St. Patrick's Church
Why it's listed
St. Patrick's Church is a granite Gothic Revival building at 1588 South Main Street in Fall River, Massachusetts. The parish was founded in 1873 by Bishop Thomas Hendricken of Providence, with Rev. John Kelly as first pastor; early Masses were held in a former broom factory. The cornerstone was laid on September 18, 1881, and the church opened for worship in 1889. Designed by Patrick C. Keely, it has a basilican plan with a rectangular nave, clerestory windows above the aisle roofs, buttressed corners, and a projecting central clock and bell tower with a large Gothic window. Its style was loosely based on English parish churches. Keely designed three major Catholic churches in Fall River and is described as probably America's first Catholic ecclesiastical architect. The church was built for Catholics in the southern part of the city during a period of rapid growth in the Irish Catholic population, and it remains a landmark in that less densely built area.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the church is a key landmark serving the southern part of the city, built as the Irish Catholic population grew and new parishes were founded. It is also one of three major Fall River Catholic churches designed by Patrick C. Keely, described as probably America's first Catholic ecclesiastical architect. It meets Criteria A and C.
Machine-generated summary. This summary was generated by a language model from the official nomination document and has not been reviewed line by line by an editor. It may contain errors. Check the source document before relying on any detail. Source: nomination document (PDF) · National Archives catalog entry. NRHP reference 83000724, listed February 16, 1983. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 1588 S. Main St., Fall River |
|---|---|
| County | Bristol County |
| Listed | February 16, 1983 |
| Reference number | 83000724 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architect / builder | Patrick Keely |
| Architectural style | Gothic Revival |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture, Religion |
| Level of significance | State |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Present use is as a church. |
| Acreage | 1.2 |
| Coordinates | 41.70344, -71.17374 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
Religious properties are listed for their architectural or historical significance, not their religious use. Listing is honorary and does not restrict the congregation's use of the building. The federal rehabilitation credit is generally unavailable unless part of the building is income-producing; some state programmes and preservation grants do cover religious buildings. Federal funding or permits trigger Section 106 review.
General information, not legal or tax advice. Rules change; confirm with your State Historic Preservation Office or a qualified adviser.
Sources and further reading
- National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places database (snapshot May 2026), reference 83000724.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q7590928
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.