Trinity Church (Boston)

Trinity Church in Boston is an Episcopal parish church on Copley Square in the Back Bay district, completed in 1877 and designed by architect H. H. Richardson. It is widely cited as a defining work of the Richardsonian Romanesque style and is a National Historic Landmark.

The church is noted for its heavy masonry forms, polychrome exterior and richly decorated interior, including stained glass and murals by late 19th-century artists. Architectural scholars and visitors come specifically to study the building’s influence on American architecture and to view its interior artwork.

Commissioned and built in the 1870s to serve a prominent urban parish, the current building replaced an earlier Trinity Church on the site; it quickly became influential and widely praised after completion. The church has been maintained and conserved as an architectural monument as well as an active parish.

Trinity Church sits at the southern edge of Copley Square in Boston’s Back Bay, opposite the Boston Public Library. The site is centrally located and easily reached by public transit.

• Architectural significance: Designed by H. H. Richardson and completed in 1877, it is a landmark example of Richardsonian Romanesque architecture.
• Location advantage: Located on Copley Square, adjacent to the Boston Public Library and other Back Bay landmarks, making it easy to visit in a city walking tour.