Look up into the tower, which soars 103 feet above your head. Allow your eyes to travel slowly down the sides of the tower and you’ll see colorful painted decoration on a warm, red background. Notice the four huge arches banded in gold at the base of the tower, and six monumental Biblical figures, each 18 feet tall. Starting on your left you’ll see David holding a small harp, and on the other side of the arch Moses carrying the tablets of the Ten Commandments. Directly in front of you are Saint Peter, who’s holding a key, and Saint Paul preaching. And to your right are the Old Testament prophets Isaiah and Jeremiah. The artist, LaFarge, painted with a very durable wax-based material, called encaustic. That’s one of the reasons these murals have been so well preserved over the more than 140 years since they were painted. You might be surprised to learn that LaFarge used only a limited number of colors to create these vibrant murals. It’s hard to believe, but this young painter, and his team of six other artists and a general painting contractor accomplished most of this decorative work in a little more than four months! Working through a cold Boston winter, in an unheated church, and with a very small budget, LaFarge and his team worked at a feverish pace to complete the work in time for the church consecration in February of 1877. Even though the whole decorative program was produced under intense time pressure, this amazing artistic accomplishment was received with wide acclaim. The decorative program at Trinity Church initiated a movement embracing large-scale public art in the United States. Have you wondered about the dark wooded beams in the arches? Press the A button, to find out about the beams. Or to hear about the kneelers under the pews, which are decorated with needlepoint, press the B button on your player, now. The dark wood beams are actually trusses. They’re shaped like upside-down letter T’s, and span each of the arches to provide extra stability. Inside the wooden beams are iron bars –– which are the only original structural metal in the entire building. They’re original to the building design and are typical of Richardson interiors. To hear about the kneelers decorated with needlepoint, press the B button on your player, now. These kneelers are gifts to the church. They’re an important part of a program begun in the 1960s as a way for parishioners to commemorate the people and important events in their own lives and the life of the congregation. You can find kneelers made for milestones such as births, baptisms, weddings, anniversaries, ordinations, and for individuals including parishioners, church staff, clergy, artists, and architects . . . there’s even a kneeler for the church cat, Mr. Brooks! Each kneeler is unique in its design. There’s a team of talented parishioners who stitch these small, colorful works of art for the church.

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