The First Baptist Church of Boston is one of Back Bay’s most recognizable landmarks, standing at the southwest corner of Commonwealth Avenue and Clarendon Street. Designed by the celebrated architect Henry Hobson Richardson and completed in 1872, the Roxbury puddingstone church is an early example of his Romanesque style. Its square campanile rises high above the neighborhood and is topped by a sculpted frieze.
That frieze gives the building its enduring nickname, the “Church of the Holy Bean Blowers.” Modeled in Paris by sculptor Frederic-Auguste Bartholdi, who later created the Statue of Liberty, the figures depict the Christian sacraments, and the trumpeting angels at the corners inspired the playful nickname. The building remains an active congregation and a National Historic Landmark, and a major exterior restoration was completed in recent years. Visitors should admire the tower from the public sidewalk and check the church’s official site for service times and any interior access.
Good to know
- Designed by H. H. Richardson; completed 1872
- Frieze sculpted by Frederic-Auguste Bartholdi, designer of the Statue of Liberty
- Known locally as the “Church of the Holy Bean Blowers”
- Active congregation; check the official site before visiting the interior
Getting there
- Address: 110 Commonwealth Avenue, Boston, MA 02116 (entrance at the corner of Clarendon Street)
- Neighborhood: Back Bay
- Nearest T: Copley or Arlington (MBTA Green Line); Back Bay (Orange Line) is also within walking distance