Trinity Church
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In 1870, the parish of Trinity Church voted to relocate to the Back Bay area of Boston which was then becoming a prestigious area of the city. A competition for the design of their new church and parish house was won by H. H. Richardson in 1872. Construction of the building began in 1873 and was completed in 1877.
Modifications were made between 1894 and 1897. By this time Richardson had passed away and the work was completed by Richardson's successors: Shepley, Rutan and Coolidge. This firm designed new tower cappings and a porch for the western side of the building. (The towers had been damaged by fire in 1886, and Richardson's design for a porch had never been fully completed.)
The building consists of a modified Greek Cross plan church with a massive central tower, and a parish house to the left rear. The parish house connects to the church by a colonnaded cloister. The material of the building's walls is granite trimmed with Longmeadow brownstone and freestone. 4500 wooden piles support the building's foundation. These were required because of the Back Bay's aqueous soil was not firm enough to support the building's weight.
Trinity Church is considered a masterpiece of the Romanesque style and did much to establish Richardson's reputation as an architect, as well as the Richardson Romanesque style which became very popular in the United States and in Europe. In 1885 an American Architect & Building News poll of architects resulted in Trinity Church being named the most important building in the United States. It is still included in the American Institute of Architect's list of the top 150 buildings in America. It was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1970.
The church is still used by the Episcopal Diocese of Massachusetts and services are given regularly. Tourists are welcome to tour the interior of the building for a fee. Unfortunately, the very nearby John Hancock Tower overshadows the church and diminshes its presence to a certain degree.
Location
206 Clarendon Street
Boston, MA 02116
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