Hello and welcome to Trinity Church in the City of Boston. On behalf of our entire church community, we’d like to welcome you to this audio tour. It’s our pleasure and privilege to introduce you to a building that’s both our parish home and one of the true gems of nineteenth-century American architecture. Trinity is a National Historic Landmark, a designation by the United States Park Service that marks its significance not only to Boston, but to the entire nation. The American Institute of Architects has ranked Trinity Church among the top ten buildings in the country. And PBS, the American public broadcasting system, included Trinity in its 2013 program called Ten Buildings that Changed America. In our time together today, we’ll explore why this building is so significant in American art and architecture. With the building of this church, a new architectural style was created. It was an American style, a bold, New-World re-expression of an early-medieval form. The style came to be called Richardsonian Romanesque, named after the young, French-trained architect, Henry Hobson Richardson. Richardson developed a robust new style that became widely popular for a generation. The style launched Richardson’s career as America’s foremost architect of the nineteenth century. The interior of Trinity Church was also groundbreaking. In a moment, you’ll see its opulent, color-saturated decorative painting and figural mural work created by the artist John LaFarge. You’ll also see the remarkable collection of stained-glass windows from nine of the finest American and European studios of the day, including several with revolutionary innovations that transformed the stained-glass art form. Along the way, we will share some of Trinity’s rich history, which now spans close to three centuries. Look for the audio guide identifiers as you move through the church. You’re welcome to stand or sit in the pews during the tour, and you’re free to take photographs. Now, let’s begin the tour by moving inside the church through the center doors.