B-61 St. Vincent De Paul Roman Catholic Church
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B-61 St. Vincent de Paul Roman Catholic Church Architectural Survey File This is the architectural survey file for this MIHP record. The survey file is organized reverse- chronological (that is, with the latest material on top). It contains all MIHP inventory forms, National Register nomination forms, determinations of eligibility (DOE) forms, and accompanying documentation such as photographs and maps. Users should be aware that additional undigitized material about this property may be found in on-site architectural reports, copies of HABS/HAER or other documentation, drawings, and the “vertical files” at the MHT Library in Crownsville. The vertical files may include newspaper clippings, field notes, draft versions of forms and architectural reports, photographs, maps, and drawings. Researchers who need a thorough understanding of this property should plan to visit the MHT Library as part of their research project; look at the MHT web site (mht.maryland.gov) for details about how to make an appointment. All material is property of the Maryland Historical Trust. Last Updated: 03-10-2011 1! - •. r I\ Tf"" ; ' "'"' 10-100 lJNJTro ~T1.1 r <, DrP/dlTMJ NI 01 1111 INl l R 1rrn ll'n•. 1.. /11 N1\llOtH• l l'/,RK :,111v11_1 ( NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES Baltimore City INVENTORY - NOMINATION FORM FOR l ~ PS USE ONLY -F:NTRY- - DATF.- ----- ----·---- (Type nil cntr ic::s complt'lc ;1prlicnhlc sC'c lions) St. Vincent de Paul Roman Catholic Church "° • 1:;. O R HISTORIC: 120 North Front Street ,.. CITY OR TOWN: CONGRE55l 0t'.<.L :>I S 7RICT: Baltimore Third ST ATE CO DE jCOUN TY : :: C:::>E .. Mar land 24 Baltimore Ci tv 510 .,. 3. CLASSIFICATION CATEGORY ACCESSIBLE V"I OWNf RSHIP 51 ATUS. ... (Ch.-ck One) ITO THE PUBLIC z 1 CJ District [Z Buildi"9 CJ Pub l ic Public Acqui sition: cx o ~ cupie'd Yes: I.~ 0 ~ Reslrictf'd 1·~ Site LJ S!ructure ~ Private 0 In !Proc<"SS lJ Unoccupied ,....., Unre-stricted Q Both CJ Being Con•iderecl 0 Object [j Pre.servo1ic.n work It_; 1- In progres• . D No 1-~-~----------'--------'--------------~-~~ u P RESENT USE (Check One or M•re .. s Appropr!ate) ( ::::> I"] Agricultural Government Pork 0 Tronsponotion C Comments ' 0 0 0:: 0 Com mercial 0 Industrial II Ptivcte Re5 idenc:. e [J Other (Spec-i f}·) I- LXJ Edvc otio"a I 0 Militory ~ Religious 11 Entertoinm<!nt 0 Museum 0 Scientif;c z . 4. OWNER OF PROPERTY O\l",NCR'S N A.M~: .,,, Roman Catholic Archbishop of Bal ti more -....> I" w 5 TPE"E T ANO NUMBER: w 320 Cathedral Street CITY OFi TOVIN : STATE: "':OCF' Baltimore 5. LOCATION OF LEGAL DESCRIPTION ... ····· .. I COUR THO•JSE, REGISTRY OF DEEDS, ETC: Liber: ED 61 Folio : 86 jg' ' ...... gl Land Record Office of he rt z STREET ANO NUMBER: .... I-· J · :::> Roo :(5 CI TY OR TOWN: STATE >i CODE ~ Ba ltimore I 6. R_E~.R.. s-5l_ti :r~. !1.9 .N IN EXISTING SURVEYS I I T'TLE oc:- SU RV EY: ! ~: ~I I ~C~o~mm:::=i~s~s~i~o~n:..:__~f~o~r--!..H~i~s~t~o~r~1~·~c~a~l-=a~n~d~A~r~c~h'...:.."'-i~t~e~c~t!~u~r~a~l=-~P~r~e~s~e~r~v~a~t~1~·o~n:..:_~--__,.--------;; ~IT. t IO"'TE OF SVAVEY: 1965 r-. Federal 0 5101e 0 County Q local I; j ~ ! DEP OSI TO RY FOR SURVEY RECORDS: c I z . ~ "t l ~ Commission for Historical and Archi tect~u~r~a!..:1~· _!Pc._r~e-=-s~c:..:!r_!vwa~t~i,.>!.o"-'n'-------------' ~ ! ~ ; - STRE E T ANO NUMBER: : I' ;;)~~ 1 ~C~l~T~v=-o~R~T~O~~-·N_!.,!402 Cit, Hall: ~~~~~--~~--~--~-~~~ -~---..S~T~A~T~E-: ~----~--~~--~1-C_O_D~E--i---l--~ ·1 r~ . I I- -< : 1__B_a_l_t_i_m_o_r_e___ ______________ _ _._ _ _M~a~ ~l~a~n~d~--~~-~-'--';...:s..~_, ,·~! l n j , f? - (o( i . - _____ .lJ. ' I 7 . ci/SCRIPTf ON '·--- - ( C-hnk O n e) ..... ~ ..... The chief dist inctive feature of St. Vincent de Paul Church at 120 N. Front Str eet , is its s l ender Georgian style to;ver h·hich rises to a hei ght of 150 feet above the narthex and cont r::i.sts sharply with i ts surroundi ngs . Thi s unique bri ck tower , painted gleaming white as is the entir e building, rests on an ~ ct ago na l base an d supports t hree successive indent ed t i er s (one octagonal an d two cylindrica l ), capped by a copper-sheathed dome and ·' twelve-foot cros s~· In s tyle , t he bui lding r elates t o the classical revival chur ches built in;; London and Paris i n the 1820 's, and , although no architect ~... : can be as cribed , the r estrained ext erior pil asters and moul di ngs of ' .. G e o rg i ~! i nf l uence are very much i n t he t radition of the carpenter-drafts :.'- man as practiced by J ohn Hal l of Ba l timore during the ear ly Ninet eent h Century. .·.' .:! ~ '·· ' T'ne f r on t facade is divided i nto three bays by double engaged pilasters . f y Each bay contai ns a doorway - the 'Central one topped by a triangular stone ~ V\ •:.. pediment and each of the flanking doors by flat stone lintels .· Ove r the m I doorways are arched window s at t he s econd stor y l evel, except that t he cent al m bay contai ns a ni che with a statue of St. Vincent. There is a similar arche :, window i n the pediment above . .J,A steep flight of s t airs leadi ng from the :~·; s t reet cros ses t he entire fron~facade . z ~ V\ l~ The side el evati on contains six bays each with a l arge arched wi ndow .,1 ~ .; s i mi lar to t hose i n front and s eparated by singl e engaged pi l asters . ' ;:o ·' . ~ ~· Just below the r oof cornice is a frieze of gilded s1rngs pl aced at r_egular c '· ':. intervals around t he entire bui l ding above each 'pi l aster . n ~ The interior contains a deep sloping gallery on three sides and the {.j ' ·: appoi ntments a :t~ s i mple and details modes t. The sanctuary was added at 1-::. a later da t e . In 1 873, Father Did i er, the s eventh pastor, had a new organ 0 ·'·-: i nstalled and i n 1883 he had fourteen inscribed bells cast by Henry McShow z. :;;{\ '. ~ of Baltimore placed in the t ower. V\ .. •i'' •k The church i s locat ed on the east s ide of the Jones Falls in a s ection .J.• known as Old Town . It presents an i nt eresti ng cont rast with the aging ~ •'l brick i ndus t r ial and conunercial st r uc t ures nereby, especially the Shot •h To~er i mmediately the so~th . It will relate visually to the Historic I io ,_-1. l Park h'hich is planned for. the area stretching southward to the waterfront. ~ ~ ""'i In addition, it 19 at present a dramatic t ermination of the view east from .. ~ I ~ the·modern Charles Center, down Lexington Street and pas t the City Hall .ii 'C and \far Memorial Plaza. :.. ' '...~ ·it:• '.j\ !'I ' I L .. ·- --· --- --·- ----'-- - ----- ---- - . .. ... g- l,( - -------- - . -- - - ---·------ ------=-~-=--= _J .. ( f"""j Pre . Co lurn bion ,-J 16th C Cr'1 ur y i_I 18•h C en!ury [J ?01h Cc•1!ur y 0 15th Cen tury C:J 17th Century X 19 th Century l l--SP_E_c_•_<_•c_o_A_T_E_>_(_lf_._~P_P_l_i•_a_bl_e_a_n_d_K_n_o_w_n)_~_lwS~.1.0.=J.&4-1-----------~----~- l. ~ EAS OF SI C :-.llFICANC.£ i I A bor iginol :iJ E due a ti on :J Po: 1ricol Ll Urbo:l f'lonn; ng C! P 1e hi s torte : 1E n 9ine~rin g xi i< eligion ' Phi. CJ O ther ( Sp ..,· ifr) I ':_; His1oric l nduS!ry I , LJ los c;:ih y .'- :"1 Agriculf\,.: re ,, 0 I n\ en ti on i ~ Sci c"'lce ~, A ,.i;_},~ :ectvre land.cope -, Scu lpture CJ Ari Ar chi 1ec l\Jre C cmmc.Hc e Li1 ero •urc 0 Cl i ror ic,, 0 Corr.m vroicd1"tons CJ Mil i tary 0 Conservation :-J Mu•i c Tro:is.por1ot1:>n .~ STATEMEN T Or SIGN I FICANCE The congregation of St . Vincent de Paul Roman Catholic Church was establish e~ i n 184 0 under Father J ohn Bapti st Gildea. The priest himse lf is credi ted l with designing the building which was the fifth Ro:nan Catholic church con-. V"I structed i n Baltimore . It was .to serve t[le ever increasing, \'IClll thy, z Eng lish-speaking Catholics in the Gay and Pratt Street area. 0 On May 21, 1840, the cornerstone was l aid by Archbishop Eccl es ton and the Right Reverend John Eng l ish of Charleston, South Caroiina, gave the rain f int erruped address . Wh en the church \\'as dedicated on !\ovember 7, 1841 , the u t.;' parish already extended from the h arbor to Towson . By 1865, the church was 1 over-crowded; reputedly there were at times 2,000 fami lies in the congregati~n. In 1879 the church was consecrated by Archbishop James Gibbons , one of four churches ·so recongnized in America.