Document Type
Thesis
Abstract
Notre Dame des Canadiens is an Exotic Style church located in downtown Worcester, Massachusetts at 5 Salem Square. The church was built in 1929 and was designed by architect, Donat R. Baribault of Springfield, Massachusetts. It is significant under Criteria A and C for the French Canadian community it represented and due to its architecture. The French Canadian community was one of the largest immigrant populations in Worcester contributing to the culture of the city. This church stands as a testament to the will of the French Canadian people to establish their own, French-speaking, parish and in doing so established their legitimacy in the city architecturally. Notre Dame is an architecturally significant building with its Exotic style showcasing elements of Roman Byzantine style and Rayonnant Gothic Style reminiscent of churches in the ancestral “motherland” of the French Canadian community. The arched archivolt entranceway flanked by two imposing towers with spired tops showcases a grand entry into the church. The slender cruciform roofline and apse surrounded by stained glass windows are uncommon for churches in Worcester. The massing of the building gives the appearance of a vertical lightness to the building contrasted by the stone masonry. The multitude of stained glass windows throughout the building provides ample natural light to the interior. The building retains a high degree of integrity, thus being representative to the period of significance.
Recommended Citation
Skrzek, Amy M., "Notre Dame des Canadiens 5 Salem Square, Worcester, MA 01608" (2016). Historic Preservation Capstone Projects. 15.
https://docs.rwu.edu/hp_capstone_project/15
