The Jack Kerouac Foundation was formed in early 2022 to pursue funding for the establishment of a Jack Kerouac Museum, Performance, and Education Center in 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 proposed Jack Kero
uac Center is dedicated to furthering the legacy of iconic American author Jack Kerouac by showcasing the cultural impact he's had throughout the world. Our aim is to offer exhibits, performances, educational programs, lectures, and serve as an anchor to the revitalization of the Acre section of Lowell, Massachusetts. 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, had considered making the church living spaces but has expressed openness to selling the building to be used to honor Lowell’s native son.
