Second Church, Boston, Colonial Revival church on Beacon Street, Boston, United States.
Second Church is a Colonial Revival church building on Beacon Street in Boston, completed in 1914. Its facade is made of red brick with white trim, and a row of tall arched windows lines the exterior on both sides.
The congregation was founded in 1649, making it one of the oldest in Boston. It moved several times over the centuries before settling on Beacon Street, where the current building went up in 1914.
The congregation adopted Unitarian beliefs in the early 1800s, making it one of the first in New England to do so openly. The interior today reflects that choice through its plain, light-filled space with minimal decoration.
The church sits on Beacon Street, one of Boston's main roads, and is easy to reach on foot from the Back Bay neighborhood. Visiting during the day is a good idea, as the tall windows let in enough light to make the interior worth seeing.
The building was designed by Ralph Adams Cram, an architect known mainly for Gothic Revival churches. This Colonial Revival commission was a notable departure from his usual work, which makes the building an unusual entry in his portfolio.
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