Boston's Old South Church: Crossroads of Yankee History and Protestant Faith

Stoically standing on the corner of Boylston and Dartmouth Streets nestled in Boston's historic Copley Square is the Old South Church. The Back Bay landmark is a mammoth structure of Northern Italian Gothic architecture. As a college student in Boston, I attended services in the main sanctuary of Old South Church and my parents were married in the distinguished Gordon Chapel adjacent to the sanctuary. This majestic cathedral is not just a notable place of worship but a building with great architectural richness.

Today, the Old South Church marks the finish line of the Boston Marathon. Across the street are two other architectural gems, the Boston Public Library and Trinity Church. Old South Church and her neighboring landmarks are all accessible by the MBTA subway at Copley Station.

History
The Back Bay location of Old South Church isn't it's original home. The first congregation came together in 1669, less than forty years after Puritan settlers incorporated Boston. Twenty-eight lay members of the First Church in Boston seceded to form the Third Church, which is known today as the Old South Church. Unlike the First and Second Church, Old South church concluded that deviating from the Halfway Covenant of 1662 was erroneous. While the First and Second Church thought all adults must undergo a born-again experience, the Old South Congregation disagreed in accordance with the Halfway Covenant.

Notable Americans had ties to Old South Church, too. In 1706 Benjamin Franklin was baptized into the Old South Church. And in 1773 Samuel Adams gave the signal to commence the Boston Tea Party at the Old South Meeting House. The membership also laid claim to William Dawes, Paul Revere's partner, and Elizabeth Vergoose, the author thought to be the legendary Mother Goose.

Architecture
The Old South Church we know today is the design of Boston architectural firm Cummings and Sears, who also designed the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum. Cummings and Sears used the theory of architectural critic John Ruskin as their guide. After three years of construction the church was finally completed in 1875. Unlike the traditionally sparse design of New England's Congregational churches, the Old South Church is ornately adorned with arches, rose-colored sandstone and ornate ironwork. The existing bell tower is not the original. The original, built in 1875, began to list in the early 1920s. It had been rebuilt by 1931 and stands 246 feet tall, housing a bell that weighs more than 2,000 pounds. In 1905 Louis Comfort Tiffany was hired to redecorate the interior church with a team of artisans. Sadly, another redecorating project took place in the 1950s returning the sanctuary to its more minimalist roots. Tiffany's stenciling and painted embellishments were covered over in gray paint and his glasswork was removed. Another redecorating effort took place in 1985 which brought back the Cummings and Sears color schemes and stenciling.

Today
Today's Old South Church embraces modern technology and culture. Sermons are available for download as podcasts. The staff has branched out from traditional services to include jazz and hip-hop fusion services. Groups for worshipers in their twenties, thirties and a group for their gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender worshipers meet regularly. Their website features spectacular photos and virtual tours of the cathedral and Old South facilities.

Old South Church has always been a hub of Boston activity and continues to be today. The staff is always willing to show off the beauty of their church to people who step in off the street. It is certainly worth a look on any visit to Boston.