• Important tourist attraction on Freedom Trail
• Lack of maintenance leaves this important landmark vulnerable to decay
Historic Boston Incorporated 1999 Preservation Revolving Fund Casebook : Property
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| St. Stephen's Church | North End |
| • Boston's only
surviving Bulfinch designed church • Important tourist attraction on Freedom Trail • Lack of maintenance leaves this important landmark vulnerable to decay |
|
| Name: St. Stephen's Church | Bldg SqFt: 13,000 | Lot SqFt: 13,000 | |
| Address: 401 Hanover Street | Ward: 3 | Parcel: 3144 | |
| Neighborhood: North End | Zoning: Multifamily Residential Subdistrict (MFR) | ||
| Year Built: 1802-1804 | Use: Worship | ||
| Style: Federal | Condition: Fair | ||
| Architect(s): Charles Bulfinch | Owner: Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Boston | ||
| Historic Certification: National Register listed | |||
| FY99 Building Assessment: N/A FY02 Building Assessment: $1,429,800 |
FY99 Tax: N/A FY02 Tax: N/A |
||
| FY99 Land Assessment: N/A FY02 Land Assessment: $709,800 |
Tax Status: Exempt | ||
Preservation Strategy:
Because of this church's exceptional visibility and historic significance, it is an ideal candidate for funding from MPPF and HBI's Steeples Project. HBI should continue to invite St. Stephen's to apply for Steeples Project grants and MPPF funds. It should and could be the ideal case for the Archdiocese and Massachusetts Historical Commission to reach a pragmatic understanding on the impact of the preservation restriction agreements as the quid pro quo for MPPF grants.
Significance:
This building is primarily significant because of its Charles Bulfinch design. It is Boston's only surviving Bulfinch designed church. A church has stood at this site since 1714. In 1802 Bulfinch was commissioned to build this, the third church building, by the New North Church (which in 1814 became the Second Unitarian Church). The Archdiocese of Boston acquired the church in 1862 to serve the growing Irish community and named it Saint Stephen's. Its restoration to the simplicity of the original Federal period appearance under the auspices of Cardinal Cushing in 1965 adds special interest. This project entailed lowering the church to its original level, having been raised in 1870 for a basement church, and restoring the exterior to Bulfinch's 1804 plans. The church also stands twelve feet behind its original location due to the widening of Hanover Street in 1869. Simeon Skilling, a shipbuilder, did much of the carving in the church. Boston sculptor Angelo Cascieri designed the stations of the cross. The church is an integral part of the Paul Revere Mall, completed in 1926.
Preservation Challenges:
A 1998 technical assistance grant award from HBI's Steeples Project (to prepare a comprehensive assessment of the building to serve as the basis for an MPPF application ) was not accepted, presumably because of the Archdiocesan policy of avoiding having restrictions placed on their buildings. Management and maintenance of this building appear to be a low priority for the Society of Saint James the Apostle in the context of its primary focus which is missionary work in Latin America. The membership in the church is transient in comparison with the other Roman Catholic churches in the North End.
Neighborhood Context:
The church stands at the end of the tree-lined, pedestrian Paul Revere Mall opposite Christ Church. The North End has been home to immigrants from Ireland, Portugal, and Italy. The baptism of Rose Kennedy took place in this church. The North End is now largely an Italian neighborhood. Currently Saint Stephen's is not a church of choice for most Roman Catholic neighborhood residents. Sacred Heart and Saint Leonard's have the largest parishes in the North End. Saint Stephen's serves a small number of people, many of whom are not long term residents of the North End. Most people who enter the church are tourists following the Freedom Trail. Buses travel down Hanover Street past the church building, and it is a five minute walk to the Haymarket stop on the Green line.
Other Sources of Information:
Boston Landmarks Commission Inventory Form.
Religious Properties Preservation: A Boston Casebook (HBI, 1991)
Entry Completed: 05/21/1999
Although the Archdiocese did not accept a 1998 technical assistance grant from HBI's Steeples Project, it did accept an $8,000 Steeples grant for a comprehensive assessment of the building envelope in 1999. While the assessment was underway, the Massachusetts Historical Commission awarded St. Stephan's an extraordinary $150,000 non-matching grant for repair work. Despite MHC's largesse, the Archdiocese's stubborn unwillingness to accept the required preservation easement has led to over two years of legal posturing. Even though the comprehensive assessment was completed in October 2001, frequent leadership changes at St. Stephan's have hindered Historic Boston's persistent efforts to preserve this important landmark. The MHC grant remains on the table, and the Archdiocese yet to initiate any substantive work on the church.Update Entry Completed: 08/14/2002