BlockThe nomination, in full
Bibliography, boundary description, and the people who prepared and reviewed the nomination.
MRA 519 FORM B - BUILDING MAY 15 1989 AREA B FORM NO. 205 MASSACHUSETTS HISTORICAL COMMISSION 80 BOYLSTON STREET BOSTON, MA 02116 Photo (3"x3" or 3"x5", black and white) Indicate address of property on back of photo. Staple to left side of form. Town Southbridge Address 55North Street Historic Name St. George's Greek Orthodox Church church church 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 Use: Present Original DESCRIPTION Date 1932 Source corner stone/local histories Style Byzantine influences Architect unknown Exterior Wall Fabric_brick Outbuildings none- .- Major Alterations (with dates) none Condition Hxcellent Moved Mo Date Mla Acreage less thanoneacte Setting residential street UTM REFERENCE 18/745 690/4662 350 USGS QUADRANGLE Southbridge, Mass-conn SCALE 1:25,000 Recorded by E. Woodford, S. Ceccacci ed. S. Ceccacci Organization Southbridge Historical Com- mission Date May 1986 NATIONAL REGISTER CRITERIASTATEMENT (if applicable) St. George's Greek Orthodox Church is significant for its association with the expansion and development of Southbridge's Greek community in the later part of the early-2oth century, and for its unusual Byzantine/Classical design.
It meets National Register criteria A and Cat the local level and retains integrity of setting, location, materials, -workmanship, design, feeling, and 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. Built on a central plan to recall the style of Byzantine influenced churches in Greece, St: George's Church also reflects Greek church prototypes in its use of light colored, buff brick, low pitched roofs, close eaves and Roman arched windows, doors and belfry cupolas. The use of a Greek temple front, with Corinthian columns and a full Classical entablature with pediment, as the main element of the major facade seems to have been intended as a symbol of the Greek community.
The type and style of the church is similar to that used in other Central Massachusetts communities during the same period for Greek and other ethnic Orthodox churches. HSTORICAL SIGNIFICANCE Explain the role owners played in local or state history and how the building relates to the development of the community. The heart of the local Greek community, St. George's is the oldest Orthodox church building in Southbridge. The churches of the town's Albanian and Romanian communities are -much more recent. The first Greek men arrived in Southbridge about 1905 to work at American Optical. They lived on Morris, North and Mechanic Streets in tenements owned by the company. They were followed about 1908 by women and families. By 1910 there was a large enough population to support the establishment of a Greek Orthodox church. They built a church which later burned.
The congregation then bought this property on North Street from the Hamilton Woolen Company and erected the present church in 1932. Hamilton Woolen is said to have donated the bell which was cast in Troy, New York about 1860. BIBLIOGRAPHY and/or REFERENCES - "The Heritage of Southbridge", Southbridge News, 2 October 1979. 8/85 NPS Form10-900+ (8-86) United States Department of theInterior National Park Service National Register of Historic Places Continuation Sheet Section number Page OMB Approvel No. 1024-0018 Multiple Resource Area Thematic Group Name State Southbridge MRA Worcester County, MASSACHUSETTS Nomination/Type of Review 61. Oakes, J.J., House Intered in the Matiogal Zegtstar Date/Signature KeeperAlnByu 4/22/54 Attest 62. Phillips, E.M., House SCeDe ih too Mational Regiater IeeperAlesye 4/2/4 Attest 63.
Plimpton, Simon, rntered in the Nattonal Register Ixooper ulnurByu 6/22/9 Attest 64. Richard, Stephen, House Grooper AulonerByur 4/2/) baniusi 8es13tar Attest 65. Sacred Heart Church Historic District Entered in the Kaeper DulreBgu e119 National Begister Attest 66. Smith--Lyon Farmhouse Entered in the National Register Vxeopex XulumBye 0/22/09 Attest 67. St. George's Greek Orthodox Church Entered in the National Register 68. St. Peter s Roman Catholic Church the St. Mary's School Enterec Natlonal Beglater /ReeperhbnByer 6/22/4 Attest Keeper AueneByu a1s/64 Attest 69. Stone, Lorenzo R., House Entered in the National Register /Reeper Lebmlgun e/2st9 70. Sumner, George, House nteret 1n the Natlonal Beglster Attest feéeper Zetnßgen 6/65139 Attest NATIONAL PARK SERVICE NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES EVALUATION/RETURN SHEET REQUESTED ACTION: NOMINATION PROPERTY St.
George's Greek Orthodox Church 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: 89000579 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 N N COMMENT WAIVER: N ACCEPT RETURN REJECT 6/22/89 DATE Intered in the National Register ABSTRACT/SUMMARY COMMENTS: RECOM./CRITERIA REVIEWER DISCIPLINE DATE DOCUMENTATION see attached comments Y/N see attached SLR ./N CLASSIFICATION _count _resource type STATE/FEDERAL AGENCY CERTIFICATION FUNCTION historic current DESCRIPTION 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 _USGS maps photographs _presentation OTHER COMMENTS Questions concerning this nomination may be directed to Phone Signed Date St.
George's Greek Orthodox church, B: 205 southbriage, MA southbriage Histoncal Commission Roll#6 B-205 #55 35 AxameY MRA SOUTHBRIDGE MASS JOHN E.O'DIYNELL a ASCOCIATES AUSURH, MAIHE 55 North Street 30 UPOChO STHEET -@130 i32!- 15'2i 120 131 #r12s G3 1328:5 ENEMPI 010 47 13 T8-212 SOUTHBRIDGE. MASS. T-210" 29 HI Z 37 Ga 882Ma.u4isIARIn 36 Please refer to the map in the Multiple Property Cover Sheet for this property Multiple Property Cover Sheet Reference Number: 64000294