Trinity’s amazing architecture has made it the only church to make the American Institute of Architect’s (AIA) “Ten Most Significant Buildings in the United States” list every year since 1885.
Trinity church was designed by Henry Hobson (sometimes referred to as HH) Richardson in 1877 as a replacement for the former church which burned down in the Great Boston Fire of 1872. Luckily for fans of this architectural marvel, Mr. Richardson was unable to pursue a desired career in the military earlier in his life after he was denied admission to West Point. Instead, he attended Harvard to focus on a career in engineering.
His architectural style (well demonstrated here) is described as a combination of High Victorian Gothic and/or Romanesque, which Richardson actually combined into a unique style which inherited his name.
Trinity is best known for its rough red/brown granite and sandstone exterior. It features 1 large square central tower surrounded by 2 smaller towers on the left and right, each of topping via a cone-shaped peak. The main tower is said to weight some 90 million pounds and was actually supposed to be more extravagant and tall, however, due to the fact that the church is built upon the soft lands of what was formerly a mud flat, designers were limited in this regards. In order to support the church it had to be built upon 4500 wooden piles.
When the church first opened in 1877, only 1 stained glass window was installed within the entire structure due to high costs. As additional funds were able to be raised, plain windows were replaced with stained glass. In less than a year, almost 2/3 of the planned spaces were filled (20 of 33 designated locales).
The church’s beautiful and picturesque nature has led it to become “the” hot locale for young brides in waiting. The waiting list is supposedly so long that women have signed up “in anticipation” of meeting that special someone prior to their selected date.
INFO
- Website: trinitychurchboston.org
- Address: 206 Clarendon Street, Boston, MA
- Cost: Tours are $6 for adults (guided or self-guided) and free for children under 16
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