{"nrhp_refnum":"80000550","name":"South Unitarian","other_names":[],"category":"building","location":{"address":"888 Main St.","address_restricted":false,"city":"Worcester","county":"Worcester County","state":"MA","lat":42.25319303200007,"lon":-71.81753372899993,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"1980-03-05","is_nhl":false,"nhl_designated_date":null,"areas_of_significance":["Architecture"],"significance_levels":["state","local"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"A former Unitarian church at 886 Main Street, Worcester, Massachusetts, built in 1894 of rock-faced sandstone in the Romanesque Revival style. It is now used as an Armenian Apostolic church.","why_significant":"The building is described as an unusual and very well-preserved example of Romanesque Revival architecture, with an asymmetrical plan, complex roof and high-quality stonework. It was designed by Earle & Fisher and built by the Norcross Brothers. It also reflects the growth of new congregations in the Main Street-South area in the 1880s and 1890s.","narrative":"Built in 1894 at 886 Main Street in Worcester, this sandstone church was constructed for the South Unitarian Society, a congregation founded in 1890 to serve the southern part of the city. Earle & Fisher designed it in the Romanesque Revival style, and the Norcross Brothers built it. Its asymmetrical plan and complex roof make it an unusual example of the style. The east facade has a high gable with tripartite windows and an arched window lighting the church hall. At the northeast corner, an arched entry in a gabled porch sits in front of a square tower and a semicircular side tower. Walls of rock-faced sandstone are laid in courses of alternating widths, and the north and south sides carry the same quality of stonework. Only minor changes have occurred, including some re-pointing and removal of a belfry. The society was one of several congregations formed as the Main Street-South area grew. The building now houses an Armenian Apostolic congregation.","period_of_significance":null,"architect_builder":"Earle & Fisher, architects; Norcross Brothers, builders","architectural_style":"Romanesque Revival","criteria":[],"status_note":"Currently in use as Holy Trinity Church (Armenian Apostolic). Alterations limited to re-pointing part of the tower and removal of a belfry.","vacant_flag":false,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.0-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 02:11:54.52397-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/opastorage/live/55/7930/63793055/content/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_MA/80000550.pdf"},"photo":{"url_800":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/80000550/8f072ec898-800.webp","url_1600":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/80000550/8f072ec898-1600.webp","licence":"Public domain","author":"Marcbela (Marc N. Belanger)","credit_html":"<a href=\"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:888_Main_Street_Worcester.jpg\" rel=\"noopener\">Marcbela (Marc N. Belanger)</a>, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons","source_page":"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:888_Main_Street_Worcester.jpg"},"district":null,"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/63793055","wikipedia":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/South_Unitarian_Church","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q7568718"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/massachusetts/worcester-county/south-unitarian-80000550/"}