Wollaston Unitarian Church
Also known as: St. Catherine's Greek Orthodox
Why it's listed
Built in 1890-91 at 155 Beale Street in Quincy, Massachusetts, this church was designed by Edwin J. Lewis for a Unitarian congregation that began meeting in Wollaston in 1887. Its construction formed part of the late-19th-century growth of the Wollaston Heights neighborhood, following earlier Baptist and Methodist churches nearby. The building is a Shingle Style design with horizontal massing, multiple gables, irregular window placement and two wall materials: shingles on the upper level and rough granite blocks below. A low slate roof, a short square granite tower and an arched window within a projecting shingled gable mark the main facade. A parish house was added on the west side in 1915. It is considered the only intact Shingle Style church in Quincy. The Unitarian society merged with the United First Parish Church in 1960, and St. Catherine's Church of the South Shore bought the building, dedicating it in 1962. A wrought iron fence added after 1938 is noncontributing.
Significance in brief: The church is described as a well-preserved example of Shingle Style architecture applied to an ecclesiastical form and the only intact Shingle Style church in Quincy. It is also tied to the late-19th-century development of the Wollaston Heights neighborhood and the founding of a Unitarian congregation there. It is argued to meet Criteria A and C and exception A at the local level.
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 89001318, listed September 20, 1989. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 155 Beale St., Quincy |
|---|---|
| County | Norfolk County |
| Listed | September 20, 1989 |
| Reference number | 89001318 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architect / builder | Edwin J. Lewis |
| Architectural style | Shingle Style |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Community Planning and Development, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Condition is stated as good. It is in present use as a church, St. Catherine's Greek Orthodox, and has not been moved. |
| Acreage | 0.3 |
| Coordinates | 42.26415, -71.02184 (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 89001318.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q8030326
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.