Jack Kerouac is frequently referenced in radio programs, films, TV shows, and podcasts. Celebrated figures from former U.S. President Barack Obama to Bob Dylan, iconic fashion designer Kim Jones and so many more speak of his enduring work and unique style of writing he named “spontaneous prose.” And while there have been monuments built to Kerouac, there is no museum, performance venue, or education center to celebrate this singular author’s artistry. There’s a strong case to be made that no author in history has been more influential in the musical arts as Jack Kerouac and the performance center will celebrate that legacy.
The location is the magnificent former St Jean Baptiste Church, which was completed in 1896 to serve Lowell’s once-teeming Little Canada neighborhood. It is where Jack served as an altar boy and also the site of his funeral mass in 1969.
The still-stunning structure was for years empty—a fallow testament to the vibrant Franco-American neighborhood which was almost entirely razed by urban renewal in the mid twentieth century. The current owner, TMI Property Management & Development, will soon make this condos if we don’t intervene. They have expressed openness to selling the building to be used to honor Lowell’s native son.
