Country Singer Zach Bryan Buys Historic Massachusetts Church to Honor American Novelist

The 29-year-old country singer purchased the former St. Jean Baptiste Church, which will be turned into the Jack Kerouac Center.

Zach Bryan performs at The Chelsea at The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas in Las Vegas on Feb. 9, 2024. Mindy Small/Getty Images

Country singer Zach Bryan has bought a historic church in Lowell, Massachusetts, to honor the legacy of the late Jack Kerouac, a novelist and poet who was born and raised in the New England community.

Bryan, 29, briefly shared the news with his Instagram followers on Tuesday while reflecting on his recent road trip across the country.

“Coast to coast in eleven days, approximately one church bought,” he wrote in part. “Now cutting up towards Seattle. About time we head out west.”

The Grammy Award-winning artist acquired the former St. Jean Baptiste Church from TMI Property Management & Development’s owner, Brian McGowan, for nearly $3.5 million, The Lowell Sun reported.

The deal was made in partnership with the Jack Kerouac Estate, who plan to convert the more than 20,000-square-foot building into the Jack Kerouac Center, a cultural hub for live music, various exhibits, and community events.

“Bryan’s involvement marks a turning point, bringing vital funding and renewed energy to the years-old project, initially stalled amid funding issues,” the estate shared in a press release earlier this month.

“The collaboration between Bryan and the Jack Kerouac Estate marks a significant step toward honoring the legacy of one of America’s most iconic writers while fostering creativity in the heart of Kerouac’s hometown.”

Built in 1890, St. Jean Baptiste Church was a landmark in the city of Lowell, which lies about 30 miles northwest of Boston.

Growing up, Kerouac served as an altar boy in the church, where his funeral service was held decades ago. The author died in October 1969 at the age of 47 from an internal hemorrhage caused by cirrhosis of the liver.

Kerouac was best known for his 1957 book “On the Road,” which was the inspiration for Bryan’s 2022 single “Burn, Burn, Burn.”

In a statement, Sylvia Cunha, a marketing and business leader with the Jack Kerouac Estate, said the deal had been in the works for several months.

“Zach reached out in October, and right from the start, it was clear he shared our passion for honoring Jack’s legacy while also creating a dynamic, creative space,” Cunha shared. “He stepped up and delivered in a big way, showing incredible generosity.

“Our immediate focus is to bring the building up to code so we can start using the space for music and other events while forming new partnerships to help us bring this vision to life and ensure its lasting success.”