Rocky Neck hub recognized

By Times Staff

The 1877 building that houses the Cultural Center on the Rocky Neck Art Colony, at 6 Wonson St., has been officially recognized for its historical significance.

The designation includes a hand-painted plaque, awarded by the Gloucester Historical Commission, that is now installed at the front of the building at the heart of the historic art colony, considered one of the oldest continuously operating art colonies in the country.

The plaque, crafted by a local artisan, highlights the year of construction, the original occupants or use, and features the image of the Ernestina-Morrissey — the only surviving 19th-century Gloucester-built fishing schooner and the official vessel of Massachusetts.

The Rocky Neck Art Colony’s ability to purchase that building was a major step toward the preservation of the art colony, in the face of soaring real estate values in recent decades, especially for properties on or near the water. Rocky Neck is a peninsula surrounded by water with panoramic views all around.

The building served as a Christian Science church from the 1950s until 2011 after which steps were taken during a the multi-year effort to purchase it to ultimately become a hub for the Rocky Neck Art Colony, and now called the Cultural Center at

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Rocky Neck Art Colony Development Coordinator Robin Hoffman,l eft, and CEO/Director Elizabeth Careystand at the front of the Cultural Center at Rocky Neck, at 6 Wonson St., which recently was recognized for its historical significance. The building was constructed in 1877.

COURTESY PHOTO

The new plaque is carefully hung.

CONTRIBUTED PHOTO

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Rocky Neck.

The Carpenter-Gothic building was originally constructed as a meeting house, and home to religious services, political meetings, neighborhood gathering and cultural events. The nearly 150-year-old building has had different owners and uses, including asan art gallery.

Today the Cultural Center at Rocky Neck is home to art exhibitions, lectures, music, performing arts — all things cultural.

The building was commissioned by Augustus Wonson, co-founder of the Tarr & Wonson Paint Manufactory, and constructed in 1877 for the Baptist Church and Sabbath School at Rocky Neck, according to the art colony. The building became known as Giles Chapel, after Wonson named it in honor of his sister Lydia and her husband, Samuel Giles, a prominent Gloucester shipmaster and devoted member of the Baptist church.

“Built the same year Lydia passed away, the structure stands today as a striking and rare example of Gothic Revival architecture,” according to the art colony. “Since 2013, the Rocky Neck Art Colony has thoughtfully transformed the historic chapel into a vibrant arts and cultural center, preserving its architectural integrity while adapting it for contemporary community use. Today, the building serves as a cornerstone of Rocky Neck’s creative life — an enduring testament to both its storied past and its evolving future.”

The Rocky Neck Art Colony, which has attracted artists for more than 150 years, can continue to do so with its acquisition of the property and its evolving programs for the community at large. More information about the art colony and its programs may be found at rockyneckartcolony. org.

Gail McCarthy may be contacted at 978-675-2706, or gmccarthy@northofboston. com.

A sign at Lane’s Cove in Gloucester reads “Welcome to Widow’s Bay” as members of an Apple TV+ production team prepare July 8 for the filming of “Widow’s Bay.”

DAVID SOKOL/ Staff file photo