Rocky Neck Art Colony’s Cultural Center is Honored with Historic Plaque for Giles Chapel

The Rocky Neck Art Colony (RNAC) is proud to announce that its Cultural Center at 6 Wonson Street has been officially recognized as “historically significant” by the Gloucester Historical Commission. The designation is marked by the installation of a hand-painted historic plaque, one of more than 60 recently awarded throughout Gloucester.

The Commission’s rigorous application process requires detailed historical research to ensure accuracy. Each plaque, crafted by a local artisan using durable materials suited for New England’s coastal climate, highlights the building’s year of construction, its 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.

Originally constructed in 1877, the building—known as Giles Chapel—was commissioned by Augustus Wonson, co-founder of the Tarr & Wonson Paint Manufactory, for the Baptist Church and Sabbath School at Rocky Neck. Wonson named the chapel 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.

Since 2013, RNAC 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.