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St. Peter the Apostle Church and Buildings
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St. Peter the Apostle Church, Baltimore, MD
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| Location: | 11 and 13 S. Poppleton St. and 848 Hollins St., Baltimore, Maryland |
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| Area: | 0.5 acres (0.20 ha) |
| Built: | 1843 |
| Architect: | Long, Robert Cary,Jr.; Et al. |
| Architectural style: | Greek Revival |
| Governing body: | Private |
| NRHP Reference#: | 76002184[1] |
| Added to NRHP: | October 14, 1976 |
St. Peter the Apostle Church is a Roman Catholic church located at the corner of Hollins and Poppleton Streets in Baltimore, Maryland. It is often referred to as "The Mother Church of West Baltimore." The church was built in 1842 to minister to the growing Irish population of West Baltimore, who had immigrated to the city in vast numbers to work for the B&O Railroad.[2]
Robert Cary Long, Jr., a prominent "ecumenical architect,"[3] designed the church in the Greek revival style with imposing granite pillars gracing the facade of the building. Its appearance is similar to the Lloyd Street Synagogue, also designed by Long.[4] The design was based on Athens' Temple of Hephaestus.[5] The interior of the church features a large, open nave furnished with wooden pews. Behind the altar, an apse adorned with white columns is punctuated with an imposing white marble tabernacle. It contains statues of angels and the holy family, and is topped with a large statue of Saint Peter. The inscription above the tabernacle reads, "Tu Es Petrus," a reference to the biblical passage, "You are Peter, and on this rock I will build my Church" (Matt. 16:18). The church also has a historic tracker organ designed by Henry Niemann.[5]
The church itself is part of a complex of several buildings, including a church rectory, a convent, and a school. The Sisters of Mercy came to the church in 1855 to teach at St. Peter School.[2] In addition to their educational duties, the sisters also assisted the poor and sick of the community by opening the "House of Mercy for distressed women."[5]
In 1868, the building received its first renovation, and was graced with stained glass windows imported from Munich.[6]
Another renovation, done in 1967, brought the church to the attention of the Commission on Historical and Architectural Preservation.[6] This attention led to the church being placed on the National Register of Historic Places on October 14, 1976.[1][7]
Throughout its history, St. Peter the Apostle Church has ministered to those in need, and has also been active in community organization efforts. In 1965, pastor Thomas J. Donellan formed the Southwest Baltimore Citizens Planning Council, along with four other area churches, to bring identity and renewal to their Hollins Park neighborhood.[8] The former convent houses the Christian Life Center, which provides recreation and development programs.[9]
Although declining numbers of parishioners and priests have limited the number of services that the church holds, St. Peter the Apostle Church continues to celebrate mass on weekdays at 8AM and on Saturdays at 7PM. The final Ordinary Mass was said at St. Peter on, Saturday, January 26, 2008. The church is still open. However, it will only be used for weddings, funerals and special occasions. The churches of St. Martin, St. Peter, and St. Jerome merged and formed a new parish known as Transfiguration Catholic Community. All Masses are now held at the former St. Jerome parish located at Hamburg and Scott Sts.
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