Outcast

52 Ancestors 52 Weeks

Week 7-Outcast


In 2019, we did some cosmetic work to the bottom floor of our antique home. We wanted to find a large mirror to hang over the buffet in our dining room. My friend and I went to Crompton Collective in Worcester, Massachusetts in search of an antique mirror. While searching through the various booths in Crompton, we came across a beautiful stained glass window. I fell in love with it on the spot. After a few moments, I decided that I was going to hang this stained glass window above the buffet instead of a mirror. After returning home with my purchase, I contacted the seller about to see if I could find more information about where the window came from. The seller informed me that it was from a Worcester Church that had been dismantled 50 years ago.


With that information, I did a search online for churches that were demolished around 1969-1970. I found an article from the Worcester Telegram dated April 29, 2017 written by Mark Sullivan that told the story about St. Ann’s church and how it was torn down in 1970. Located at the corner of Gage Street and Eastern Avenue, St. Ann’s church was very close to were my Irish ancestors lived on Shrewsbury Street. The article mentioned that the parishioners were predominantly Irish after the 1880s. These newly learned facts made me smile. Perhaps some of my family attended St. Ann’s church where my antique stained glass window came from.


A few years later, while completing my certificate in genealogical research, I needed to get a marriage certificate for my Great-Great Grandparents for a research report. After reviewing the record online again since learning more about genealogy, I saw a very interesting detail that I overlooked before. The name of the church they were married at was listed in the record. Have you guessed what church it was yet? That’s right, St. Anne’s. St. Anne’s was originally spelled with an e as the church initially served a large following of French Canadian immigrants.


The outcast window from St. Ann’s church that was founded in 1856 in Worcester, Massachusetts and demolished in 1970 made its way to my home. What a genealogical treasure I found that day at Crompton Collective. Thank you, What’s in the Crate for saving a piece of my family history.








#52Ancestors #FamilyHistorian #Ancestry #FamilyTree #FamilyHistory #GenealogyResearch #ProGenOfNE #CromptonCollective #worcesterma #MillburyMA #Antiques #StainedGlass #Outcast #FrenchCanadianAncestors #IrishAncestors #MarriageRecord 




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