St. Peters Catholic Church
Why it's listed
St. Peter's Catholic Church, at 935 Main Street in Worcester, is a red brick Victorian Gothic building with granite trim, designed by P.W. Ford of Boston, who also designed many of the city's other Roman Catholic churches. The plan includes a high nave with enclosed side aisles, a transept, and a square tower at the southwest corner. The facade has three arched entries with alternating brick and stone voussoirs, paired arched windows, decorative brick panels, and a rose window. The tower rises in stages to a belfry, a corbelled cornice, a crenellated parapet and pinnacles. The parish was formed in May 1884 to serve the growing Catholic population of southwestern Worcester, especially near south Main Street. Ground was broken on June 6, 1884, and the cornerstone was laid on September 7. Worshippers used the basement chapel from late 1884, and the church was dedicated on completion in 1893. It remains an active church and is considered among the city's most ornate Victorian churches.
Significance in brief: The nomination presents it as one of Worcester's most ornate Victorian church buildings, designed by an architect responsible for many of the city's Roman Catholic churches. It also marks the founding of a parish in 1884 to serve the growing Catholic population of southwestern Worcester. The themes checked are architecture and religion.
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 80000548, listed March 5, 1980. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 935 Main St., Worcester |
|---|---|
| County | Worcester County |
| Listed | March 5, 1980 |
| Reference number | 80000548 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1884-1893 |
| Architect / builder | P.W. Ford of Boston |
| Architectural style | Victorian Gothic |
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | State, Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Present use is church; the form states it is unaltered and has not been moved. |
| Acreage | 0.5 |
| Coordinates | 42.25329, -71.82105 (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 80000548.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q7591470
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.