National Register of Historic Places

Notre Dame Catholic Church

Southbridge, Worcester County, Massachusetts
Listed
June 21, 1989
Type
Building
Period
Industrial
Ref No.
89000563

About this property

Notre Dame Catholic Church is a historic church in Southbridge, Massachusetts. It is one of two churches serving the Parish of Saint John Paul II; Saint Mary Church, located at the corner of Marcy and Hamilton Street, also serves as the location of the Parish Center and Rectory. Notre Dame was built from 1912 to 1916 and added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1989. Notre Dame Parish was founded in 1869 to serve the needs of the French Canadian community of Southbridge who migrated here beginning in the 1830s. A frame wood church was built shortly thereafter. The second Pastor Msgr Georges Elzar Brochu began to raise funds for a much larger church in the 1880s. In 1895 Msgr Brochu purchased land at the corner of Main and Marcy for the new church. Part of the purchase agreement stipulated that the church could not actually be built until after the death of Mr. Marcy, the prior owner. As a result, Msgr Brochu, who died in 1904 was unable to begin construction which was eventually undertaken by his successor, Msgr Louis O. Trigonne after Mr. Marcy died in 1908. Notre Dame Church was the last of three churches built in Massachusetts for French congregations by Canadian architect Joseph Venne. The others were St. Anthony Church in New Bedford, Massachusetts (Venne's earliest church in the US, begun 1902) and Notre Dame Church in Adams, Massachusetts. The building is 190 feet in length and the nave is 75 feet wide. The transept is 123 feet across and the ceiling is 55 feet high. The tower is 210 feet high and has extensive views of the Southbridge area. The organ at Notre Dame Church was built in 1916 by the Casavant Frères Pipe Organ Company of Saint-Hyacinthe, Quebec, Opus 649. The large French Romantic instrument of 4 manuals and 42 ranks is capable of performing the full spectrum of organ literature. It is one of the largest and most complete instruments of any Catholic church in the State of Massachusetts. National Register of Historic Places listings in Southbridge, Massachusetts National Register of Historic Places listings in Worcester County, Massachusetts

Location

Southbridge, Worcester County, Massachusetts
42.07799, -72.03649

Categories

INDUSTRYARCHITECTURE
National Register nomination ›
Sources

Property data from the National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service (public domain).

Description adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

Unlimited access

Everything a full report reveals about Notre Dame Catholic Church

This page lists Notre Dame Catholic Church. A full Aubrey report for an address near it pulls together this listing alongside battlefield records, land patents, and every other historical record within a chosen radius:

Overview
An interactive map of the location with historic sites, battles and Native heritage plotted, and its full story era by era.
The Land
The historic sites and place names around the location, and how this land was settled and used.
Geology
The bedrock beneath the site, its age and rock type, reaching back millions of years.
LiDAR Terrain
Laser-scanned terrain that reveals earthworks and old features hidden in the landscape.
Conflict & War
The battles, raids and skirmishes fought near here, across every era of American conflict.
The Civil War
The Civil War on this ground, 1861 to 1865: who held it, and the battles, camps and regiments nearby.
The Soldiers
The men who marched from here in the Civil War, named and traced where the record allows.
Native Heritage
The Native nations who held this land, mapped across time from before European contact to today.
Settlement
Who claimed and held this ground, from Indigenous homelands through the colonial powers to the United States.
The Community
How the town grew, who came, and what kind of place it became, traced through the census record.
Rivers & Rail
The rivers, canals and railroads that connected this place between 1830 and 1911.
Notable People
The people born, buried or genuinely tied to this exact place, with their stories.
Historical Maps
Historic maps of the location layered over how it looks today.
Finds & Access
Museum objects tied to the area, and the laws on searching, collecting and access here.
Literature
The old books, county histories and archives that mention this place, quoted with their sources.
Spotlight
A deep dive into the most remarkable, lesser-known history of the place, traced back to the record.
Points of Interest
The most significant historic sites and landmarks near the location, and why they matter.
Timeline
The whole story of the location told era by era, from first peoples to the present day.
First month just $5.99, then $11.99 a month. Unlimited locations, cancel anytime.

Every location is different. Not every section appears for every place, only what the historical record actually holds turns up in a report.

Start your Notre Dame Catholic Church report
Or see a real report first

Nearby Historic Sites

Cummings, E. B., House
Industrial
0.1 mi
Hartwell, George H., House
Industrial
0.1 mi
Mary E. Wells School
Industrial
0.1 mi
Kinney, A., House
Industrial
0.1 mi
Cheney, J. M., Rental House
Industrial
0.1 mi

Questions about this property

When was Notre Dame Catholic Church listed on the National Register?

Notre Dame Catholic Church was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on June 21, 1989.

What type of historic resource is Notre Dame Catholic Church?

Notre Dame Catholic Church is classified as a building in the National Register of Historic Places.

What is the period of significance for Notre Dame Catholic Church?

The period of significance for Notre Dame Catholic Church is recorded as the industrial era.

Can I research the history near Notre Dame Catholic Church?

Yes. Aubrey Research reports search National Register listings, battlefield records, land patents, and other primary historical sources within any radius of a US address. A report for an address near Notre Dame Catholic Church will include this listing and all other historical records in the area.

More in Worcester County

Historic places, battles, and census history across Worcester County.

Explore WorcesterCounty ›

More historic places in Massachusetts

Browse all historic places in Massachusetts.

View Massachusettshistoric sites ›

Conflict records

Explore 19,000+ military engagements across American history.

Browse US conflicts ›

Massachusetts history

Colonial settlement, territorial period, and statehood narrative.

Massachusettshistory ›

Research the history near this site

An Aubrey US report for an address near Notre Dame Catholic Church will include this listing alongside battlefield records and other historical sources within your chosen radius.

Research your locationView a free sample report