Trinity Church and John Hancock Skyscraper in Copley Square essays

Trinity Church and John Hancock Skyscraper in Copley Square essays Copley Square in Boston is a historic landmark of Boston, Massachusetts, that remains to be one of the defining features of the city, both due to its historical and architectural significance, but also in part because of its unique open-space setup filled with trees, flowers, and grass. The incredible architecture of Copley Square that spans the style and history of many decades, combined with the park-like atmosphere of the plant life, is able to transport any visitor to a different state of mind, and it serves as a great escape from the dark alleys and traffic pollution of Boston. One of the fascinating things about the Copley Square area is that it was once a tidal marsh unable to support any buildings until the Back Bay was filled. (Wieneke.) Two of the defining landmarks of Copley Square are the Trinity Church and the John Hancock skyscraper. The original Trinity Church in Boston was was built by John Indicott in the 1700's. (Norton) However, in 1860 the Vestry voted to move the church to a new location. In January of 1872, a 24,800 square foot plot of land was purchased in Boston, having been carefully chosen as the site for the church, and soon after committee meetings began to review architectural plans for the building. Gambrill and Richardson, a firm of H. H. Richardson, was commissioned to design the church. Additional funds were set aside for the building, allowing for an additional plot of land to be purchased, adding nearly 15,000 feet to the original plan. The church is surrounded on all sides by streets, not other buildings which would restrict the view of the church. In April of 1873, engineers began driving wooden pilings, most of which were completed from July to September of this year. However, the Vestry became discouraged by the building cost estimates ranging from a soaring $355,000 to $640,000 and they halted work on the building unt...