BlockThe nomination, in full
Bibliography, boundary description, and the people who prepared and reviewed the nomination.
MAY 15 1989 5 59 FORM B - BUILDING SOUTHBRIDGE MASS MRA AREA A 113 FORM NO. MASSACHUSETTS HISTORICAL COMMISSION 80 BOYLSTON STREET BOSTON, MA 02116 204=1-16 Photo (3"x3" or 3"x5", black and white) Indicate address of property on back of photo. Staple to left side of form. Sketch Map: Draw map showing property's location in relation to nearest cross streets and/or geographical features. Indicate all buildings between inventoried property and nearest intersection(s). Indicate north Town Southbridge Address Hamilton and Pine Streets Historic Name St. Peter's R.C. Churcht Sit. Mary's School Use: Present school church Original DESCRIPTION Date 1853 Source local histories Style_Greek Revival Builder: Leonard Cutler Exterior Wall Fabric stucco and wood Outbuildings none Major Alterations (with dates) 1872-moved fr site of St.
Mary's Church & converted into school; {1939) - front doors modern- Lzed- Windows enl Condition Good abafaeplaaeob4 spciofinis. Moved Yes Date 1872 Acreage one acre or less Setting part of parish complex on commercia: residential street UTM REFERENCE 18/445 040/4662 790 USGS QUADRANGLE Southbridae, Mass-Conn SCALE 1:2,000 Recorded by E. Woodford, S. Ceccacci ed. S. Ceccacci Organization Southbridge Historical Com- Date mission May 1986 -NATIONAL REGISTER CRITERIA STATEMENT (if applicable) St. Peter's Church/St. Mary's School is significant for its association with the town's industriai expansicn at Globe Village, the growth of the immigrant Irish community, and the elaboration and diversity of public buildingsat mid-19th cenuru. It meets Nationai Register criteria - A and C at the local level location, design, feeling, and and retains integrity of _association.
The boundaries indicated on the attached assessors map are those of current ownership. ARCHITECTURAL SIGNIFICANCE Describe important architectural features and evaluate in terms of other buildings within the community. Resembling a Federal period New England meeting house in its form, St. Peter's/St. Mary's has a rectangular hall and a projecting facade tower. Otherwise Greek Revival in style, the structure bears elements such as a matchboard facade pediment, paneled cornerboards and a Classical frieze and cornice. Alterations were made to the building in 1939. The enlarging of windows along the sides of ti building, the addition of the present doorírame and the application of a stucco finish were apparently done at this time.
This same "improvement" project also seems to have included the removal of the original rectangular belfry and its replacement with the present faceted cupol: like belfry and a surrounding Despite these alterations, the building still reta: much of its original Greek Revival character. St. Peter's is one of two existing Greek Revival churches which were built about the same time Historic District. rhe. other 15 the Universalist Church on Main Street in the Centre Village Although it has lost its original steeple, the Universalist Church has suffered few alterations to other parts of the building. Yet, the present aitered ap- pearance of St. Peter's Church/St. Mary's School is nonetheless significant as the result of its continuous use by the same congregation for over 130 years.
HISTORICAL SIGNIFICANCE Explain the role owners piayedin local or state history and how the : building relates to the development ot the community he first. Catholic mass said in southbridge toc place in the home of a Mr. Leery on High Street. in Globe Village in 1840. With Rev. James Fitton officiating, only twelve persons attended. Seven were Irish. The rest were French Canadians and Germans. Over the following years from time to time, other priests also came to say mass in Southbridge to a growing Catholic population. By 1845 the number of Catholics in town had grown to forty. Within only another year the number had reached 100. This rapid increase was due largely to the growing success and expansion of the Hamilton Woolen Mill which attracted Irish and French Canadian immigrants to Southbridge.
As the managers of the Hamilton Mill were anxious to have a steady work force, they encourager the establishment of a Catholic church. In 1852 the town's first Catholic parish was organize Land on Hamilton Street for a church building was donated by William Edwards a fervent Baptist The present building, then known as St. Peter's Church, was completed and dedicated in 1853. During the remaining years of the 1850's the town's Catholic population continued to grow. Within only five years the church congregation numbered 1653. By 1869 the number of French Canadian Catholics had become sufficient to allow them to form their own French language parish. The French left St. Peter's. In 1870 their own church was completed around the co: ner on Pine Street on land given to them by the Hamilton Mill. The old parish then decided ti builå a new buiiding.
The original church was moved to its present site and in 1872 a new cli board Gothic Revival church still standing but altered by synthetic siding was built on the original site. Along with the new church building came a new name for the parish, St. Mary's (See Continuation Sheet) BIBLIOGRAPHY and/or REFERENCES - Burns, Brian, ed. Footsteps Through History. Southbridge: Worcester County Newspapers, 1980, p. 46 Gatineau, Felix, Histoire des Franco-Americains de Southbridge, Framingham: Lakeview Press, 1919, pp. 32-41 - Quinebaug Historical Society Leaflets, Vol. II, #13, p. 113. 8/85 - INVENTORY FORM CONTINUATION SHEET MASSACHUSETTS HISTORICAL COMMISSION Office of the Secretary, Boston Commnity: MRA Southbridge Form No: A-113 Property Name: St. Peter's R.C. Churdn/ St. Mary's School Indicate each item on inventory form which is being continued below.
HISTORICAL SIGNIFICANCE (cont'd) - The old church was adapted as a parish school and still serves in that capacity today. The first structure built by a Roman Catholic congregation in Southbridge, this building has been in constant use by its original parish since its construction. Staple to Inventory form at bottom NPS Form 10-000- (8-86) United States Department of the Interior National Park Service National Register of Historic Places Continuation Sheet OMB Approvel No. 1024-0018 Section number. Page. Multiple Resource Area Thematic Group Name State Southbridge MRA Worcester County, MASSACHUSETTS Nomination/Type of Review 61. Oakes, J.J., House Infered In the Natiogal Regtator Date/Signature Keeper AelunByu 4/22/54 62. Phillips, E.M., House tored in che Hatlonal Zegister 63. Plimpton, Simon, finteredin the Nattonal Register 64.
Richard, Stephen, House re1 10 1D- Daunual Regiatar 65. Sacred Heart Church Historic District Entered in the National Begister Entered in the 66. Smith--Lyon Farmhouse National Register Ikeoper XulomaByen 0/2/29 67. St. George's Greek Orthodox Church Entered in the National Regiater 68. St. Peter' St. Mary's School § Roman CathoLinteret ha the Natlonal Begister 69. Stone, Lorenzo R., House Entered 1n the National Register 70. Sumner, George, House eateret in the Nattonal Beglster Attest KeeperAelmeZyu 4/esp4 Attest Ixeoper ulanerBgun 6/22/19 Attest Gooper.
AelonenByan /21) Attest Ckaeper dularBgun 0-19 Attest Attest /Reeper@hlrByer6/22/54 Attest keeper enByu 0/22/49 Attest Keeper LhluByen 4/23/14 Attest fréeper StnSgen 6/53189 Attest UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR NATIONAL PARK SERVICE NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES EVALUATION/RETURN SHEET REQUESTED ACTION: NOMINATION PROPERTY St. Peter's Roman Catholic Church--St.
Mary's School NAME: MULTIPLE Southbridge MRA NAME: STATE & COUNTY: MASSACHUSETTS, Worcester DATE RECEIVED: DATE OF 16TH DAY: DATE OF WEEKLY LIST: 5/15/89 6/16/89 DATE OF PENDING LIST: 5/31/89 DATE OF 45TH DAY: 6/29/89 REFERENCE NUMBER: 89000559 NOMINATOR: STATE REASONS FOR REVIEW: APPEAL: N DATA PROBLEM: N LANDSCAPE: N LESS THAN 50 YEARS: OTHER: N PDIL: N PERIOD: N PROGRAM UNAPPROVED: REQUEST: N SAMPLE: N SLR DRAFT: N NATIONAL: N COMMENT WAIVER: N VACCEPT _RETURN REJECT 6/20/89 _DATE Entered in the National Register ABSTRACT/SUMMARY COMMENTS: RECOM./CRITERIA REVIEWER DISCIPLINE DATE DOCUMENTATION see attached comments Y/N see attached SLR Y/N CLASSIFICATION _count resource type STATE/FEDERAL AGENCY CERTIFICATION FUNCTION historic DESCRIPTION current architectural classification materials descriptive text SIGNIFICANCE Period Areas of Significance--Check and justify below Specific dates Builder/Architect Statement of Significance (in one paragraph) summary paragraph completeness clarity applicable criteria justification of areas checked relating significance to the resource context relationship of integrity to significance _justification of exception other BIBLIOGRAPHY GEOGRAPHICAL DATA acreage UTMS verbal boundary description boundary justification ACCOMPANYING DOCUMENTATION/PRESENTATION sketch maps OTHER COMMENTS USGS maps photographs presentation Questions concerning this nomination may be directed to Phone Signed Date St.
PetersChurch/St. Mary's School southbridge,MA Ceccacci, a8o southbriage tistoncal Commission Roll#116 30 1309 132 -STREET- 193 2 146 A-113 34 125 O17! 126 PINC MRA SOUTHBRIDGE MASS HT 2f HIO 100 109 100 YEMPY BCHOOL DEPARiNERT 71 80 MF SÓH EO'DWIEELL B ASSOCIATES AUBURM, MAINE Hameltpn + Pine, st Mary's Schovf 48 33273 HAF SOUTMERIOGE, MASS. 47 SCALEI'Td 36 EX-EXCUPT-1900 X HO H8, MO, MI 35 Please refer to the map in the Multiple Property Cover Sheet for this property Multiple Property Cover Sheet Reference Number: 64000294