IRISH CONTRIBUTE TO OUR HISTORY

To honor the celebration of St. Patrick’s Day this year, we share some snapshots of Irish history here in Burlington.

Historic Preservationist John Goff wrote in his “Historic Preservation Survey of Burlington” that many Irish immigrants who landed in Boston in the 1840s quickly moved to the rural countryside where it was more healthful and affordable. According to Burlington’s 1855 census, “Irish immigrants came to Burlington to escape starvation and poverty … as well as … overcrowded conditions in Boston.”

By 1875, Goff wrote, many Irish families had settled in what is known as the Mt. Planum area---bounded by Mountain Road, and Burlington and Winn streets. Many were farm laborers, domestic assistants or curriers. This corner of Burlington, he wrote, was still an Irish enclave in the late 19 th century.

Fast forward to the 1930s, and we find that the founding of St. Margaret’s Church most likely involved many local Irish families. Goff, in fact, wrote that the church is a very visible example of the “Irish foothold” here, and he added that many “local Irish helped build the church.”

In their First Annual Reunion program, on Feb. 21, 1946, St. Margaret’s reunion committee wrote that in the early 20 th century, “Burlington was a town of great distances, of large farms, of scattered population, of small home communities, and of not a few isolated residences completely hidden from view, and in the snows of winter, almost inaccessible.” Against that backdrop, there were few Catholics in “this typical New England town,” and those who did live in Burlington worshipped in Woburn.

In 1937, the Archbishop of Boston announced that Burlington Catholics would worship at St. Mary’s in Billerica. For some families, the distance to Billerica was longer, and so, Burlington’s Catholics found themselves split—some worshipped in Billerica and others in Woburn.

Understanding how discouraged Burlington’s Catholics were by the split, St. Mary’s pastor, Rev. Charles Johnson, encouraged them to establish worship here in Burlington. A building committee was established; its members included George Gormley, Alfred Guerette, Ray LeFevere, Thomas Mohan, Elmer Morrison, William MacDonald, Henry Perry, Alphonse Ruel, Timothy Santry, Edward Sousa, Maurice Sweeney, Charles White, Maurice O’Connor, and David Ward.

Their first place of worship was a barn on Lowell Street near Winn Street, once known as the Winnmere Inn; they rented it for $15 a month, and celebrated their first Mass there on Oct. 31, 1937. They didn’t stay there long, though, for it was too cold in the winter months.

They incorporated as the St. Mary’s Building Committee of Burlington on Oct. 25, 1938, began collecting donations, and purchased the two-acre triangle of land at Center and Winn streets in November, 1938 for $500. Building committee officers were, president, Ruel; vice president, Santry; secretary, Morrison; and treasurer, MacDonald.

According to information in the annual reunion program, they moved into their new white chapel on that land in May, 1940, and formally presented the chapel to the Boston Archidocese on Nov. 3, 1942. Richard Cardinal Cushing blessed St. Margaret’s chapel on Oct. 10, 1945.

St. Margaret’s white chapel stood for many years on that triangle of land, and was considered by many to be a welcoming beacon to those coming into Burlington. Many years ago, it was razed, and today, several new homes sit on the land.

Submitted by Judy Wasserman for the Burlington Historical Commission, March, 2008

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