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Most Endangered Historic Resource:
St. Mary’s Italian Church (Listed
2003)- Status –Recovering
St. Mary’s Italian Church on Margin Street in Salem was completed
in 1925, and is said to be modeled after the Church of Santa Chiara
in Assisi, Italy. Its elaborate interior includes significant architectural
features including stained glass and ecclesiastical fixtures, as well
as paintings completed in 1950 by Professor Mose Franceschi of Florence,
Italy. In addition to its architectural significance, St. Mary’s
also has historical significance as it has served as the religious and
social center of Salem’s Italian community for nearly a century.
Closed by the Archdiocese of Boston in January of 2003, the Church was
nominated to the Most Endangered list that year. The Salem Mission purchased
it in 2004. With encouragement from Historic Salem, the Salem Mission
and Archdiocese agreed to allow the beautiful stained glass windows
to remain after the sale.
While the Salem Mission has completed renovations of most of the buildings
of the complex ,the UCC closed the church in June 2006. Plans for the
church building itself were unclear. As of the winter of 2007, The Salem
Mission still considers it a church with "independent status";
however there has been no official use of the sanctuary since that time.
The Director of the Mission, George Delaney, reported that the interior
is in good condition, and well maintained. He noted that the Board has
yet to decide what future uses the space will be put to. Mr. Delaney
mentioned two possibilities: gatherings held by other churches, and
community events.
To view
photos of the interior visit:
http://salemcitizens.org/issues/St%20Marys/stmarys.htm
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