St. Mary's Catholic Church (Winchester, Massachusetts)

Last updated
St. Mary's Catholic Church
WinchesterMA SaintMarysChurch.jpg
USA Massachusetts location map.svg
Red pog.svg
Usa edcp location map.svg
Red pog.svg
Location Winchester, Massachusetts
Coordinates 42°27′15″N71°7′57″W / 42.45417°N 71.13250°W / 42.45417; -71.13250
Built1876
Architect Ford, Patrick W.
Architectural styleGothic Revival
MPS Winchester MRA
NRHP reference No. 89000625 [1]
Added to NRHPJuly 5, 1989

St. Mary's Catholic Church is a parish of the Catholic Church in Winchester, Massachusetts, within the Archdiocese of Boston. It is noted for its historic church at 159 Washington Street, which was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1989, [1] reflecting its important role among the local Irish Catholic community. [2] The parish also operates St. Mary's Early Learning Center, a preschool and kindergarten, the successor to St. Mary’s School, a parochial school which operated until 2020.

Contents

Architecture

St. Mary's is located at the southeast corner of Washington and Bridge Streets, just northeast of Winchester center. The church building was built in 1876, replacing Winchester's first Roman Catholic place of worship, a chapel built on the same site in 1874. [3] The area at the time was a center of a growing Irish-American population.

Originally clad in wood, this church underwent major renovations in 1897 under the direction of architect Patrick W. Ford, a noted area designer of churches, at which time it was clad in brick. It resembles older Federal period New England churches, with the nave set parallel to the roof gable. The building is richly decorated, with corbelled cornices and decorative buttresses. The square tower is offset at the northwestern corner, with a Gothic-arched entrance and a belfry with louvered pairs of Gothic-arched openings. A small baptistry and meeting, added c. 1900 to originally house a library, stands just south of the main building.

History

Jerome B. Judkins, a prominent early resident, relocated to what became Winchester in the 1840s, and purchased many acres from what had been the old Caleb Swan farm. His house would later serve as rectory, convent, and parish center for the Catholic community. [4] A small wooden chapel was built around 1874, the first permanent Catholic place of worship in town, as a mission [ disambiguation needed ] of the parish of St. Charles Borromeo in Woburn.

St. Mary's was erected as an independent parish in 1876, with Rev. Cornelius O'Connor appointed the first resident pastor. O'Connor had the chapel enlarged, and took up residence at Bridge and Washington Streets. In 1882, his successor, Rev. Patrick J. Daly, enlarged the church to its current size and had a tower constructed. In 1888, the parish acquired two parcels of land, including the present site of the school, and in 1894, the stained glass windows, organ, and parish library were installed. The church's exterior was encased in brick in 1896–97 by Boston architect P.W. Ford. [4]

St. Mary's School opened in October 1914, blessed by the archbishop, William Cardinal O'Connell. It was staffed by the Sisters of St. Joseph until 1973. Amidst falling enrollments and pressures relating to the COVID-19 pandemic, grades one through five were closed in 2020, and the school has since operated as a preschool and kindergarten. [5] St. Mary's also operated a high school for girls from 1922 to 1950.

With a priest shortage projected, plans began in the 1990s for the Winchester parishes to cluster operations. [4] In May 2004, Archbishop O'Malley announced the closure of 65 parishes in the archdiocese. St. Joseph's, formerly at 100 Washington Street in Woburn, and Immaculate Conception, formerly at 12 Sheridan Circle in Winchester (which had been formed from part of St. Mary's in 1931), were consequently merged with the parish of St. Mary. The parish also shares a pastor with nearby St. Eulalia, at 50 Ridge Street in Winchester. [4]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Saint Patrick's Church (Dubuque, Iowa)</span> United States historic place

Saint Patrick's Church is a Catholic parish in the Archdiocese of Dubuque, and is located at 15th and Iowa Streets, Dubuque, Iowa, United States. The church and rectory were included as contributing properties in the Jackson Park Historic District that was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1986. St. Patrick's Church is located two blocks away from St. Mary's Church. The reason for the close proximity of the two parishes was that St. Mary was originally built for service to German families of Dubuque, and St. Patrick's provided services for the Irish settlers to Dubuque.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">St. Patrick's Old Cathedral</span> Catholic parish church in Manhattan, New York

The Basilica of Saint Patrick's Old Cathedral, sometimes shortened to St. Patrick's Old Cathedral or simply Old St. Patrick's, is a Catholic parish church, a basilica, and the former cathedral of the Archdiocese of New York, located in the Nolita neighborhood of Lower Manhattan, New York City. Built between 1809 and 1815 and designed by Joseph-François Mangin in the Gothic Revival style, it was the seat of the archdiocese until the current St. Patrick's Cathedral in Midtown Manhattan opened in 1879. Currently, liturgies are celebrated in English, Spanish, and Chinese. The church is at 260–264 Mulberry Street between Prince and Houston streets, with the primary entrance on Mott Street. Old St. Patrick parish merged with Most Precious Blood parish, and the two churches share priests and administrative staff.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Benedict Joseph Fenwick</span> American Catholic bishop (1782–1846)

Benedict Joseph Fenwick was an American Catholic prelate, Jesuit, and educator who served as the Bishop of Boston from 1825 until his death in 1846. In 1843, he founded the College of the Holy Cross in Worcester, Massachusetts. Prior to that, he was twice the president of Georgetown College and established several educational institutions in New York City and Boston.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Patrick Keely</span> Irish-American architect

Patrick Charles Keely was an Irish-American architect based in Brooklyn, New York, and Providence, Rhode Island. He was a prolific designer of nearly 600 churches and hundreds of other institutional buildings for the Roman Catholic Church or Roman Catholic patrons in the eastern United States and Canada, particularly in New York City, Boston and Chicago in the later half of the 19th century. He designed every 19th-century Catholic cathedral in New England. Several other church and institutional architects began their careers in his firm.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sweetest Heart of Mary Roman Catholic Church</span> Historic church in Michigan, United States

The Sweetest Heart of Mary Roman Catholic Church is located at 4440 Russell Street in Detroit, Michigan, in the Forest Park neighborhood on the city's central East side. The Gothic Revival cathedral styled church is the largest of the Roman Catholic churches in the City of Detroit. It was designated a Michigan State Historic Site in 1974 and listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1978. It, along with St. Albertus Roman Catholic Church, 0.4 miles east on East Canfield Street, and St. Josaphat Roman Catholic Church, 0.3 miles west at East Canfield Street and Chrysler Drive, served the large Polish community through most of the twentieth century. In a diocesan reorganization instituted by Archbishop Allen Vigneron in 2013, Sweetest Heart of Mary joined with St. Josephat to form Mother of Divine Mercy Parish.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Our Lady Help of Christians Historic District (Newton, Massachusetts)</span> Historic district in Massachusetts, United States

Our Lady Help of Christians Historic District encompasses a complex of Roman Catholic religious buildings in the Nonantum village of Newton, Massachusetts. It includes four fine examples of brick Gothic Revival architecture: the church, convent, and rectory, as well as Trinity Catholic High School. The first three buildings were designed by noted ecclesiastical architect James Murphy, and were built between 1873 and 1890. The high school building was built in 1924, also in the Gothic Revival style. The district was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1986.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Saint Mary of the Assumption Church, Rectory, School and Convent</span> Historic church in Massachusetts, United States

Saint Mary of the Assumption Church, Rectory, School and Convent is a historic church complex at 67 Harvard Street, and 3 and 5 Linden Place, in Brookline, Massachusetts in the Archdiocese of Boston. It was the first Roman Catholic Church in Brookline, and the first in the nation to bear the name. Most of its buildings were built between 1880 and 1906, and are reflective of the growth of the area's Irish immigrant community during that time. The complex was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1985.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Basilica of St. Joseph, Alameda</span> Historic church in California, United States

The Basilica of St. Joseph is a Roman Catholic church located in Alameda, California. Its history dates back to early settlement of the City of Alameda, California. A former mission church of St. Anthony's in Oakland, the parish of St. Joseph's was established in 1885. It is part of the Diocese of Oakland. The Basilica was added to the National Register of Historic Places on September 18, 1978.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Our Lady Star of the Sea Catholic Church (Solomons, Maryland)</span> Church in Maryland, United States

Our Lady Star of the Sea Catholic Church, built in 1927 in a mixed Art Deco and late Gothic Revival architectural style, is an historic Roman Catholic church located at 14400 Solomon's Island Road, South in Solomons, Calvert County, Maryland. Established in 1888, the parish is the oldest Catholic parish in Calvert County and its 1927 church building is the oldest Catholic church building in the county. It is part of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Washington. The Rev. Richard Gardiner served as pastor until 2011.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">St. Mary's Church (Toronto)</span> Church in Ontario, Canada

St. Mary's Church is a Roman Catholic church located at 130 Bathurst Street at Portugal Square in the Niagara neighbourhood of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The parish was established by Irish immigrants in 1852. The Gothic Revival church was designed by Joseph Connolly and completed in 1889, with the tower finished in 1905. It stands as the picturesque western view terminus for Adelaide Street.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Saint Paul Catholic Church (Grosse Pointe Farms, Michigan)</span> Historic church in Michigan, United States

The Saint Paul Catholic Church Complex is located at 157 Lake Shore Road in the Detroit suburb of Grosse Pointe Farms, Michigan. The group includes a French Gothic-style church, a Neo-Tudor rectory, a Colonial Revival parish hall, a Neo-Tudor school building, and an Elizabethan Revival convent. The complex was designated a Michigan State Historic Site in 1992 and listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1994.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Precious Blood Catholic Church (Chickasaw, Ohio)</span> Historic church in Ohio, United States

Precious Blood Catholic Church is a Roman Catholic parish in Chickasaw, Ohio, United States. Erected in 1903 and still an active parish, the church historically owned two buildings constructed in its early years that have been designated as historic sites.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">St. John the Evangelist Catholic Church (Indianapolis, Indiana)</span> Historic church in Indiana, United States

Saint John the Evangelist Catholic Church is a Roman Catholic parish of the Archdiocese of Indianapolis in Indianapolis, Indiana, United States. The parish's origins date to 1837, when it was first named Holy Cross parish. In 1850 it was renamed Saint John the Evangelist parish, and is the oldest Catholic parish in the city and in Marion County, Indiana. Considered the mother of the Catholic parishes in Indianapolis, it played an important role in development of the Catholic Church in the city. Saint John's Church served as the pro-cathedral of the diocese from 1878 until 1906; its rectory served as the bishop's residence and chancery from 1878 until 1892. In 1900 the church served as the site of first episcopal consecration held in Indianapolis.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">St. John the Baptist Catholic Church (Hubbardston, Michigan)</span> Historic church in Michigan, United States

St. John the Baptist Catholic Church is a historic church, with an associated rectory, school, and cemetery, located at 324 S. Washington Avenue in Hubbardston, Michigan. The church was built in 1868. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places and listed as a Michigan State Historic Site in 2001. The parish is clustered with St. Mary parish in Carson City, Michigan.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Basilica of St. Mary Star of the Sea (Key West, Florida)</span> Historic church in Florida, United States

The Basilica of St. Mary Star of the Sea is a Minor Basilica of the Catholic Church located in Key West, Florida, United States. It is one of the oldest Catholic parishes in the state of Florida and the oldest parish in the Archdiocese of Miami. The church is a contributing property in the Key West Historic District on the National Register of Historic Places.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Church of St. John the Baptist (Burlington, Iowa)</span> United States historic place

The Church of St. John the Baptist is a historic church building located in Burlington, Iowa, United States. Together with St. Paul's Church in Burlington and St Mary's Church in West Burlington it forms Divine Mercy parish, which is a part of the Diocese of Davenport. The parish maintains the former parish church buildings as worship sites. St. John's was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1982.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">St. Mary's Church (Dedham, Massachusetts)</span> Church in Massachusetts, United States

St. Mary of the Assumption Church is a parish of the Roman Catholic Church in Dedham, Massachusetts, in the Archdiocese of Boston.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Church of St. Joseph (Bronxville, New York)</span> Catholic church in Bronxville, New York

The Church of St. Joseph is a Roman Catholic church located in the Village of Bronxville in Westchester County, New York. Officially founded as a parish of the Archdiocese of New York in 1922, the Church of St. Joseph consists of the parish church, adjacent parochial St. Joseph School, rectory, and parish center. It serves residents of Bronxville as well as residents of nearby neighborhoods in Eastchester and Yonkers. St. Joseph's has a permanent chaplain to serve the needs of nearby Lawrence Hospital.

The history of St. Mary's Church in Dedham, Massachusetts begins with the first mass said in Dedham, Massachusetts in 1843 and runs to the present day.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Our Lady of Mt. Carmel (Bayonne, New Jersey)</span> Church in New Jersey, United States

Our Lady of Mt. Carmel is a Roman Catholic church in Bayonne, New Jersey. The name is a dedication to the Blessed Virgin Mary in her role as patroness of the Carmelite Order, hence the name Our Lady of Mount Carmel. Founded by Polish immigrants in 1898, it grew to become one of the largest Polish congregation in the United States. Part of the Archdiocese of Newark, the parish merged with two others to become the Parish of St. John Paul II in 2016.

References

  1. 1 2 "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places . National Park Service. April 15, 2008.
  2. "NRHP nomination for St. Mary's Catholic Church". Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Retrieved 2014-03-17.
  3. Stevens, Kevin (1988). Winchester, Massachusetts: The Architectural Heritage of a Victorian Town. Winchester Historical Society. ISBN   978-0-9620357-0-8.
  4. 1 2 3 4 "Parish Timeline", St. Mary Parish, retrieved 2024-03-18
  5. LaRoche, Ryan (Aug 11, 2020), "As Catholics schools close, St. Mary's reorganizes", Daily Times Chronicle, retrieved 2024-03-18