King's Chapel in Boston, Massachusetts: A Travel Guide

The King's Chapel is not only one of the most historic churches in Boston, it has one of the most beautiful interiors in all New England. The King's Chapel was designed by Peter Harrison and dates to 1754; it served as the official Royal church of colonial administrators of Massachusetss. Located on the Freedom Trail at the corner of Tremont and School Streets, the church today is an active Unitarian church, but it is open to the public. A small donation is requested of all visitors.

When first entering the King's Chapel, a visitor is first taken by the church's elegantly fluted columns, which are topped off with beautifully hand-carved Corinthian capitals. Painted in a subdued yellow color, the columns create a warm welcoming environment.

Most visitors to the King's Chapel are surprised by the box-shaped pews. They were, historically, all individually owned by families. In winter, people would bring their own heating devices, and the high walls of the pews made it easier to keep the heat in. It also made it easier to take an unnoticed nap during a service. Each pew was decorated according to the taste of its owner. The boxes the visitor see today are original.

The King's Chapel pulpit is the one of the oldest in America. Dating to 1717, it was built for the original King's Chapel (this 1754 building is the second King's Chapel in Boston, the first dating to 1686). This type of pulpit is formally described as a "wine glass" pulpit because of its shape. The floating canopy above is not decoration, but actually a sounding board meant to amplify the voice of the minister in an era before public address systems.

The communion table and the four panels above it were all made in London specifically for the King's Chapel and date to 1696. Inscribed with the Lord's Prayer, the Ten Commandments, and the Apostles' Creed they interestingly reflect the church's Anglican history. The busts represent the church's the Unitarian history. One of the busts is of James Freeman, the first Unitarian minister in America, who served at the King's Chapel as its minister for fifty years (1785-1835).

The King's Chapel's organ is the sixth one the church has had. Its casings are a reproduction of a Bridge Organ built in London and brought to the church in 1756.

One of the highlights of the King's Chapel is the Governor's Pew. As the name implies, this was the official pew of the Royal Governors of Colonial Massachusetts. The "Governor's Chair" on display today is a copy of the one that the last royal governor, Thomas Hutchinson, used from 1771-1774. President George Washington sat in this pew in 1789 during his Presidential visit to Boston.

Covering the walls of the King's Chapel are memorials. They can be divided into three sorts, family memorials, parish memorials, and war memorials. Of all the names memorialized on the walls of King's Chapel, the only universally recognizable name is that of Boston jurist Oliver Wendell Holmes.

A visitor cannot go up into the tower of King's Chapel, but you can view the stairs the lead up to the historic bell inside the tower. It was originally cast in London in 1772, but it was fractured in 1814. Well known American patriot, Paul Revere, recast the bell in 1816. It is considered the largest bell he ever cast, and it is rung every Sunday morning.