St. James the Less Roman Catholic Church
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St. James the Less Roman Catholic Church | |
 St. James the Less Roman Catholic Church, September 2012 | |
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| Location | Aisquith St. at Eager St., Baltimore, Maryland |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 39°18′4″N 76°36′8″W / 39.30111°N 76.60222°W |
| Area | less than one acre |
| Built | 1865-1867 |
| Architect | Church, Frederick Aloysius; Et al. |
| Architectural style | Gothic, Romanesque |
| NRHP reference No. | 82004750[1] |
| Added to NRHP | March 15, 1982 |
St. James the Less Roman Catholic Church, also known as St. James and St. John's Roman Catholic Church, is a historic Catholic church located at Baltimore, Maryland, United States and was one of the earliest neighborhood parishes established in the central city (1833). The building later became Urban Bible Fellowship Church.[2] On March 29, 2020 lightning struck the steeple, causing the building to catch fire and partially collapse.
St. James the Less was built by Bishop James Whitfield, at his personal expense. He laid the cornerstone in May 1833 and consecrated the church a year later. Bishop Whitfield died the following October.[3]
In 1966, the neighbouring parish of St. John the Evangelist was closed, and the new parish of St. James and St. John, was formed, the congregation worshipping at St. James. The parish was dissolved around 1986, and the former St. James Church was sold to an evangelical church. Most regrettably, the church has been stripped of its windows, altars, marble communion rail, pipe organ, and other artifacts, and the church has been whitewashed, destroying its beautiful and historic murals.
St. James the Less Roman Catholic Church was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1982.[1]
On the morning of March 28, 2020, the church had a devastating fire that resulted in the destruction of the steeple of the church.[4]
