The first Armenian church in the Western Hemisphere was built in Worcester in 1891. This original building was designed by
Stephen C. Earle, a leading regional architect. The Armenian diocese of America was established in 1898. The first Armenian Evangelical Church was also built in Worcester in 1901. The original 1891 building was abandoned due to "various ongoing problems." The church was renovated extensively in 2005. The 2002 book
Memory fragments from the Armenian genocide claimed that "the construction of the small church gave the Armenians of Worcester a measure of respect from the larger community not previously given. One man recalled that his father was no longer beaten at the wire mill after the church was built." The old church on Laurel Street was sold and is now the Russian Orthodox Church of the Holy Resurrection. ==See also==