Significance

The Basilica of Saint Lawrence has been listed in the National Register of Historic Places since 1978. To qualify for certain grants, and to update the building’s historical information an extensive process of research and writing was recently completed by BPF board member John Toms. In association with the North Carolina Department of Archives and History, the additional documentation was sent to the National Register office in Washington, D.C., a component of the National Park Service, and was approved within an unusually short period of time, officially establishing the building as having National Significance in 2010.

National Significance is an unusual designation, which is applied to very few buildings. As such, the importance of Saint Lawrence is recognized within the larger context of American architectural history, as the only building remaining in the United States which is documented as being entirely designed, constructed, and supervised by Rafael Guastavino, Sr. This is distinct from other notable buildings, where Guastavino was contracted to design vaulting for portions of the structures. This, and other aspects of the building’s significance, were analyzed in the text of the documentation resulting in this prestigious honor.