Two Churches by H. H. Richardson in Boston

Henry Hobson Richardson is, without argument, one of the most important architects in American history, and in Boston, Massachusetts, there are two of his most historically significant churches, the Trinity Church on Copley Square and the nearby First Baptist Church.

Trinity Church
The Trinity is, without a doubt, one of the most outstanding pieces of architecture in America. Consecrated in 1877 after eight arduous years of construction, the Trinity was as much an engineering marvel as an architectural one and made its architect, Henry Hobson Richardson, an overnight super-star. Widely considered to be the first truly original piece of American architecture, the Trinity does find a point a reference in the pre-Gothic, Romanesque architecture of Spain (the red tiles are not the most important, but they are the most obvious example). Of particular note is the massive tower, centrally placed on a cruciform building and supported by interior barrel vaulting. Beneath the church, there are approximately 4500 wooden pilings, which make up the basic foundation of the building, which is, to this day, "swimming" in the Back Bay. (The church is constructed on landfill, and the pilings must be kept in water in order to preserve their structural integrity.) The best viewing of the tower can be seen next door, in the reflective glass of the 60 story Hancock Tower.

First Baptist Church (Brattle Square Unitarian Society)
For many, many years, the Brattle Square (located where today's City Hall is) Unitarian Society debated a proposed relocation to the Back Bay. By the mid-19th Century, the Brattle Square neighborhood had become more than a bit unseemly, and the Minister was in a state of constant complaint at having to live in the nearby parish house. And so, it was with great reluctance that the congregation finally voted to abandon their beloved historic colonial 1712 meeting house and "modernize" their spiritual accommodations. Brattle Square, being one of the wealthiest congregations in Boston, hired a young, but clearly upcoming architect to build for them a church worthy of their stature as being the leading citizens of Boston. The architect's name was Henry Hobson Richardson. He had, by 1870, yet to achieve the national acclaim that the Trinity would bring, but still, Richardson had, at the time, what we, today, would call "buzz." Of particular note is the rose window on the north wall and, of course, the campanile tower, which includes a frieze near its top designed by Statue of Liberty sculptor, Frederic Auguste Bartholdi. Depicting the sacraments, the subjects of the frieze, according to popular legend, include the faces of popular 19th century locals such as Longfellow, Emerson, Hawthorne, and Sumner. Such legend, of course, is fatuous and cannot be made true by repeated telling. Of much interest is the fact that this very wealthy congregation, yes, debilitated by the Depression of 1872, was still wealthy enough to make the move to the Back Bay a successful one. Yet, something, some feeling of nostalgia, ultimately eroded the congregants need to stay together. Few appreciated the role that the simple Colonial church building played in keeping these people together until that building was torn down. Ultimately, the members of the Brattle Square Society dispersed and found religious homes elsewhere. The consecrated, yet still incomplete, church in the Back Bay was shuttered and abandoned. The Brattle Square Society ceased operation. In 1881, the property was purchased by the 1st Baptist Church.