{"nrhp_refnum":"83000653","name":"Church of the Ascension","other_names":[],"category":"building","location":{"address":"160 Rock St.","address_restricted":false,"city":"Fall River","county":"Bristol County","state":"MA","lat":41.70117521700007,"lon":-71.15287119699997,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"1983-02-16","is_nhl":false,"nhl_designated_date":null,"areas_of_significance":["Architecture","Religion"],"significance_levels":["state"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"A large masonry Victorian Gothic Episcopal church at 160 Rock Street, Fall River, Massachusetts, dedicated in 1875, with a parish house added in 1910 and a chapel in 1964.","why_significant":"The nomination argues the church is a distinguished Victorian Gothic building with high-quality design and workmanship, notable for the textural contrast of Fall River granite with red brick and Scotch stone trim. It is also tied to the history of the city's oldest Episcopal parish, founded in 1836. It is cited as meeting Criteria A and C.","narrative":"Church of the Ascension at 160 Rock Street in Fall River is a Victorian Gothic church built of local granite with red brick and Scotch stone trim. It was dedicated on November 29, 1875, and serves the city's oldest Episcopal parish, founded in 1836. The congregation had met in several rented and purchased buildings, including one that burned in 1850, before building the present church. Granite was chosen partly because the earlier church had burned. Fall River firm Covel & Baker received the masonry contract for $39,250, and English donors helped cover the high cost. The architect is not known. A buttressed square tower with a crenellated cap and corner pinnacles marks the building, and pointed-arch windows add to its Gothic character. A side garden, an attached chapel added in 1964 and a brick and shingle parish house from 1910 soften its tight urban massing. Its design quality, workmanship and long parish history supported its listing under Criteria A and C.","period_of_significance":null,"architect_builder":"Covel & Baker (builders, masonry contract); architect not known","architectural_style":"Victorian Gothic","criteria":["A","C"],"status_note":"Present use is as a church.","vacant_flag":false,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.0-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 02:11:57.229909-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/opastorage/live/81/7894/63789481/content/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_MA/83000653.pdf"},"photo":{"url_800":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/83000653/e9f6c127bb-800.webp","url_1600":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/83000653/e9f6c127bb-1600.webp","licence":"Public domain","author":"Marcbela (Marc N. Belanger)","credit_html":"<a href=\"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Church_Ascension_Fall_river.jpg\" rel=\"noopener\">Marcbela (Marc N. Belanger)</a>, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons","source_page":"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Church_Ascension_Fall_river.jpg"},"district":null,"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/63789481","wikipedia":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Church_of_the_Ascension_(Fall_River,_Massachusetts)","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q5117799"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/massachusetts/bristol-county/church-of-the-ascension-83000653/"}