbels, the center bay has a large, stained-glass lunette. The lunette is composed of a central green-glass window, flanked by windows with opalescent stained glass in a fishscale pattern. Centered above the lunette is a single, larger version of the cross medallions beneath the limestone panel. The center bay rises to a front gable trimmed by a corbelled cornice.
The short northeast tower rises one story above the central gable. Although the tower has a bell deck, there is no evidence of a bell having hung there. An arcade of windows with triple arches, columns, and panels can be seen on all four sides of the tower. The tower has a low pyramidal roof covered with terra-cotta tiles. The northwest corner rises at least three stories above the core of the church. It is capped by a bell deck containing two arched openings, covered with louvers on each of its four sides. The low, pyramidal, terra-cotta roof is an alteration. Originally, a polygonal cupola capped by a conical roof completed the tower (figure 2). That section was damaged in the New England Hurricane of 1938. The west elevation of the church projects beyond the tower, and follows the design of the main façade. The three-bay elevation is divided horizontally by the masonry stringcourse.
The lower section has a small window in the center of each side bay. Above the stringcourse, small arches are aligned over the two windows. The upper section of the west elevation has a center bay with a stained-glass window, while the two flanking bays are slightly recessed with five blind openings. A single blind opening is seen on the side of the projecting elevation facing north. The openings are connected by a continuous cornice which wraps around to connect with the north-facing blind opening in the left bay. Above the cornice are arched openings aligned with the windows. The central bay rises above the main cornice to a front gable with a large lunette set into the dome. The lunette, which matches the one on the façade, is composed of a central green-glass window, flanked by opalescent stained-glass windows in a fishscale pattern.
The apex and base of the gable are decorated with acroteria. A similar lunette is located on the south elevation of the church, where it meets the attached vestry. The east elevation of the church is identical to the west elevation, except for the southernmost bay having only four blind openings, and a projecting brick chimney that rises from the southeast corner of the church. The tall, square chimney has chamfered corners and a corbelled top. The brick is laid in a Flemish-bond pattern with a seventh course of black headers. A cross made from headers decorates each of the four sides of the chimney. The masonry stringcourse that divides the building horizntally continues around the chimney.
(continued) 4 Grace Universalist Church Name of Property Middlesex, MA County and State Interior Just inside the main entrance to the church lies the vestibule, known as the narthex in Orthodox architecture. Of the three doors from the exterior, only the center door is used today. The other two doors are blocked, and light oak service tables face each other, flanking the central doorway. On the south wall of the narthex, a set of plate-glass double doors, between pilasters, lead into the auditorium. On either side of the doors are plate-glass windows. Under the windows are cabinets known as pangaria, which are filled with sand to hold candles. (The original configuration had two central columns and a double door, flanked by a set of additional double doors.) On either side of the narthex are two equal-sized rooms, which are at the base of the two towers.
The narthex and side rooms all have woodwork of quartered oak with a rich dark stain. The room on the west is the former treasury room, which contains a large metal safe recessed into the south wall. The room on the east side of the narthex was once a waiting room, but is now used for storage. Staircases on either side of the narthex lead up to the second-floor galleries of the auditorium. The auditorium, or nave, is a large two-story room, topped by a 70-foot diameter dome. The Guastavino dome, which forms the ceiling of the auditorium, is constructed of interlocking terra-cotta tiles, and is supported by a steel tension band embedded in masonry (figure 1). The tiles were visible until 1973, when they were covered with the present plaster and religious iconography. The tiles remain exposed in the vault over the choir gallery (photo 3).
The dome is punctuated by three stained-glass lunettes, one each on the east, west, and south walls, which have been described with the exterior features. The walls of the auditorium, up to their junction with the dome, are painted blue, and the oak woodwork is painted white. The four corner walls are concave, giving the auditorium its circular shape. A white cornice, decorated with rosettes and golden crosses, visually separates the dome from the walls of the auditorium. The pews are darkly stained quartered oak, and they are arranged in slightly curved sections facing the southeast corner of the auditorium. The southeast corner contains the sanctuary and semi-circular apse (photo 2). The curving wall of the apse is decorated with Orthodox iconography and a thick band of gold paint that separates the apse from the sanctuary.
The sanctuary is filled with Orthodox items used in the mass, such as an altar and a large, ornately carved wooden chair on wheels. This chair was used by the Universalists, and was reupholstered in red velvet for the present Orthodox congregation. The apse and sanctuary are separated from the auditorium by an oak iconostasis - a screen used in Orthodox churches to shield the sactuary from the congregation. The iconostasis, which was added to the church in 1973 for the present congregation, holds various icons central to the Orthodox faith. The iconostasis is set on a stepped base, and is divided into doors and panels of various sizes. The icons are placed in the panels, and a central pair of double doors, called Beautiful Gates, lead to to the sanctuary. Single doors within the iconostasis are called Deacon's Doors.
There is a triangular pediment centered on the top of the iconostasis, which depicts the All-Seeing Eye in its tympanum. A cross rises from the peak of the pediment. The icons are arranged hierarchically (photo 2). The center icon of the top row is a representation of the Last Supper. Flanking the Last Supper are smaller icons depicting scenes from the Life of Christ, known as the Feast Cycle. Large vertical panels are to the left and right of the Beautiful Gates, as one faces the iconostasis. To the left (moving from right to left) are the Theotokos, Saint George - patron saint of the church - Archangel Michael (on the left Deacon's Door), and St. Barbara - patron saint of architects, construction workers, and artillery workers.
To the right of the Beautiful Gates (moving left to right) are representations of Christ, John the Baptist, Saint Gabriel (on the right Deacon's Door), and Saint Haralambos. The iconographer is unknown, as is the artist who painted the icons hanging on the lower walls of the auditorium. (continued) 5 Grace Universalist Church Name of Property Middlesex, MA County and State George Filipakas (see section 8) created the iconographic paintings on the ceiling dome and upper walls of the auditorium in the 1970s. Arranged in a hierarchy, the icons were painted with egg tempura on a canvas in his studio, and then affixed to the dome and walls of the church. In Orthodox Church architecture, an icon representing Christ blessing his followers is usually placed on the main ceiling dome. On the ceiling at St.
George, however, the icon of Christ the Pantocrator is in the center of a round medallion, ringed by a verse written in Greek. Four angels are in the next ring. At the base of the medallion is a ring of twelve figures from the Old Testament - Moses, Aaron, David, Solomon, Samuel, Isaiah, Elijah, Ezekial, Jeremiah, Daniel, Malachai, and Zacharius - holding written scrolls. The next ring of iconography is of the four evangelists. These icons are placed on the walls at the base of the dome between the windows and choir vault. An icon of St. John, in a cave holding a scroll, is above the sanctuary. The icons of St. Mark, St. Luke, and St. Matthew are also present. The icon on the wall of the apse is the Platytera, or "Queen of Heaven," depicting the Theotokos flanked by angels with the Christ, or Godchild, in her lap.
This icon's position on the wall, located between the Pantocrator and the parish level, represents the link between heaven and earth. Archangel Gabriel and Archangel Michael flank the Theotakos inside the apse. Flanking the entire apse are the twelve apostles, seated six on each side. Below the apse along the floor of the sanctuary, hidden from the view of the parish, is another tier of painted icons. The south wall of the auditorium is recessed and is divided vertically into three bays by pilasters, and horizontally into two sections by wood molding. In the lower section an icon hangs in the right bay, while the left bay is obscured by the iconostasis. A bishop's throne, an elaborately decorated wooden seat holding an icon of Christ, sits against the lower central bay, between the double-seat set on an oak base, known as a stacidia, and a table holding two smaller icons.
In the upper section, above the wooden architrave and cornice, the central bay holds a large framed icon of Christ. The two side bays have a decorative metal grill in the center of the bay. Below the grill in the left bay is a metal vent. An arched, two-story opening in the southwest corner of the auditorium leads to a lower chapel and an upper gallery. Two single-story Ionic columns are at the entry to the chapel. In the lower chapel, the columns are flanked by decorative wooden stands for holding icons and candles. Above the columns, in the entablature, are decorative corbels with golden crosses. Icons decorate the chapel walls, and a doorway leads into the vestry. The upper gallery consists of a solid wood wall, topped by a decorative wrought-iron banister. Darkly stained oak pews are arranged in the gallery. The west wall of the auditorium is twice-recessed.
The inner section consists of a wall from the floor to the base of the dome. In the lower section, an oak frame, painted white, holds five Orthodox icons in its panels. Five hanging oil lamps are mounted on the cornice of the frame, one over each icon. In the center of the upper wall is a stained-glass window, depicting an angel holding a ceremonial item. The wall is separated from the dome by a set of decorative wooden rails. An arched, two-story opening in the northwest corner of the auditorium leads to another chapel with gallery above. The chapel contains a large icon of Saint Demetrios, a revered Orthodox military figure who is often paired with Saint George. The gallery has darkly stained oak pews, and also holds an air conditioning unit. The north wall of the auditorium has a choir gallery that projects over the vestibule (photo 3).
The choir gallery has a solid balustrade, topped by a wrought-iron rail. A barrell vaulted alcove above the choir gallery houses a ca.1838 George Stevens organ. Originally housed in the Universalist Church on Shattuck Street, it was restored, given a new quartered- oak case, and moved to its present location in 1895. The northeast corner of the auditorium is identical to the northwest and southwest corners. In the lower chapel is a large icon of St. Nectarios. The upper gallery has darkly stained oak pews and holds an air conditioning unit. The east wall of the auditorium is similar to the west wall. The last section of the framed icons is obscured by the iconstasis where it connects to the east wall, so there are only four icons and four oil lamps visible. The stained-glass window depicts an angel holding a ceremonial piece.
(continued) 6 Grace Universalist Church Name of Property Middlesex, MA County and State Vestry-Exterior The rectangular-plan vestry is attached to the south elevation of the church. The west elevation of the vestry faces South Canton Street, and the south elevaton faces the parking lot. The east elevation faces the nursing home. The side-gabled roof is covered with tin in a standing seam pattern. The ridge of the roof runs parallel to South Canton Street. A chimney is on the east elevation, at the intersection of the vestry and the church. The exterior architecture of the vestry matches that of the church in materials and design. The vestry has a raised basement and brick walls that are set in a Flemish bond pattern, with the upper sections and chimney having black headers at every seventh course.
The west elevation of the vestry has a gray wooden vestibule, a later addition, at the South Canton Street entrance. There are wrought-iron gates leading into the vestibule, and wooden doors leading into the vestry. Above the vestibule is a recessed archway with a small window above. A polygonal projecting bay to the right (south) of the vestibule is a stairtower, and arched windows punctuate its three sides. A metal service door is at the bottom of the stairtower on the south. A masonry stringcourse runs the length of the vestry, interrupted by the stairtower and two recessed, two-story windows with round-arch tops. The lower sash are 6/6 and the upper are six-light sash beneath a six-light sunburst-pattern sash. A bellcote breaks through the cornice line and has a cricket behind it for drainage. The south elevation of the vestry faces the church parking lot.
The elevation has two sections: the gable end of the main vestry block, and a five-bay section with a low-pitched roof. The gable-end section has a barred window opening, flanked by two smaller windows in the raised basement. The brick wall is divided by a stringcourse. The next level up has a single central window, with a segmented arch decorated with three rows of brick headers. The uppermost section has a recessed center with a small opening, and a lunette window above. The lunette consists of a central 1/1 window flanked by two smaller windows with bulls-eye glass. The five-bay section of the south elevation is recessed, with four windows in the raised basement and a set of stairs leading down to a doorway. The central section of the elevation is recessed, and consists of four 6/6 windows in segementally arched openings, with three rows of headers forming the arches.
A cornice runs the length of the section and over the next section as well. A gray wooden ramp leads from the ground to a first-floor doorway in the slightly projecting bay. Below this doorway is another door in the basement, which is reached by a set of concrete stairs. The upper doorway has a segmented archway with header crown, and is set in a large, recessed, blind arch. The cornice line wraps around this section as well. The east elevation is a largely blank, brick, gable-end wall with three openings and a central projecting section. The central section has an oculus centered beneath the peak. The north and south bays each have an upper window with a crown of stretcher bricks and a larger, lower, segmental arched window.
Vestry-Interior The main entrance on the west elevation, and an interior door from the southwest chapel, lead into the vestry's vestibule, which is a small, square room with a closet and stairwell. The closet has a cutaway corner and a Dutch door. The vestibule walls are painted white, and the woodwork is quartered oak with a dark stain. A set of doors on the east wall leads into the main hall, and an over-scaled wooden door on the south wall leads into a side room. The rooms have large, ornately decorated radiators painted white. The side room has white walls, a hardwood floor, beamed ceiling, and darkly stained woodwork. Floor plans indicate it was once used as a classroom. In the center of the west wall is a fireplace that projects into the room. It has a darkly stained wood mantle, and the firebox is fitted with a radiator.
Five plaques, carved in high relief and depicting putti playing instruments, are inserted into the wall above the mantle. Flanking the fireplace are 6/6 double-hung windows. Under the northernmost window are light-colored oak cabinets. A double-hung 6/6 window is also on the south wall. The room is open to the main hall on the east. (continued) 7 Grace Universalist Church Name of Property Middlesex, MA County and State The large, main hall of the vestry is used for church functions. It has hardwood floors, pale walls, and darkly stained oak woodwork, and a cathedral ceiling with exposed roof framing. The north wall has alcoves under a massive cornice that spans what was once an opening into the auditorium. The south wall has four 6/6 double-hung windows. A metal mechanical duct runs along the upper north wall, and fluorescent lights and ceiling fans hang from the rafters.
A large HVAC unit is located to the south, suspended on the wall. A raised stage that bows out into the east side of the hall is framed in dark-stained wood with decorative molding. On either side of the stage, doorways lead into small rooms. To the north of the stage, a handicapped restroom has been constructed inside the small room. To the south of the stage, a small room serves as an entrance for those using the handicapped entrance, located on the south exterior elevation of the vestry. Two small, second-story rooms on either side of the stage are reached by stairs in the first-floor rooms. The second story room to the north has a fireplace in the northeast corner and a closet in the southeast corner. Once the Pastor's room, it is now used for storage. The second-story room to the south is used for storage.
Both rooms are lit by a set of three casement windows, each with eight lights. The rooms overlook the main hall, but the view from the former Pastor's room is now obscured by the metal ductwork of the HVAC system. Second-story rooms are also located above the vestibule and infant classroom. These rooms are reached by a stairwell in the vestibule. The ladies' parlor, located over the infant classroom, has white walls and darkly stained oak woodwork and trim. The room has a cathedral ceiling with exposed timber framing, a chair rail, and a fireplace that has been blocked up and fitted with a heater. On either side of the fireplace are arched windows with six lights in an arched pattern in the upper sash over six in the lower sash. A built-in bench with a beadboard back is located under the northernmost window on the west wall, and continues around to the entry wall next to the doorway.
The ladies' parlor has a large lunette with a casement window at its center, and on either side is a circular stained-glass pattern. The original stained-glass center window was damaged a year ago by vandals, and the pieces were placed on the floor underneath the window until it can be repaired. The east wall has casement windows overlooking the main hall. There is a small alcove to the north of the room next to the doorway. To the north of the parlor are smaller rooms off a hallway that leads into the upper gallery in the southwest corner of the auditorium. A bathroom off the hallway contains a dark wood stall and woodwork, indicating it is original to the building. The stairwell in the main vestibule leads down to the finished basement of the vestry. The stairwell has light-colored walls and darkly stained woodwork on the trim around the arched windows.
A framed square section of the wall in the lower stairwell was once a window, but it was removed and the exterior opening was filled in. A small hallway has restrooms along the north wall, a large doorway to the dining hall to the east, and an entrance to the kitchen on the south wall. This area retains the white walls and original darkly stained woodwork. The kitchen was remodeled in the 1970s by the St. George Hellenic Parish, but an original darkly stained, built-in cabinet remains on the entry wall. Two smaller rooms were opened and combined to make a large kitchen area, which stretches to the east wall, where there is a square central window flanked by two smaller windows. Updated appliances, oak cabinets, and a new serving bar complete the kitchen. A dumbwaiter, installed in 1946, was used to bring the food from the kitchen to the upper floors.
A serving bar opens the kitchen up to the large dining room. Six steel support columns, painted white, are evenly spaced in the room. Four fixed windows are along the upper part of the south wall. The dining room has white walls, darkly stained woodwork, and exposed beams. On the west wall of the dining room is the serving bar in an oak veneer. The oak- veneer paneling continues up to the ceiling above the bar. On the east wall of the dining room are various vents and a hanging bingo board. A doorway in the southeast corner of the room leads to the utility rooms. In the northeast corner is a utility closet. (continued) 8 Grace Universalist Church Name of Property Middlesex, MA County and State The room to the east of the dining room is the boiler room. It holds the mechanical units for the church and vestry. This area is unaltered, except for updating the mechanical equipment.
A smaller room, to the north of the boiler room, was the original coal room. Archaeological Description While no ancient Native American sites are known on the Grace Universalist Church property, it is possible that sites are present. Five ancient sites are known in the general area (within one mile). Environmental characteristics of the property represent some locational criteria (slope, soil drainage, proximity to wetlands) that are favorable for the presence of Native sites. The Grace Universalist Church occupies a level to moderately sloping parcel that was probably well drained prior to urban/industrial development.
Soils on the property are currently classified as the Canton-Charlton-Urban land complex, with generally well-drained, level to moderately sloping sandy soils, and some areas of urban land where soil characteristics have been obscured by construction of buildings, shopping centers, roads, and parking lots. The nominated property is also located more than 1,000 feet from the nearest wetlands, a locational characteristic that could detract from the overall ancient site sensitivity for this location. Given the above information, the small size of the property (approximately 0.44 acres), and construction impacts associated with building the 2½-story brick church building, which has a basement and covers nearly the entire lot, the potential for recovering significant archaeological survivals, both ancient and historic, is low.
Construction of the Grace Universalist Church would have destroyed any ancient Native American and pre-1895 resources located on the property. While the 1879 Sanborn map of Lowell identifies some wood- frame houses in the vicinity of the church property, and the 1896 Sanborn atlas illustrates wood- frame houses surrounding the church, no buildings that pre-date church construction have been identified on the property. (end) 9 Grace Universalist Church Name of Property 8. Statement of Significance