{"nrhp_refnum":"80000637","name":"St. Mary's Church and Cemetery","other_names":[],"category":"building","location":{"address":"258 Concord St.","address_restricted":false,"city":"Newton","county":"Middlesex County","state":"MA","lat":42.32638441800003,"lon":-71.25757856599995,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"1980-04-16","is_nhl":false,"nhl_designated_date":null,"areas_of_significance":["Architecture"],"significance_levels":["local"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"A wooden Episcopal church and adjoining cemetery at 258 Concord Street in Newton Lower Falls, Newton, Massachusetts, first built in 1813-1814 as a Federal-style church and remodeled with Gothic detail in 1838.","why_significant":"It is described as the oldest extant church building in Newton and an interesting example of a Federal church remodeled with Gothic detail. It also has historical ties to the early paper-making development of Newton Lower Falls, since its founding patron and many early members were connected to the local paper mills.","narrative":"St. Mary's Church and Cemetery occupy a corner lot at Concord and Washington Streets in Newton Lower Falls. The clapboard church was built in 1813-1814 in the Federal style and extensively remodeled in 1838 with Gothic door and window trim, an extended east end and a rebuilt bell tower. The chancel and sacristy were enlarged in 1892, a parish hall was attached in 1941, and the bell tower was rebuilt in 1954 to approximate the original Federal design. It is the oldest surviving church building in Newton. The congregation began as a mission church, the first Episcopal church organized west of Boston after the Revolution, supported by Boston merchant Samuel Brown, who founded a paper mill nearby and donated land and money. Many early members worked in the area's paper mills. The adjoining cemetery has headstones from 1813 and a plan laid out in 1845, along with a small 1838 hearse shed.","period_of_significance":"1800-1899","architect_builder":null,"architectural_style":"Federal church remodeled with Gothic (Gothic Revival) detail","criteria":[],"status_note":"Listed as occupied, in excellent to good condition, on its original site, and in religious and educational use; the 1941 Parish House and 1946 Rectory are included but do not contribute to its significance.","vacant_flag":false,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.0-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 02:11:54.25837-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/opastorage/live/27/7960/63796027/content/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_MA/80000637.pdf"},"photo":{"url_800":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/80000637/539c32ab65-800.webp","url_1600":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/80000637/539c32ab65-1600.webp","licence":"CC BY-SA 4.0","author":"User:Magicpiano","credit_html":"<a href=\"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:NewtonMA_StMarysChurch.jpg\" rel=\"noopener\">User:Magicpiano</a>, <a href=\"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0\" rel=\"license noopener\">CC BY-SA 4.0</a>, via Wikimedia Commons","source_page":"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:NewtonMA_StMarysChurch.jpg"},"district":{"nrhp_refnum":"86001748","name":"Newton Lower Falls Historic District","url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/districts/massachusetts/newton-lower-falls-historic-district-86001748/"},"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/63796027","wikipedia":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St._Mary%27s_Episcopal_Church_(Newton_Lower_Falls,_Massachusetts)","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q7590289"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/massachusetts/middlesex-county/st-marys-church-and-cemetery-80000637/"}