Editing Worcester, Massachusetts (section)

==Arts and culture==
{{See also|List of people from Worcester, Massachusetts}}
[[File:US Navy 110316-N-2257C-002 Capt. Brian Walden, commanding officer and leader of the U.S. Navy Band, leads the Concert Band during a performance at.jpg|thumb|left|Mechanics Hall concert]] [[File:Bankroft Tower.jpg|thumb|[[Bancroft Tower]] stands atop Bancroft Hill and was erected in 1900 by [[Stephen Salisbury III]] in honor of his childhood friendship with [[George Bancroft]].<ref>[http://www.worcesterma.gov/dpw/parks-rec/city-parks/salisbury-park DPW Parks, Recreation & Cemetery – Salisbury Park<!-- Bot generated title -->] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100728121644/http://www.worcesterma.gov/dpw/parks-rec/city-parks/salisbury-park |date=July 28, 2010 }}.</ref> ]]

Much of Worcester's culture is synonymous with broader [[New England]] culture. The city's name is notoriously mispronounced by people unfamiliar with the city. As with the city in England, the first syllable of "cester" (''castra'') is left entirely unvoiced. Combined with a traditionally [[non-rhotic]] [[Eastern New England English]] accent, the name can be transcribed as "WOOS-tuh" or "WISS-tuh" (the first syllable possibly having a [[near-close central unrounded vowel]]).<ref name="Holy Cross"/>

Worcester has many traditionally ethnic neighborhoods, including Quinsigamond Village (Swedish), Shrewsbury Street (Italian), [[Kelley Square]] (Irish and Polish), Vernon Hill (Lithuanian), Union Hill (Jewish), and Main South (Puerto Rican, Dominican, and Vietnamese).

[[File:Boulevard Diner.jpg|thumb|Boulevard Diner]]Shrewsbury Street is Worcester's traditional "Little Italy" neighborhood and today boasts many of the city's most popular restaurants and nightlife.<ref name=shrewsbury>{{cite web|title=Shrewbury Street: A Mecca for the Diverse Palate|publisher=GoLocalWorcester|year=2013|url=http://www.golocalworcester.com/food/shrewsbury-street-a-mecca-for-the-diverse-palate/|access-date=December 31, 2013|archive-date=January 2, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140102115305/http://www.golocalworcester.com/food/shrewsbury-street-a-mecca-for-the-diverse-palate/|url-status=live}}</ref> The Canal District was once an old Eastern European neighborhood, but has been redeveloped into a very popular bar, restaurant and club scene.<ref name=canal>{{cite web|title=History|publisher=the Canal District of Worcester|year=2013|url=http://www.thecanaldistrict.com/history.html|access-date=December 31, 2013|archive-date=December 8, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131208094714/http://thecanaldistrict.com/history.html|url-status=live}}</ref>
Worcester is also famously the former home of the [[Worcester Lunch Car Company]]. The company began in 1906 and built many famous lunch car diners in New England. Worcester is home to many classic lunch car diners, including [[Boulevard Diner]], [[Corner Lunch]], [[Chadwick Square Diner]], and [[Miss Worcester Diner]].

There are also many dedicated community organizations and art associations in the city. ''stART on the Street'' is an annual festival promoting local art. The [[Worcester Music Festival]] and [[New England Metal and Hardcore Festival]] are also held annually in Worcester. The Worcester County St. Patrick's Parade runs through Worcester and is one of the largest [[St. Patrick's Day]] celebrations in the state. The city also held the second oldest [[First Night]] celebration in the country each [[New Year's Eve]] until 2017. Since 1916, Worcester has also been the home of the [[Worcester Kiltie Pipe Band]], one of the oldest pipe bands in the United States.<ref>{{cite web |author=Richard Duckett |date=Feb 7, 2016 |title=Kiltie Pride |url=https://www.telegram.com/story/entertainment/fashion/2016/02/07/kiltie-pride/32558921007/ |work=Worcester Telegram & Gazette}}</ref>

Worcester is also the state's largest center for the arts outside of Boston. [[Mechanics Hall (Worcester, Massachusetts)|Mechanics Hall]], built in 1857, is one of the oldest concert halls in the country and is renowned for its pure acoustics.<ref name=Mechanics>{{cite web|title=About Mechanics Hall|publisher=Mechanics Hall|year=2013|url=http://www.mechanicshall.org/about/about.html|access-date=December 31, 2013|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131008194212/http://mechanicshall.org/about/about.html|archive-date=October 8, 2013}}</ref> In 2008 the old Poli Palace Theatre reopened as the [[Hanover Theatre for the Performing Arts]].<ref name=hanover>{{cite web|title=Restoration|publisher=Worcester Center for the Performing Arts|year=2013|url=http://thehanovertheatre.org/restoration|access-date=December 31, 2013|archive-date=December 31, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131231051438/http://www.thehanovertheatre.org/restoration|url-status=live}}</ref>  The theatre brings many Broadway shows and nationally recognized performers to the city. [[Tuckerman Hall]], designed by one of the country's earliest woman architects, [[Josephine Wright Chapman]], is home to the Massachusetts Symphony Orchestra. The [[DCU Center]] arena and convention holds many large concerts, exhibitions and conventions in the city. The Worcester County Poetry Association sponsors readings by national and local poets in the city and the [[Worcester Center for Crafts]] provides craft education and skills to the community. Worcester is also home to the Worcester Youth Orchestras.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.worcesteryouthorchestras.org|title=The Worcester Youth Orchestras Founded in 1947 – Home|work=The Worcester Youth Orchestras Founded in 1947|access-date=October 4, 2014|archive-date=October 6, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141006092804/http://www.worcesteryouthorchestras.org/|url-status=live}}</ref> Founded in 1947 by Harry Levenson, it is the 3rd oldest youth orchestra in the country and regularly performs at Mechanics Hall.

Mechanics Hall is also home to the Worcester Symphony Orchestra formerly known as the New England Symphony Orchestra.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://telegram.com/story/entertainment/2022/04/01/new-england-symphony-orchestra-from-new-world-mechanics-hall/7132508001/|title=New England Symphony Orchestra 'From the 'New World'' in Mechanics Hall}}</ref> Founded in 1974 the Worcester Symphony Orchestra performs classical works regularly at Mechanics Hall in downtown Worcester.

[[File:Mechanics Hall, Worcester.jpg|thumb|right|[[Mechanics Hall (Worcester, Massachusetts)|Mechanics Hall]]]]
The nickname "Wormtown" is synonymous with the city's once large underground rock music scene. The nickname has now become used to refer to the city itself.<ref>[http://www.worcestermag.com/night-and-day/catch-and-release/95555339.html Wormtown at 20 – Timeline of events] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110928222237/http://www.worcestermag.com/night-and-day/catch-and-release/95555339.html |date=September 28, 2011 }}. The Worcester Phoenix, June 19–26, 1998.</ref><ref>{{Cite news| last=Williamson| first=Chet| title=Wormtown at 30| newspaper=[[Worcester Magazine]]| date=June 3, 2010| url=http://www.worcestermag.com/night-and-day/catch-and-release/95555339.html| url-status=dead| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110928222237/http://www.worcestermag.com/night-and-day/catch-and-release/95555339.html| archive-date=September 28, 2011}}</ref><ref>O'Connor, Andrew. [http://vimeo.com/3412828 A Wormtown Gimmick] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201113170521/https://vimeo.com/3412828 |date=November 13, 2020 }}.</ref>

Due to its location in [[Central Massachusetts]], Worcester is known as the "Heart of the Commonwealth"; a heart is the official symbol of the city. However, the heart symbol may also have its provenance in lore that the Valentine's Day card, although not invented in the city, was first [[Mass production|mass-produced]] and popularized by Worcester resident [[Esther Howland]].<ref>{{cite web|title=Valentines weren't invented in Worcester, but they have special history here|url=http://www.telegram.com/article/20130708/NEWS/307089987/1101|year=2013|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201113170441/https://www.telegram.com/article/20130708/NEWS/307089987/1101|archive-date=November 13, 2020|access-date=June 29, 2014}}</ref> Similarly, the invention of the classic yellow "smiley face" design by Worcester native Harvey Ball has gained it an iconic status in the city. This design is now commonly seen in art and merchandise relating to Worcester, including murals, t-shirts and stickers.

===Sites of interest===
[[File:turtle boy love statue.jpg|thumb|upright|left|The ''[[Burnside Fountain]]'', also known as the ''Turtle Boy'' statue, is a local landmark on the Worcester Common.]]
[[File:Elm Park Iron Bridge Worcester Massachusetts.jpg|thumb|alt=Elm Park Iron Bridge Worcester Massachusetts|The Elm Park Iron Bridge]]
Worcester has 1,200 acres of publicly owned property. Notable parks include [[Elm Park (Worcester, Massachusetts)|Elm Park]], which was laid out by [[Frederick Law Olmsted]] in 1854, and the City Common laid out in 1669. Both parks are listed on the [[National Register of Historic Places]].<ref name="City Parks">{{cite web
  | url=http://www.worcesterma.gov/dpw/parks-rec/city-parks
  | title=City Parks
  | publisher=City of Worcester, Massachusetts — Public Works and Park
  | year=2007
  | access-date=August 16, 2010
  | archive-date=July 28, 2010
  | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100728071329/http://www.worcesterma.gov/dpw/parks-rec/city-parks
  | url-status=live
  }}</ref> The largest park in the city is the 549 acre [[Green Hill Park]]. The park was donated by the Green family in 1903 and includes the [[Green Hill Park Shelter]] built in 1910. In 2002, the Massachusetts Vietnam Veterans Memorial was dedicated in Green Hill Park. Other Parks, include Newton Hill, East Park, Morgan Park, Shore Park, Crompton Park, Hadwen Park, [[Institute Park]] and [[University Park (Worcester, Massachusetts)|University Park]]. Though not within city limits, [[New England Botanic Garden|New England Botanic Garden at Tower Hill]] is operated by the [[Worcester County Horticultural Society]] and is a 20-minute drive northeast of the city in [[Boylston, Massachusetts|Boylston]]. The Horticultural Society's former headquarters is now the [[Worcester Historical Museum]], dedicated to the cultural, economic, and scientific contributions of the city to American society. As a former manufacturing center, Worcester has many historic 19th century buildings and on the National Register of Historic Places, including the old facilities of the [[Crompton Loom Works]], [[Ashworth and Jones Factory]] and [[Worcester Corset Company Factory]].

The [[American Antiquarian Society]] has been in Worcester since 1812. The national library and society has one of the largest collections of early American history in the world. The city's main museum is the [[Worcester Art Museum]] established in 1898. The museum is the second largest art museum in New England, behind the [[Museum of Fine Arts, Boston|Museum of Fine Arts]] in Boston.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://tfaoi.org/newsmu/nmus52.htm|title=Worcester Art Museum|website=tfaoi.org|access-date=January 1, 2014|archive-date=July 13, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140713023557/http://tfaoi.org/newsmu/nmus52.htm|url-status=live}}</ref> From 1931 to 2013, Worcester was home to the [[Higgins Armory Museum]], which was the sole museum dedicated to arms and armor in the country.<ref name=BGHigginsClose>{{cite news|last=Edgers|first=Geoff|title=Higgins Armory Museum to close|url=https://www.bostonglobe.com/arts/2013/03/08/higgins-armory-museum-close-arms-and-armor-worcester-art-museum/3Y4p45OpkfMrQxSGmlP3NP/story.html|access-date=July 31, 2013|newspaper=The Boston Globe|date=March 8, 2013|archive-date=November 13, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201113170438/https://www.bostonglobe.com/arts/2013/03/08/higgins-armory-museum-close-arms-and-armor-worcester-art-museum/3Y4p45OpkfMrQxSGmlP3NP/story.html|url-status=live}}</ref> Its collection and endowment were transferred and integrated into the Worcester Art Museum, with the collection now being shown in a new gallery which opened in 2015. The non-profit [[Veterans Inc.]] is headquartered at the southern tip of Grove Street in the historic [[Massachusetts National Guard]] Armory building.

The [[Worcester Memorial Auditorium]] is one of the most prominent buildings in the city. Built as a [[World War I]] [[war memorial]] in 1933, the multipurpose auditorium has hosted many of Worcester's most famous concerts and sporting events, and is{{when|date=April 2023}} undergoing a renovation to become a multimedia and event center.

===Religion===
[[File:Trinity Lutheran Church (Worcester, Massachusetts).jpg|thumb|Trinity Lutheran Church]]
According to the U.S. Religion Census 2020, most inhabitants of Worcester County report no religious affiliation. Following None, the largest reported religious denomination is Catholicism. The first Catholics came to Worcester in 1826. They were chiefly Irish immigrants brought to America by the builders of the Blackstone canal. As time went on and the number of Catholics increased, the community petitioned Bishop Fenwick to send them a priest. In response to this appeal, the bishop appointed the Reverend James Fitton to visit the Catholics of Worcester in 1834. A Catholic Mass was first offered in the city in an old stone building on Front Street. The foundation of Christ's Church, the first Catholic church in Worcester (now St. John's), was laid on July 6, 1834.<ref>F.P. Rice "The Worcester of 1898"</ref> The Roman Catholic Diocese of Worcester was canonically erected on January 14, 1950, by Pope Pius XII. Its territories were taken from the neighboring Diocese of Springfield. The fifth and current bishop is Robert Joseph McManus.<ref>[[Roman Catholic Diocese of Worcester]]</ref>
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|+
! colspan="6" |Religious Adherence Worcester County 2020<ref>{{Cite web |title=Congregational Membership Reports {{!}} US Religion |url=https://www.thearda.com/us-religion/census/congregational-membership?y=2020&t=0&c=25027 |access-date=2024-12-05 |website=www.thearda.com}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Congregational Membership Reports {{!}} US Religion |url=https://www.thearda.com/us-religion/census/congregational-membership?y=2010&t=0&c=25027 |access-date=2024-12-05 |website=www.thearda.com}}</ref>
|-
!'''Religion'''
!'''Number of adherents (2020)'''
!'''Percentage (2020)'''
!'''Number of adherents (2010)'''
!'''Percentage (2010)'''
!Change from 2010 to 2020
|-
|Catholic
|         278,698
|32.3%
|         306,925
|38.4%
| -9%
|-
|Evangelical Protestant  Christian
|            39,282
|4.6%
|            37,511
|4.7%
|5%
|-
|Mainline Protestant Christian
|            29,886
|3.5%
|    43,326
|5.4%
| -31%
|-
|Orthodox Christian
|               9,689
|1.1%
|               7,935
|1.0%
|22%
|-
|Islam
|               6,184
|0.7%
|                    616
|0.1%
|904%
|-
|Jehovah's Witnesses
|               5,726
|0.7%
|
|0.0%
|n/a
|-
|Buddhism
|               4,080
|0.5%
|               7,051
|0.9%
| -42%
|-
|Judaism
|               3,269
|0.4%
|               4,068
|0.5%
| -20%
|-
|Hinduism
|               2,924
|0.3%
|               1,151
|0.1%
|154%
|-
|Latter-day Saints
|               2,856
|0.3%
|               2,772
|0.3%
|3%
|-
|Unitarian Universalist
|               2,325
|0.3%
|               3,068
|0.4%
| -24%
|-
|Black Protestant
|               1,172
|0.1%
|                    497
|0.1%
|136%
|-
|Baha'i
|                    205
|0.0%
|                    190
|0.0%
|8%
|-
|Zoroastrian
|
|
|                       15
|0.0%
| -100%
|-
|None
|         475,815
|55.2%
|         383,427
|48.0%
|24%
|}
The Unitarian-Universalist Church of Worcester was founded in 1841.
Worcester's Greek Orthodox Cathedral, St. Spyridon, was founded in 1924.

The [https://isgw.us/ Islamic Society of Greater Worcester] established Masjid Al-Arkham as the first mosque in Worcester with less than 50 congregants in 1979 at 57 Laurel Street in an abandoned church.<ref>{{Cite web |title=HISTORY |url=https://www.wicmasjid.org/history |access-date=2024-12-05 |website=WIC MOSQUE |language=en}}</ref> As the congregation grew, the size of the original mosque no longer adequately met its needs.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Our History – ISGW Mosque |url=https://isgw.us/about/our-history/ |access-date=2024-12-05 |website=isgw.us}}</ref> The community built the [[Worcester Mosque|Worcester Islamic Center, also known as the Worcester Mosque]], and moved there in 2005-07.<ref>{{Cite web |title=HISTORY |url=https://www.wicmasjid.org/history |access-date=2024-12-05 |website=WIC MOSQUE |language=en}}</ref> After a period of renovations, Masjid Al-Arkham was re-opened in 2008.

Worcester is home to three Buddhist Centers: [https://boundlessway.org/ Boundless Way Zen Temple], [https://www.facebook.com/people/Chua-Pho-Hien/100064260686600/ Chua Pho Hien], and [https://www.nebvmc.org/ New England Buddhist Vihara & Meditation Center]. 

The small [https://worcesterbahais.org/ Worcester Baha'i Community] has a long history, having been established in 1920.<ref>{{Cite web |title=The Worcester County Bahá'í Community |url=https://worcesterbahais.org/ |access-date=2024-12-05 |website=The Worcester County Bahá'í Community |language=en}}</ref> Prior to this, in 1912 'Abdu'l-Bahá, the son of Bahá'u'lláh and then leader of the Bahá'í Faith, visited the city and spoke at Clark University.<ref>{{Cite web |title=The Worcester County Bahá'í Community |url=https://worcesterbahais.org/ |access-date=2024-12-05 |website=The Worcester County Bahá'í Community |language=en}}</ref> 
[[File:Temple Emanuel Worcester 2012 2.JPG|left|thumb|[[Temple Emanuel Sinai (Worcester, Massachusetts)|Temple Emanuel Sinai]]]]
Worcester is home to a Jewish population who attend five [[Temple Emanuel Sinai (Worcester, Massachusetts)#Worcester West Side Synagogue history|synagogues]], including [[Reform Judaism|Reform]] congregation [[Temple Emanuel Sinai (Worcester, Massachusetts)|Temple Emanuel Sinai]], [[Congregation Beth Israel (Worcester, Massachusetts)|Congregation Beth Israel]], a [[Conservative Judaism|Conservative]] [[synagogue]] founded in 1924,<ref name="About us">[http://www.bethisraelworc.org/aboutus.htm About us] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090512184511/http://www.bethisraelworc.org/aboutus.htm |date=May 12, 2009 }}, Synagogue website. Accessed July 17, 2008.</ref> and [[Orthodox Judaism|Orthodox]] Congregation Tifereth Israel – Sons of Jacob ([[Chabad]]), home of Yeshiva Achei Tmimim Academy. Beth Israel and its [[rabbi]] were the subject of the book ''And They Shall be My People: An American Rabbi and His Congregation'' by [[Paul Wilkes]].
[[File:Armenian Church of Our Savior, Worcester.jpg|thumb|right|Armenian Church of Our Savior]]
The first Armenian Church in the Western Hemisphere was built in Worcester in 1890 and consecrated on January 18, 1891, as "Soorp Purgich" (Holy Savior). The current sanctuary of the congregation, now known as [[Church of Our Savior, Worcester|Armenian Church of Our Savior]], was consecrated in 1952.<ref name="DigitalWPI">{{cite web |last1=McAfee |first1=Andrew Bryce |title=Digital History Display: A Legacy for The Worcester Armenian Community |url=https://digitalcommons.wpi.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1746&context=iqp-all |website=Worcester Polytechnic Institute Digital WPI |publisher=Worcester Polytechnic Institute |access-date=10 July 2020 |date=December 2015 |archive-date=July 13, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200713105517/https://digitalcommons.wpi.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1746&context=iqp-all |url-status=live }}</ref>

Worcester is home to America's largest community of [[Mandaeans]], numbering around 2,500. Most Mandaeans in Worcester arrived as refugees from instability in [[Religion in Iraq|Iraq]] during the early 21st century.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.pri.org/stories/2016-10-06/these-iraqi-immigrants-worship-john-baptist-theyre-not-christians|title=These Iraqi immigrants revere John the Baptist, but they're not Christians|work=Public Radio International|access-date=December 15, 2017|language=en-US|archive-date=November 13, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201113170505/https://www.pri.org/stories/2016-10-06/these-iraqi-immigrants-worship-john-baptist-theyre-not-christians|url-status=live}}</ref>