You will not miss the 246 foot (75 meters) tall campanile (bell tower) of the New Old South Church when you are in the Copley Square area. The other significant church – Trinity Church is on the other side of the Copley Square. These two different styles of architecture represent the variety of creativity of the country. Enjoying the Gothic Revival style of the Old South Church and the Richardsonian Romanesque style of the Trinity Church at the same time is quite an experience.
The original Old South Church on Washington Street is now the Old South Meeting House. The Great Fire of Boston of 1872 prompted the congregation to build the “new” Old South Church at the present location.
The church was completed in 1875, but the tall campanile was dismantled in 1931 due to uneven settlement in the soft swampland. The current campanile was rebuilt. It is higher than the original one. Both the church and the campanile were similar to those at the Piazza San Marco in Venice, Italy. The Old South Church in Boston remains one of the most significant examples of Ruskin's influence on American architecture.
In the past 100 plus years, the Old South Church went through many major redecorations which have changed the original taste. Until 1984, a research driven restoration was begun and finally gave the church its original decoration based on the design by Charles Amos Cummings and Willard T. Sears. We are lucky that the Old South Church looks just like it was originally opened in 1875. The interior consists of an attractive assemblage of dark woods sitting next to a rose color backdrop together with fifteenth-century English style stained glass windows.
The original Old South Church on Washington Street is now the Old South Meeting House. The Great Fire of Boston of 1872 prompted the congregation to build the “new” Old South Church at the present location.
The church was completed in 1875, but the tall campanile was dismantled in 1931 due to uneven settlement in the soft swampland. The current campanile was rebuilt. It is higher than the original one. Both the church and the campanile were similar to those at the Piazza San Marco in Venice, Italy. The Old South Church in Boston remains one of the most significant examples of Ruskin's influence on American architecture.
In the past 100 plus years, the Old South Church went through many major redecorations which have changed the original taste. Until 1984, a research driven restoration was begun and finally gave the church its original decoration based on the design by Charles Amos Cummings and Willard T. Sears. We are lucky that the Old South Church looks just like it was originally opened in 1875. The interior consists of an attractive assemblage of dark woods sitting next to a rose color backdrop together with fifteenth-century English style stained glass windows.
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James Huang - All rights reserved.
this is spectacular ! nice photo
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