St. Mary, Mother of the Church History- Lee, MA
Posted by: 
neoc1
N 42° 18.430 W 073° 15.010
18T E 644220 N 4685364
The Italianate style St. Mary, Mother of the Church is a Roman Catholic Church located at 140 Main Street in Lee, MA.
Waymark Code: WM14YND
Location: Massachusetts, United States
Date Posted: 09/13/2021
Views: 2
A sign on the south side of the façade gives a brief history of the church. It is inscribed:
✝
St. Mary's
Church History
St. Mary's Roman
Catholic Church
is the oldest wooden church
structure in the Diocese of
Springfield. The church was
built in 1856 on land purchased
from Jones Holmes of lee on
April 1, 1854. The cornerstone
was laid on September 21, 1856
and the first Mass was celebrated
on Sunday March 15, 1857 by
Father Patrick Cuddihy
A large increase in the population of Irish immigrants in Lee led to the need to construct St. Mary Mother of the Church in 1856. The church was built in the Italianate style to a design by architect Wendell T. Phillips.
The 1½ story high St. Mary's Church has a set of marble steps leading up to a central, blue, double door entrance flanked by small windows and lamps. Above is a large triple stained glass window, the center window being a double window. The central section is separated from the rest of façade by tall square capped columns. Single lancet windows are located on the north and south sides of the façade. The ends of the church have smaller square capped columns. The eaves of the church are decorated with arch shaped cornices. A large cross rises from a pediment at the center of the façade.
The main block of the church has a gable roof. The sides of the church are five bays wide. Each bay has a tall double window with a rounded top. A protruding auxiliary entrance is located between the 4th and 5th bay. Square capped columns are located on the rear corners. A three story high bell tower with louvered windows and a gable roof rises from a separate section at the back of the church.