Art and Architecture
Architecture
Trinity Church was the first major work of Henry Hobson Richardson, and the building established the “Richardsonian Romanesque” architectural style, which strongly influenced public buildings of the late 19th century. Richardson was inspired by the European churches he saw that were built in the early medieval period called Romanesque, and also by Byzantine architecture.
Trinity Church was the first major work of Henry Hobson Richardson, and the building established the “Richardsonian Romanesque” arch
Trinity Church was the first major work of Henry Hobson Richardson, and the building established the “Richardsonian Romanesque” architectural style, which strongly influenced public buildings of the late 19th century. Richardson was inspired by the European churches he saw that were built in the early medieval period called Romanesque, and also by Byzantine architecture.
The building was created by four men in their 30s—the rector, Phillips Brooks; the architect, H. H. Richardson; the master builder, O. W.
The floor plan of the church approximates a Greek Cross, with near equal legs projecting out from the center which sits below the grand tower. The goals were to provide a feeling of openness, and to ensure that everyone could hear and see the preacher, without having their view obstructed by columns.
The floor plan of the church approximates a Greek Cross, with near equal legs projecting out from the center which sits below the grand tower...
The floor plan of the church approximates a Greek Cross, with near equal legs projecting out from the center which sits below the grand tower. The goals were to provide a feeling of openness, and to ensure that everyone could hear and see the preacher, without having their view obstructed by columns.
The property on which Trinity stands—along with the rest of the Back Bay area—is landfill. To keep the stout granite and sandstone building that anchors Copley Square from sinking below the high water table, the church foundation is supported by thousands of vertical wooden pilings. The property on which Trinity stands—along with the rest of the Back Bay area—is landfill. To keep the stout granite and sandstone building that anchors Copley Square from sinking below the high water table, the church foundation is supported by thousands of vertical wooden pilings. (Source: Trinity Church guidebook)
The property on which Trinity stands—along with the rest of the Back Bay area—is landfill.
The property on which Trinity stands—along with the rest of the Back Bay area—is landfill. To keep the stout granite and sandstone building that anchors Copley Square from sinking below the high water table, the church foundation is supported by thousands of vertical wooden pilings. The property on which Trinity stands—along with the rest of the Back Bay area—is landfill. To keep the stout granite and sandstone building that anchors Copley Square from sinking below the high water table, the church foundation is supported by thousands of vertical wooden pilings. (Source: Trinity Church guidebook)
The West Porch, the main entrance off of Copley Square, was added to the church nearly 20 years after the building was completed by Shepley, Rutan & Coolidge. John Evans, Hugh Cairns, and M. Domingo Mora sculpted the frieze that features great leaders in Christian history, and scenes from the life of Jesus.
The West Porch, the main entrance off of Copley Square, was added to the church nearly 20 years after the building was completed by Shepley,...
The West Porch, the main entrance off of Copley Square, was added to the church nearly 20 years after the building was completed by Shepley, Rutan & Coolidge. John Evans, Hugh Cairns, and M. Domingo Mora sculpted the frieze that features great leaders in Christian history, and scenes from the life of Jesus.
More than 21,500 square feet of the interior is covered with painted decoration and murals, completed. Nearly all of it was executed in only five months over the winter of 1876-1877, before there was heat in the building. John La Farge was assisted with the figural and ornamental work by a team of six-to-eight artists, including Augustus Saint-Gaudens and Francis Millet who would become known in their own right. All their names are included over east tower arch.
More than 21,500 square feet of the interior is covered with painted decoration and murals, completed.
More than 21,500 square feet of the interior is covered with painted decoration and murals, completed. Nearly all of it was executed in only five months over the winter of 1876-1877, before there was heat in the building. John La Farge was assisted with the figural and ornamental work by a team of six-to-eight artists, including Augustus Saint-Gaudens and Francis Millet who would become known in their own right. All their names are included over east tower arch.
The décor and design of the chancel has changed over the years.
There are many sculptures of Phillips Brooks in and around Trinity Church, the most prominent being the free-standing monument on the north side of the church facing Boylston Street. Designed by Augustus Saint Gaudens, the statue represents Brooks preaching under the inspirational hand of Jesus. (1910)
There are many sculptures of Phillips Brooks in and around Trinity Church, the most prominent being the free-standing monument on the north...
There are many sculptures of Phillips Brooks in and around Trinity Church, the most prominent being the free-standing monument on the north side of the church facing Boylston Street. Designed by Augustus Saint Gaudens, the statue represents Brooks preaching under the inspirational hand of Jesus. (1910)
Windows and Other Arts
Trinity’s magnificent stained glass collection is one of the finest in the nation, with examples from most of the major American and Europ
Between 1883 and 1902, John La Farge created five windows for the church, now considered among the most famous of American stained glass of the time. For his majestic tripartite masterpiece, Christ Preaching, that rises over the west end of the nave, La Farge created a dazzling three-dimensional surface of half-globes of glass in multiple tones of blues to surround the figure of Christ. (Source: Trinity Church guidebook)
Between 1883 and 1902, John La Farge created five windows for the church, now considered among the most famous of American stained glass of the...
Between 1883 and 1902, John La Farge created five windows for the church, now considered among the most famous of American stained glass of the time. For his majestic tripartite masterpiece, Christ Preaching, that rises over the west end of the nave, La Farge created a dazzling three-dimensional surface of half-globes of glass in multiple tones of blues to surround the figure of Christ. (Source: Trinity Church guidebook)
La Farge created a completely new and inventive construction method of layering both colored and opalescent glass, set within a structure of lead lines that defined and accentuated the forms. He pioneered the use of opalescent glass (for which he received the first patent for its use in windows) to create soft color transitions. (Source: Trinity Church guidebook)
La Farge created a completely new and inventive construction method of layering both colored and opalescent glass, set within a structure of...
La Farge created a completely new and inventive construction method of layering both colored and opalescent glass, set within a structure of lead lines that defined and accentuated the forms. He pioneered the use of opalescent glass (for which he received the first patent for its use in windows) to create soft color transitions. (Source: Trinity Church guidebook)
Four windows are by the English Pre-Raphaelites, Edward Burne-Jones and William Morris.
Trinity is notable for the inclusion of pieces by two Boston-based Arts and Crafts designers, both women, Sarah Wyman Whitman and Margaret Redmond. Whitman created the Phillips Brooks commemorative window in Trinity’s parish house, and designed the carpet for the center aisle of the sanctuary. The current carpet is a recent replication of her original design.
Trinity is notable for the inclusion of pieces by two Boston-based Arts and Crafts designers, both women, Sarah Wyman Whitman and Margaret...
Trinity is notable for the inclusion of pieces by two Boston-based Arts and Crafts designers, both women, Sarah Wyman Whitman and Margaret Redmond. Whitman created the Phillips Brooks commemorative window in Trinity’s parish house, and designed the carpet for the center aisle of the sanctuary. The current carpet is a recent replication of her original design.
Margaret Redmond, a student of William Morris Hunt and an admirer of La Farge, is the only woman stained glass designer to have work represented in the church’s sanctuary. Her work includes a large figural window on the north wall, and four smaller windows depicting the Apostles and Evangelists (1927). (Source: Trinity Church guidebook)
Margaret Redmond, a student of William Morris Hunt and an admirer of La Farge, is the only woman stained glass designer to have work...
Margaret Redmond, a student of William Morris Hunt and an admirer of La Farge, is the only woman stained glass designer to have work represented in the church’s sanctuary. Her work includes a large figural window on the north wall, and four smaller windows depicting the Apostles and Evangelists (1927). (Source: Trinity Church guidebook)
One of America’s top 10 buildings, our building has long been considered a masterpiece of American architecture.
A hundred years ago, and again in the late 20th century, the American Association of Architects named Trinity Church Boston one of the most significant buildings in the country. At the time of its inception and dedication in the 1870s, it was a bold experiment in construction on marshland in Boston's Back Bay neighborhood. Heralded for its new face and feeling for ecclesiastical architecture in America, the building is a celebrated example of "Richardsonian Romanesque" design, named after its architect, H. H. Richardson.
Everything about the historic building—from its elaborately carved exterior to its stained-glass windows, colorful mosaics, La Farge wall murals, and needle-worked kneelers—proclaims the Gospel. Despite its renowned artistry and architecture, Trinity Church is not a museum. Rather, it is a sacred place of worship and service where a vibrant community of faithful Christians and visitors gather on a daily basis.
Housing a Bold Spirit**
It was not merely form, history, and purpose that guided Richardson’s approach to the building’s design, but his spirit as well. Richardson ultimately sought to give architectural form to the spellbinding preaching of his friend Phillips Brooks, Trinity's Rector at the time of the building’s design and construction. Richardson scrapped his first sketches, which called for a classic design typical of Gothic Revival Episcopal churches of the time, and, instead, sketched an unconventional Greek cross plan, with chancel, nave, and transepts of equal size grouped around a central square.
This approach represented a radical departure for American ecclesiastical design. It presented an inclusive, open auditorium plan closer in spirit to the emerging needs of democratic contemporary American congregational practice, than to the hierarchical, conventional Episcopal designs and worship practices of the day. The design of Trinity Church reflects the democratic American spirit evident in town halls, railroad stations, libraries, court houses, and homes across this country. Though Richardson attributed his inspiration for the building to France’s 11th-century Romanesque churches, he called Trinity a “free rendering” of those sources.
**Excerpted from James F. O'Gorman, "The Makers of Trinity Church in the City of Boston" (University of Massachusetts Press, 2004).
Recommended Resources:
"Trinity Church, 2016" (guidebook available at the Welcome Center)
"The Makers of Trinity Church" (Buy on AmazonSmile)
