St. Patrick's Church (Lowell, Massachusetts) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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St. Patrick's Church
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St. Patrick's, front view (2012)
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| Location | 284 Suffolk St. Lowell, Massachusetts |
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| Area | less than one acre |
| Built | 1853 |
| Architect | Patrick C. Keely |
| Architectural style | Gothic Revival |
| NRHP reference No. | 85000027 |
| Added to NRHP | January 3, 1985 |
St. Patrick's Church is a very old and important Roman Catholic church located at 284 Suffolk Street in Lowell, Massachusetts. It was built in 1853 for a group of people, mostly Irish, who started their church community in 1831. This makes it one of the oldest Catholic churches north of Boston in the United States. The church building is a beautiful example of Gothic Revival architecture, designed by a famous church architect named Patrick C. Keely. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1985 because of its historical importance.
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History of St. Patrick's Church
The first St. Patrick's Church was a wooden building. It was built in 1831 to help the Irish workers who had moved to Lowell. Many of these workers came to help build the Pawtucket and Merrimack Canals. Before the church was built, a Catholic priest named Rev. John Mahoney from a nearby town helped them.
By 1830, there were over 400 Roman Catholics living in Lowell. On July 3, 1831, the first St. Patrick's Church was officially opened. Rev. Mahoney was its first leader. He left in 1836 to work in Boston, and E.J. McCool took his place.
The stone church building you see today was finished in 1853. However, a fire in 1904 damaged much of the church. It was rebuilt and ready again by 1906.
St. Patrick's Church Today
Today, St. Patrick's Church is recognized as a special historical place. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The church still serves its traditional Irish and French Canadian communities. It also welcomes many Southeast Asian people, including those from Vietnam and Cambodia. The church even holds services in Vietnamese and Cambodian languages.
Architecture and Design
St. Patrick's Church is found on the eastern side of a Lowell neighborhood called The Acre. This area was where many Irish immigrants first settled. They lived in simple camps while working in Lowell's factories. The church looks out over one of the city's important canals, where Suffolk and Cross Streets meet.
The church is built in a shape like a cross. It is made from rough stone blocks with smooth granite stone used for decoration. A tall tower, about 160 feet (49 meters) high, stands at the front of the church. Stone supports are on each side of the main entrance at the bottom of the tower.
The main entrance and the side entrances have tall, pointed archways, which are typical of Gothic style. Above the main entrance, there is a window with three pointed sections. The tower's first part has a smaller pointed window. The second part of the tower holds the church bells. It has pointed archways with slats, and the top is an eight-sided steeple decorated with small pointed windows.
Gallery
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A closer look at the altar.
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A beautiful stained glass window showing Saint Patrick Teaching the Chieftains at Tara. This window is above the main entrance.
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A memorial for the Reverends O'Brien, located just outside the main entrance.
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The church rectory, which is the home for the priests.
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See also
