Our Lady of Victory Roman Catholic Church
Why it's listed
Built in 1868 at 210 Pleasant Street in Rochester, Our Lady of Victory Church, called the "Little French Church," served the city's small French-speaking community, which drew on French, French Canadian, Belgian and Swiss families. The small brick building has a symmetrical facade with two slender corner towers, a broken segmental pediment and concave parapets, a late Renaissance and Baroque-inspired look unlike the Gothic and Romanesque churches of the period. Inside, a tripartite vaulted ceiling and a domed-light apse frame the altar. The design was traditionally credited to the Belgian-born pastor, Father Hippolyte DeRegge, but a watercolor rendering and an 1868 newspaper notice point to architect A. J. Warner, perhaps in collaboration with the pastor. A brick rectory, raised to three stories at an unknown date, is attached. Later additions, mostly from a 1961 renovation, are largely out of view. The church is listed for its architecture and for its intact exterior and interior, and it still hosts an active congregation.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the church is an intact representative example of an urban, ethnic parish church from the post-Civil War period in Rochester. Its late Renaissance/Baroque-inspired design has no precedent among the city's mostly Gothic Revival and Romanesque Revival churches. It retains integrity inside and out and is one of a small group of surviving nineteenth-century churches in downtown Rochester. The rectory contributes to its significance.
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 92000153, listed March 12, 1992. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 210 Pleasant St., Rochester |
|---|---|
| County | Monroe County |
| Listed | March 12, 1992 |
| Reference number | 92000153 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | c1868 |
| Architect / builder | Andrew J. Warner, Architect |
| Architectural style | Mid-nineteenth century; Early Romanesque Revival; Baroque Revival |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | The parish continues to serve an active congregation; the church and rectory remain in religious use. |
| Acreage | 0.6 |
| Coordinates | 43.15905, -77.60888 (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 92000153.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q7110993
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.