Global True Lithuania Encyclopedia of Lithuanian heritage worldwide

Boston, Massachusetts

Boston was one of the first American great cities and the heartland of US independence war.

While some Lithuanians, deeply pro-freedom, also joined the fight for the US cause in Boston, the extensive Boston Lithuanian community and its heritage dates to the late 19th century when the city was 5th largest in the USA. Its numbers mushroomed in some 1904. There were so many Lithuanians that a demonstration at Boston Commons urging the USA to recognize newly independent Lithuania attracted 5 000 in the year 1919. Lithuanians then have established three churches and a massive club. Much of the Lithuanian community was concentrated in South Boston, where the Lithuanian settlement area was about 1 mile in diameter, requiring a 30 minutes walk from one side to another.

After the Soviet occupation of Lithuania halted free Lithuanian cultural life in Lithuania, Boston became important for Lithuanians worldwide as Boston was the site where the world‘s first Lithuanian-language encyclopedia was published. Many of its publishers were recent refugees who escaped Lithuania in 1944. With Boston remaining an important and rich city, the community was once again replenished by Lithuanian post-independence economic migrants, helping retain the Lithuanian institutions.

Lithuanian club in South Boston

In South Boston, traditionally the heartland of Lithuanian community, there is a massive four-floored Boston Lithuanian Citizen's Club (368 West Broadway). It has been acquired in 1949 from a bank, and much of the building interior remains authentic (stair balustrades, etc.).

Boston Lithuanian club. US and Lithuanian flags wave at the entrance

In its basement is the only Lithuanian restaurant/bar in New England („Lithuanian Kitchen“), open in weekends only (you need to ring a bell, but everyone is welcome). The walls have memorabilia of Boston Lithuanian sportsmen.

Inside the Boston Lithuanian restaurant

The upper floors house a Lithuanian credit union (that offers credits, credit cards and more to people of Lithuanian heritage) and a auditorium where Lithuanian band gigs take place. Additional hall is located on the 4th floor, opened in 2020. Some of the premises are rented out, helping to pay for the club‘s existence.

Inside the Lithuanian Credit Union

In general, the club and the Lithuanian institutions there are increasingly run by new (post-1990) immigrants to the USA who in Boston seem to get well with the previous generations. Every institution, however, has many Lithuanian details in its interior (images, artworks), some of which date to much older times (e.g. a 1968 plaque listing Lithuanians who donated for elevator renovation at the ground floor).

Where the World's first Lithuanian encyclopedia was published

South Boston also once housed the Publishing house of the Lithuanian Encyclopedia, still commonly referred to in Lithuanian as the „Boston encyclopedia“. Nothing Lithuanian remains in any of the multiple places of publication, however. The most impressive and historically important among those is a building right across the street from the Lithuanian club where the first five volumes had been published in 1953-1955. Owned by a Lithuanian businesswoman Ivaškienė, this building continued to be a hub for Lithuanian activities afterwards as well.

The building where the first volumes of Boston's Lithuanian encyclopedia was published

The encyclopedia has been published in 1953-1966. This 37 volume work is still the largest encyclopedia ever published in the Lithuanian language. At the time Lithuania had been occupied by the Soviet Union, there was no state funding for the work and many sources were very hard to access, making the job undertaken by some 200 Lithuanian-American authors even more tremendous. The authors wished that their encyclopedia would be used in Lithuania even after its liberation. Indeed, that's what happenend: only in 2015, 25 years after independence, did free Lithuania completed publishing its new encyclopedia.

In 1970-1978 the same Boston authors translated the Lithuania-related articles to create 6 volume English "Encyclopedia Lituanica", still the most comprehensive English work on Lithuania.

South Boston Lithuanian church

The last remaining open Lithuanian church in Boston is also located in South Boston, 75 Flaherty Way. Built in 1901, it is dedicated to St. Peter. The parish was established in 1896 through a hard struggle as the Irish community then dominated South Boston and Irish bishop Williams opposed the move.

Boston St. Peter Lithuanian church

In 2008, the parish had 1000 member families, 100 of them newly immigrated and 900 descendants of earlier immigration "waves". Lithuanian and English mass are both celebrated.

The church interior is authentic. It has many Lithuanian details, including the stained-glass windows with Lithuanian donators marked on them. Over the time, the Lithuanity of the interior increased as the community sought to mark its roots: for example, Lithuanian names of the saints were inscribed under the frescos of these saints in addition to the English names. The candles that may be lit for donations are painted in the colors of the Lithuanian flag. At the entrance hall, three new Lithuanian stained-glass windows were installed with Lithuanian slogans about Jesus Christ, God the Father and the Holy Spirit, while the paintings of Our Lady of Šiluva (Virgin Mary appearance in Lithuania) and St. Casimir (the only Lithuanian saint) were hanged.

The interior of the Boston Lithuanian church

Lithuanian details inside the Boston Lithuanian church (flag, the candle-flag, the sun-crosses, etc.)

One of the vault saints with both his Lithuanian and English names

Like many historic Lithuanian-American churches, Boston‘s St. Peter‘s „Lithuanian cathedral“ is two floored, with the first floor dedicated to secular affairs and also holding many Lithuanian memorabilia.

The church is locked outside of the mass, but even outside there are many Lithuanian details, such as the Lithuanian-flag colored wall at the parking lot, as well as the improvised Hill of Crosses - a collection of crosses under the church entrance aimed to remind the world-famous Hill of Crosses in Šiauliai, Lithuania. While the original Lithuania's Hill of Crosses received its millions of crosses from people who clandestinely protested against the Russian and Soviet occupations and anti-Catholic regimes, the Boston‘s „Hill of Crosses“ was created as a protest against the planned closure of the Lithuanian church in 2004. The closure ultimately did not happen, likely thanks to massive and public Lithuanian protests. Many of the crosses, ranging in size from very small to ~2-meter height, have traditional Lithuanian designs (sun-cross).

The Hill of Crosses at the Boston St. Peter Lithuanian church entrance

In 2022, a plaque "St. Peter Church, Built by Lithuanian immigrants 1904" was added to the building's facade, making the church's roots even more prominent.

While back in 1900s, the 3000-strong church stood in the middle of Lithuanian-inhabited neighborhood, that all changed in 1941, when this neighborhood was demolished and replaced by housing projects which still surround the church. Not only were the Lithuanian people relocated away from their church, but the district became very dangerous and the church suffered from crime. Back then, Lithuanians floated ideas to close the church down, joining to the other Lithuanian church at East South Boston instead. Ultimately, however, the church survived, and limited gentrification has taken place since. A Lithuanian school that used to stand beside the church was demolished, however, to make way for a parking lot for parishioners who by now lived further away and had to use cars to the Mass.

Lithuanian street names in South Boston

South Boston has numerous streets and intersections named after Lithuanians.

Next to the St. Peter's church is St. Casimir street. Named after the most famous Lithuanian saint, this name was suggested by priest Žukas of the Lithuanian church when the later district was undergoing redevelopment. At that time, in 2003, the municipality has decided to replace two-floored buildings with three-floored buildings. The St. Peter Lithuanian parish objected this, as these buildings diminished the visibility and dominance of the church. As a compromise, the municipality suggested renaming a nearby C street after the church. Using St. Peter name was impossible, however, as South Boston already had Peter street. As such, St. Casimir name was selected, which is related both to Catholic faith and Lithuanian history.

Several surrounding intersections are named after Lithuanian veterans of the US army, including Stanley C. Mosiulis Square, Joseph P. Shliazhas Square, and, most famously, Stephen Darius Square, named after Steponas Darius, who became famous after becoming (together with Stasys Girėnas) the first Lithuanian pilots to cross the Atlantic ocean (before tragically crashing over Poland). Each of these squares is marked by a plaque. Stephen Darius also had a Lithuanian American Legion post named after him which sponsored the square name.

Stephen Darius square

The lost Lithuanian buildings of South Boston

What impressive Lithuanian heritage still survives is but a shadow of the extent of Lithuanian sites that South Boston once boasted. Lithuanian institutions have acquired numerous buildings over the time, however, as they did not construct them themselves, these buildings lacked Lithuanian architecture. All these buildings eventually closed and nothing reminds of Lithuanian history there.

*Lithuanian National Society House (full name National Lithuanian Society of America Boston Chapter House) that was opened in an acquired building in 1951. The acquisition was funded by a Lithuanian-American businessman Jonas Kasmauskas who had immigrated in 1901 but most of the participants were recent Soviet Genocide refugees who had fled Lithuania in 1944. It boasted elaborate patriotic interior with busts and statues of many Lithuanian heroes (Grand Duke Vytautas, president Smetona), as well as national symbols and slogans. This interior was created by a refugee artist Viktoras Andriušis, originally a scenographer of Lithuania's main theater, and built by Lithuanian volunteers who had to start by cleaning up the burned out building interior. However, as the "refugee generation" began passing away, the National Society House closed in 1986 and the interior was destroyed or relocated to museums. Currently, the building serves as apartments.

The former Lithuanian National Society House

Lithuanian National Society House interior (now destroyed), picture by Romas Šležas

*Lithuanian Alliance of America building, a local branch of a New-York-hubbed Lithuanian-American institution.
*Lithuanian chapel in east South Boston that served as Boston's first Lithuanian church. It was replaced by a new chapel after a fire in 1897. Priest Gricius who founded this church proved to be a divisive personality, however, which became a reason to establish St. Peter church in the 1900s. Ultimately, St. Peter became the primary Lithuanian church and since 1921, this "old church" served as a chapel of St. Peter Lithuanian parish as the Lithuanian district was too large to be served by a single church in a pre-automobile era. The chapel has been sold in 1992 and demolished since. The income from the chapel sale helped fund the refurbishment of St. Peter Lithuanian church.
*Two Lithuanian schools in addition the St. Peter's parish school.

Cambridge Lithuanian sites

Previously, other Boston conurbation areas had their Lithuanian churches as well. Immaculate Conception church of Cambridge (432 Windsor Street) has been built in 1913. Despite still being a major Lithuanian hub, the church was closed in 2004 and transformed into "affordable housing" by the "Just a Start Corporation". This corporation acquired the building in 2007. A municipal commission formed in 2009 deemed it to be of great significance as an example of Mission Style / Arts and Crafts (created by famous Maginnis and Walsh company) and for its possible inspirations in the Gothic architecture of Lithuania. It asked not to alter facades and not to remove religious references where possible (crosses were however removed and frescoes whitened); for complying the building got a Cambridge Historical Commission's „Preservation award 2013“. The owners were, however, given a free hand in the interior which was entirely changed.

The Immaculate Conception Lithuanian church in Cambridge

The main surviving Lithuanian artwork is the rather impressive Virgin Mary relief over the entrance, that includes prie-modern Lithuanian words „Lietuviu Rymo Kataliku Bažnyčia Nekalto Panos Marijos prasidejimo“ („Lithuanian Roman Catholic Church of Immaculate Conception). The church‘s Lithuanian roots (and its first Lithuanian pastor Krasnickas) are also mentioned in its cornerstone.

Lithuanian hos-relief on the Cambridge church of Immaculate Conception

The small square in front of the Immaculate Conception church is named after a Lithuanian-American Peter D. Sarapas who died fighting for the USA in the World War 2. This renaming was a part of a WW2-era campaign by various parishes that sought to have places near them renamed after the war heroes who were parish members.

Peter Sarapas Square sign in Cambridge

While the church was not designed by Lithuanians, the nearby rectory was. Built by architects Eugenijus Manomaitis in 1972, it incorporates Lithuanian elements on its roof.

Jewish-Lithuanian (Litvak) heritage in Boston

Lithuania's Jews also moved to Boston before World War 1 forming the community of "Anshei Vilner" (Yiddish for "People of Vilnius"). Their modest synagogue (Vilna Shul, erected 1919) was built near the Boston Commons. It was abandoned in 1985 after the Jews left the district but unlike many other similar buildings, it was saved from demolition. It has since been repurposed as a cultural center, offering various events including ~once-a-month history tours. The plaque mentions that it was founded by "Eastern Europeans".

Vilna Shul synagogue in Boston

Another Jewish-Lithuanian site is Meretz Cemetery in Woburn at the northern side of Boston. "Meretz" is a Yiddish name for Merkinė, a town of ~1700 people before World War 2. Incredibly, so many Jews migrated from this town to the Boston area alone that they established this rather large cemetery to bury their dead. On the gate, the dates 1893-1914 are listed.

Meretz Cemetery gate

While elsewhere in the USA Lithuanian-Jewish communities typically quickly integrated into the wider Jewish-American communities (no longer building anything related to their historic homeland of Lithuania), in the Meretz Cemetery, the descendants of Merkinė Jews built a unique memorial for their Merkinė brethren who perished in the Holocaust. Formed like a column, this is the only such memorial in the USA that commemorates Holocaust victims from a Lithuanian town in particular. If you know other such monuments, please write in the comments.

The lower part of the Merkinė (Meretz) Holocaust memorial

Putting these heritage sites together, Boston area arguably has more Jewish-Lithuanain heritage sites than any other city in America.

Lithuanian sites in Boston suburbs

In the suburb of Norwood, the local Lithuanian church was closed during the Massachusetts ethnic-church-closing-spree of 2004. It has been converted into apartments Nothing Lithuanian remains there.

Norwood Lithuanian church

A building next to the church served as the Lithuanian club has no remaining Lithuanian signs either. It had been closed even earlier, in 1978, after the floor partly collapsed in 1970s.

The former Lithuanian club of Norwood

The Monument for Lithuanians who died in World War 2 still survives, however. Originally built back in 1949 in front of the church, it has been relocated to the Highland Cemetery after the church's closure. It includes St. George (the patron saint of the former church and Lithuania). The dedication is to the 152 Lithuanian-American veterans of the St. George Lithuanian church. 8 Lithuanians who were KIA are listed by their names, while the back side includes inscription "In faithful tribute to the Lithuanian veterans of Norwood".

Lithuanian WW2 veterans memorial in Norwood

In the suburb of Danvers there is a Polish Russian Lithuanian American citizens club (PRLACC) that sports all three flags (in addition to the American one) in front of its building. Its slogan "In Unity there is strenght" is inscribed on a nearby plaque. The tri-national club was formed in 1939 when the 1937-established local Polish club started accepting Lithuanian and Russian members. It was just on the eve of World War 2 which divided these nations further in Europe. The building was acquired in 1941 and has 2000 members with some 400 of Lithuanian, Polish, or Russian roots.

Russian, Polish and Lithuanian club of Danvers

Brokcton may be considered a suburb of Boston, however, due to a huge Lithuanian history there we have covered Brockton Lithuanian heritage sites in a separate article.

Map of Boston Lithuanian sites

All the Lithuanian locations, described in this article, are marked on this interactive map, made by the "Destination - America" expedition (click the link):

Map of Boston Lithuanian sites