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Everything you need to know about Zach Bryan’s planned Jack Kerouac Center in Mass.
A historic Lowell church tied to Jack Kerouac’s life could soon become a performance venue, museum, and cultural hub.
In the heart of Lowell’s historic French Canadian enclave, the St. Jean Baptiste Church — a gray stone landmark built in 1889 — has stood largely vacant since closing its doors in 1993.
Now, plans are taking shape to bring new life to the long-shuttered building while honoring novelist and poet Jack Kerouac.
After country singer Zach Bryan purchased the property in 2025, the church is set to become the Jack Kerouac Center, which will include a performance venue, recording studio, poetry spaces, and a museum dedicated to Kerouac, according to representatives of the Kerouac estate.
A historic church tied to Jack Kerouac’s life
Jack Kerouac, a Lowell native, was a central figure in the Beat Generation, a literary movement defined by nonconformity and jazz-influenced prose.
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He served as an altar boy at St. Jean Baptiste Church, where his funeral service was later held, said Jim Sampas, executor of the Kerouac estate.
The church, built to serve Lowell’s growing French-Canadian community, remained a neighborhood cornerstone well into the 20th century.
After years of vacancy, developers considered converting it into condos, Sampas said.
By 2022, preservation efforts gained urgency, said Sylvia Cunha, the estate’s director of marketing and business development.
Cunha said purchasing the building was crucial in preserving its history of Kerouac and his legacy.
Support for the site surfaced over the years, including from former Sen. Ed Kennedy, who helped secure funding for a mural on the building, Cunha said.
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Still, the estate needed a buyer to move the project forward.
How Zach Bryan got involved
In search of support, the estate turned to social media, posting an Instagram story asking for the public’s help in saving the site, Cunha said.
Zach Bryan, who followed the account, responded — and purchased the church for several million dollars, Cunha said.
Cunha and Sampas said Kerouac’s work has likely influenced Bryan’s songwriting, and Bryan has publicly expressed admiration for Kerouac — even quoting him in past social media posts.
Bryan acquired artifacts that will anchor the museum, Sampas said, including the original scroll manuscripts of Kerouac’s “On the Road” and “The Dharma Bums,” along with personal letters, bought at a Christie’s auction in New York. The “On the Road” scroll alone sold for $12 million.
“We couldn’t have gotten here without him,” Cunha said.
What the center will include
Sampas said plans for the Jack Kerouac Center include a museum dedicated to the author, as well as a restaurant, performance venue, and recording studio. The venue is expected to hold 1,200 people.
Sampas said the vision for the performance center draws inspiration from Red Rocks Park and Amphitheatre in Colorado, known for its scenic setting and reputation as a destination for performers.
“We kind of see this church as an incredible, beautiful vista,” Sampas said. “There certainly won’t be, once we’re done with it, any structure in Lowell that will be quite as amazing as this one.”
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The museum will display the Kerouac scrolls and other artifacts, which Sampas said could draw tourists.
“Having the ‘On the Road’ scroll and the ‘Dharma Bums’ scroll is really a game changer,” Sampas said. “Folks from all over the world will visit Lowell.”
“We’re going to spare no cost in making a beautiful, temperature-controlled museum that will probably be the most sound and well-built museum in the area,” he added.
The recording studio is expected to feature artists from all over the world influenced by Kerouac’s spontaneous prose — a technique that has resonated with musicians for decades, Sampas said.
Cunha said the center aims to showcase Kerouac’s lasting influence on music and culture, citing artists such as Bob Dylan, Eddie Vedder, and Madonna as among those inspired by his work.
“We’re very mindful of the things we do and the decisions that are made, because [Kerouac’s] not here to make those decisions,” she said. “You have to hope you’re making the right ones.”
Cunha also hopes the center will contribute to Lowell’s broader redevelopment.
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“When you get to Lowell, what are you going to do?” she said. “Now you can go to the Jack Kerouac Center.”
“[Kerouac’s] helping his neighborhood even all these years later,” Cunha added. “And it’s just amazing to watch that.”
What comes next
The next phase of the project is fundraising, Cunha said, with hopes of finishing the project in the next two to three years.
Organizers are working with local, state, and federal officials to secure grants and financial support, Cunha said. They have also launched a limited-edition T-shirt campaign, with proceeds going toward the renovation.
The team plans to partner this week with the Lowell Spinners, a collegiate summer baseball team in the Futures League, on additional fundraising efforts, Cunha said.
Renovating the historic structure — while making it ADA-compliant and preserving its Gothic architecture — could cost between $25 million and $30 million, Cunha said.
“That’s a lot of money. We will be partnering with everybody,” she said. “We’re going to get creative, and that’s what people can expect. Expect the unexpected.”
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