Trolley Stop 18: Boylston St & Clarendon

• Trinity Church
• The Church of the Covenant
• Arlington Street Church
• Old South Church

Boston has long been home to a number of religious traditions and these wonderful old churches from the 18th and 19th centuries bear witness both to Boston’s religious roots and its architectural variety and splendor.

Trinity Church

Trinity is located in Copley Square, just a stone’s throw from the John Hancock Tower, and dates from the early 1700s. Like the rest of Boston’s Back Bay, the church sits on filled land. Approximately 4,500 wooden piles rest in 30 feet of mud, gravel, and silt, atop of which stands this architecturally unique building.

Trinity is the only church honored as one of the ten most significant buildings in the United States by the American Institute of Architects. In the late 1800s, architects even voted Trinity Church the most important building in the United States!

The Church of the Covenant

In contrast to Trinity, the Church of the Covenant dates from the later 1800s and offers a more Gothic architectural presentation. This style was more suited to the changing tastes of the era and its soaring steeple was considered by some to be a perfect complement to the aspirations of the city at that time.

Arlington Street Church

The Arlington Street Church was founded in the earlier 1700s, though the building dates from 1861. It offers a variety of unique features, including a sanctuary modeled after a church in Genoa, Italy, and stained glass windows created by the studios of Louis C. Tiffany. In 2004, the Arlington Street Church became the first in the nation to perform a state-sanctioned same-sex marriage.

Old South Church

The Old South Church features a tall tower visible from several points around the city. This Venetian Gothic style building dates from the later 1800s and is on the National Register of Historic Places, as are several of our destinations.