BlockThe nomination, in full
Bibliography, boundary description, and the people who prepared and reviewed the nomination.
FORM B - BUILDING 80000616 In Area no. Form no. 131-C MASSACHUSETTS HISTORICAL COMMISSION Office of the Secretary, State House, Boston - - - - 1. Town Worcester Address 205 Summer Street Name Mission Chapel Present use church - Second Baptist 2. Photo (3x3" or 3x5") Church Staple to left side of form Photo number Second baptist Church Present owner of Worcester 19 Mt. Vernon St. 3. Description: Worcester, Mass. 01605 Date 1854 exterior date placque Sourlements oi Italianate and mid- Roll 261 Style 19th century "Romanesque in panel" 4. Map. Draw sketch of building location Architect Ichabod Washburn in relation to nearest cross streets and other buildings. Indicate north.
Exterior wall fabric brick Outbuildings (describe) none Other features recessed wall panels with decorative brick work at heads, arched windows with sandstone caps facade windows Altered and door mia-20th Date century Moved no Date UTM Assessorsi Book 2, p.13 19/269420/4682580 5. Lot size: Ld3 9,466 sq.It. One acre or less x Over one acre Approximate frontage 701 Approximate distance of building from street 10' L. Carruth 6. Recorded by. ed. B.R. Pfeiffer Organization Worc. Heritage Pres. Soc. - Date January 1978 (over) 30M-5-77 Evangelical City Missionar; Society 7. Original owner (if known) Original use chapel and rectory Subsequent uses (if any) and dates commercial (mid-20th centur); church (1966 6o present) 8.
Themes (check as many as applicable) Aboriginal Agricultural Architectural The Arts Commerce Communication Community development Conservation Education Exploration/ settlement Industry Military Political Recreation - Religion Science/ invention Social/ humanitarian Transportation 9. Historical significance (include explanation of themes checked above) Built in 1854 and partially restored in 1966 when the building was returned to rellslous use, the Mission Chapel is a rectangular plan brick structure bearing the stylistic elements of the "Norman style" (also called "Komanesque in panel") which was popular from the late 1040s until the 1870s- Characteristic of this early Victorian style, the Mission Chapel's section (east), which contains the church hall, is divided on the exterior by piers which rise to a decorative corbelling at the head of each bay.
Beneath the eaves is an additional band of corbelling. Windows along the church's side walls are made up of 9/° sash set in frames with arched transoms and arched sandstone lintels set on consoles. The facade (east) is divided into three bays and bears a name placque, date placque and two arched windows in the gable; the present entry and windows are replacements of ca.1966. Attached to the rear of the chapel (west) is a two-and-one-half-storey rectory with a side-hall floor plan. Windows of the rectory's first two stories are set in low-rising seg- mental arches; the two windows in the gable are identical to those in the church facade. Other brick work of the rectory matches that of the rest Dcnereo brlode Monaol of the chapel.
Icha bod Washburn, founder of Worcester's large wire and steel industry, said of the building, "The plan was my own and were I to erect another building for this purpose, I do not know how I could improve it." Dedicated in 1855, the Mission Chapel is one of the oldest church buildings in Worcester and possesses a variety of hiatorical associations. The Evangelical City Missionary Society was formed in 1049 by lay (cont.) 10. Bibliography and/or references (such as local histories, deeds, assessor's records, early maps, etc.) Cheever, #. Aistory of Worcester (1862) p. 332. Autobiography and Memorials of Ichabod Washburn, pp. 69-73. Lincoln, wutt, C. H$storT. 1 l, Pps %*- vol. II, pp. 898-899 (City Mission)' 60-61 (biography of I. Washburn) Worcester Planning Department. Transition, P.
12 (photos - 1966) INVENTORY FORM CONTINUATION SHEET MASSACHUSETTS HISTORICAL COMMISSION Office of the Secretary, Boston Commnity: Worcester Form No: 131-C Property Name: Mission Chapel Indicate each item on inventory form which is being continued below. 9. representatives of six local Protestant churches. Joined later by other. Protestant churches, the groug hired I. Ellis Guild and, later, Moses Brigham as City Missionary. Finally, Reverend William T. Sleeper was hired for the Ey 1853 there existed in 185) ia growing interest in behalf of the poor and neglected in the neighborhood of Pine Meadow, or East Worcester...
Sabbath evening meetings were held in a private dwelling- house, and for a considerable time in the school house, where these children were gathered and instructed, but with great inconvenience both to scholars and teachers, for want of better accommodations." (Washburn, Autobiography) Observing this situation, Ichabod Washburn, a deacon of the Missionary Society, "was much exercised in considering the subject of the erection and support of a City - Mission Chapel, to give to the poor and neglected a place of worship free." Fearing "that such an undertaking involved a spiritual as well as moral qualification, which...I did not possess" Washburn designed the building and-had it constructed at a cost of more than $14,000. Upon compietion, the Mission Chapel contained a chapel, Living quarters for the citv missionarv and space for the Mission's Pine Meadow Sunday School.
In 1856 Reverend Sleeper, discouraged by declining interest in the Mission, resigned and the Mission went through a period of inactivity. In the 1860s, under the direction of Washburn's brother-in-law, Henry I. Cheever, the City Mission began to gather a larger congregation. In addition to his work with the Missionary Society, Cheever, secretary of the church Anti-Slavery Society from 1059 to 1864, was the author of a number of books including: Island World of the Pacific, Life in the Sandwich The Pulpit and the Pew, i, and Autobio- showing how a great business was developed and large wealth acquired for the uses of benevolence." Under Cheever's and Washburn's direction, an industrial school was insti- tuted. "The object of this department is to give instruction in sewing.... average number enjoying these advantages is two hundred and fifty, mostly Irish Catholics.
Later in the century the chapel "opened its doors to the 'New Pilgrims' who were coming to the city in large numbers." The chapel was used at various times by German, Swedish, Armenian and Irench congregations before each became sufficiently well established to build a church of its own. the 1875stltuion of the Society as the Congregational city Missionary William Sleeper returned to his earlier position and directed Society, after 1883 the Worcester City Missionary Society. The organization continued into the twentieth century in aiding its member churches. support of Sunday Schools and Today it continues to support its member churches by providing funds ior service needs and also providing a minister to the elderly. social Staple to Inventory form at bottom Property Warceoter Miltple Resance Aua (Partial Danentary) State MA (Warcester Working Number8.
30.79.2060 TECHNICAL CONTROL Photos 383 + 13 Maps 2,63 Exceltent muttyll resource nomesatinn for the entire cely HISTORIAN soth the general descreption a shaterent 7 individual inventong sheet are Lightnu sustsud, a reasors aar Cack tn it aety orcleded e miel. 10-30-79 apposetion is high properties are löted on actached theets. coan u/h Bmiés ummenta m 102-L-3 77. Integnty and /" bondanies nech to be adilesed "C -CBD -", "7-E, and 130 -CBD-50 and spearhiually on indurdual ARCHEOLOGIST 102-L-3 - Peuod o descussed with WINt 3 EXCERTONS AU PROPERTIES APPEAN TO ME TO MET AK CRITERI AND THE FORUS ARE ADEQUATE. RRSO BOTH TECHNICALLI ANO TO DETERMINE SIÇNIFCANCER AMOULI SAUE OE PVE FARNS DID NOE CONTAN SIRONE SIATEMENS IF SIGNIFICANCE THE KESOURCE CHTEGONICS WERE TUDROWGHLY DISCUSSED IN THE BODY OF THE NOMINATIONN; OTHER 2/2888 TUENEFORE SNGNIFICANCE MAS ESTABLSHED.
VBDS WERE NOT NELESSARY BELNSE O MYE SCHE MAPSAND CLEANLY DELNEATES BOUNDANES. HLRENDE WES MISSING DIU SACE PROREATES DUT EELS MOW INCLIDEN AFTER BE 2/11/CORREIRONS. HAER THE ONLY PROPERTIES THRT I DO NOT RECOMMENA LISTING ARE V 116-CBD-/3 - DESAOYCOBYFIRE MO- HOCBD-!! Inventory- Review 130-CBO -44 - POGS. NOT RETAUN INTEGRITY FOR (NDIWIDUKLEGLGIBILITY -v (0-L-3 / Db2Ka GOT CONVINLED ABOUT BOUNDANLES REVIEW UNIT CHIEF BUT BEHIEUE THEY SOULA BE OK. #BASEN Recommerl ON ADDLTONA DOCUMLENTATON SUBMITTED - / DEFER JUDLEMENT . Listing all propeties nexcept these 3. Return 1I6-CBD-It to Stute not elegeble); Fa o to durouss futlu +Stute.
DUBIE BRANCH CHIEF 3/3/81 fetum 10z -L-3 to state fer curestum; HOLD 130-CBD -44 for info from stute DUBLE Staff conferenu 3/5/80 - agrud to action as zuted below: 16-CBD-11 (official notfratin blso .13/80 RERORT Entered KEEPER Soldhe 315/80 National Register Write-up Federal Register Entry 2.3.81 Send-back Re-submit MAR 5 1980 United States Department of the Interior - Heritage Conservation and Recreation Service MAY 78 131-C Mssen chasel ucrasterMRA Casti munitMa elevations Please refer to the map in the Multiple Property Cover Sheet for this property Multiple Property Cover Sheet Reference Number: 64000304