Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church

Holy Trinity Church is sited at the corner of Lewis and Jefferson Streets in the "Acre" neighborhood of Lowell. The Greek Orthodox church's urban location is reinforced by its siting on the lot. The church is built contiguous to the sidewalks of Lewis and Jefferson Streets. It is surrounded on three sides by North Common Village (1937-1940). The first public housing project in Massachusetts, the village is composed of 2 story multi-unit buildings sited amidst ample green space inspired by the "Greenbelt" move- ment of that period. To the west of the church, across Jefferson Street, is Western Canal (1830) (NR 1976; Locks and Canals Historic District). On the other side of the canal is Suffolk Street and facing Holy Trinity, across the streets and canal, is St.

Patrick's Roman Catholic Church (organized 1830; this structure constructed c. 1853), the first Catholic church in Lowell. The streets and canal banks were recent targets of a "Mode1 Cities" financed beautification program; this entailed intensive and com- patible plantings, lighting and walkways. The plan of the church is a Greek cross with ridge roofs. The load bearing walls are built of yellow-toned brick. Above the crossing of the nave is a gilded dome set on a 16 sided base and drum of the same yellow-toned brick. In each of the 16 sections of the drum is a round arched window, with dripstone molding. Atop the dome is a gilded cross. The facade faces southeast onto Lewis Street. It is composed of two square bell towers joined by a round arched bridge.

Above the bridge is a triangular pediment with a Greek cross atop its apex. The towers are divided into three stages by two limestone string courses.

/ARCHITECT Henry I. Rourke STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE The Holy Irinity Church is significant as the first structure built to house Greek Orthodox worship in the United States and for the central role it played in the develop- ment of the Greek community in New England. Architecturally, it is significant as a rare example of a Byzantine-derived style. Greeks began arriving in Lowell in large numbers in the 1890's. In 1894 the community organized a society called "The Washington-Acropolis" to perpetuate Greek traditions and religion, and a priest was secured to minister to religious needs.

This was the fourth Greek orthodox community organized in the United States, following within one or two years the communities in New York and Chicago; the New Orleans church was the earliest, established in 1865. The church was incorporated in 1900, plans were ini- tiated in 1901, and construction of this structure began in 1906. A Lowell architect, Henry L. Rourke, was hired. Rourke had visited the Aiga Sophia in Constantinople (Is- tanbul), and the parishioners requested a Byzantine structure based on that model. Life in Lowell was difficult for the Greek community. Faced with an alien culture and language, the church became a natural center for the emerging community.

The Greeks were a part of a continuing process of exploitation of successive immigrant groups by the textile mill owners. This church served as a symbol of unity and permanence in an often hostile environment. In 1909 the parish began the first Greek school in the area in the church basement. The school was later moved to separate facilities. In 1918, the very Reverend Panaretos G. Anagnos-Topoulos, Pastor of Holy Trinity, died during the influenza epidemic, acquired while ministering to his parisioners.