St. John's Roman Catholic Church
Why it's listed
St. John's Roman Catholic Church at 2270 Massachusetts Avenue in Cambridge was designed in 1904 by Maginnis, Walsh & Sullivan and finished a year later. It replaced the parish's earlier combined school and church of 1891 on Rindge Avenue. The Tuscan Romanesque building is brick with ivory, green and red terra cotta detail, and marble columns carry arched openings at the entrance. A tall Florentine-style campanile of about 100 feet stands well back from the Hollis Street facade. A serious fire in 1957 led to reconstruction of the upper church, including the second story of the facade, with a lowered gable and a simplified rose window. The parish served the Irish Catholic community that settled along outer Massachusetts Avenue between about 1890 and 1930. It was listed because of that link to the growth of North Cambridge, and the alterations were judged not to erase the association.
Significance in brief: The church is considered significant under Criterion A for its association with the development of Massachusetts Avenue and North Cambridge, especially the Irish Catholic settlement on the outer avenue. A 1957 fire required rebuilding of the upper part, but reviewers judged that the church kept enough integrity to be eligible.
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 83000829, listed June 30, 1983. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 2270 Massachusetts Ave., Cambridge |
|---|---|
| County | Middlesex County |
| Listed | June 30, 1983 |
| Reference number | 83000829 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architect / builder | Maginnis, Walsh & Sullivan |
| Architectural style | Tuscan Romanesque |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Part of the church was rebuilt after a 1957 fire; the form lists the present use as a church. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 42.39408, -71.12734 (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 83000829.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q7588829
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.