Sacred Heart Parish Complex facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Sacred Heart Parish Complex
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 Location in Massachusetts
Location in the United States
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| Location | 321 S. Broadway, Lawrence, Massachusetts |
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| Area | 2 acres (0.81 ha) |
| Built | 1899-1925 |
| Architect | Walter F. Fontaine; Joseph G. Morissette |
| Architectural style | Romanesque Revival; Gothic Revival; Colonial Revival |
| NRHP reference No. | 11000853 |
| Added to NRHP | November 29, 2011 |
The Sacred Heart Parish Complex is a group of old, important buildings in Lawrence, Massachusetts. It used to be a Roman Catholic church complex. This special place has five buildings that were built between 1899 and 1936. One of them is a beautiful stone church built in the Gothic Revival style.
This whole area is so important that it was added to the National Register of Historic Places on November 29, 2011. This means it's officially recognized as a historic site in the United States. The complex was sold by the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Boston in 2004.
Contents
Exploring the Sacred Heart Complex
The Sacred Heart Complex is located in South Lawrence. You can find it on the west side of South Broadway, which is a main road in the area. The complex covers about 2 acres (0.8 hectares) of land. It takes up almost a whole city block between Groton and Hawley Streets.
What Buildings Are There?
There are five main buildings in the complex. Two of them were schools. One school was built in 1899 and has a Romanesque Revival style. The other school was built in 1926 and looks more like Colonial Revival architecture.
There is also a convent, which was built in 1920. A rectory, where priests live, was built in 1924. The main church building was constructed between 1935 and 1936. The church was designed by architects Walter F. Fontaine and Joseph G. Morissette.
Building Styles and Materials
The schools and the rectory are made of brick. The convent has a stucco finish on the outside. The church is very detailed and built in a Gothic Revival style. It uses different colors of granite stone.
Between the 1899 school and the convent, there's a small grotto. A grotto is like a small cave or a special garden area, often used for prayer. This grotto is also part of the historic complex.
What's Happening Now?
In 2004, the Catholic church in Lawrence made some changes. They combined seven smaller church areas into three. Because of this, the Sacred Heart Complex was sold to a group called Sagrado Corazon LLC.
Today, the old schools and the convent have been changed into homes. The church and the rectory are used by a traditional Catholic group. This community is very active. They are working to restore the church and rectory. They have also built a new brick garden area recently.
