Greeks of Worcester

Half a century after declaring its independence from the Ottoman Empire in 1821, Greece was an impoverished nation-state ruled by a Danish prince. By the end of the 19th century, the people of Greece were emigrating to escape war, political strife, and poverty. Greeks started arriving in Worcester in the 1890s, mainly from the Peloponnesus, with subsequent arrivals coming from Northern Greece in the early 20th century. With the official establishment of a Greek Orthodox community (later named after St. Spyridon) in Worcester in 1914, Greeks built robust religious, civic, fraternal, and philanthropic organizations in the city. They went on to establish themselves as leaders in business, education, law, and politics. Greeks of Worcester celebrates the rich history of this community through images, tracing its history from the patrida to the United States through war, persecution, and economic hardship.