Copley Square

Yesterday morning we went to the Back Bay for a walking tour and had such a great time! It didn't hurt that the weather was beautiful and we didn't get lost at all (the streets in Back Bay, it being a "planned community", are laid out like a grid, unlike the rest of Boston and Cambridge whose streets seem to be little-more than the paved paths of colonial livestock).

We started at Copley Square. Here are some pics of the highlights:

The first and most modern building that you can't miss is the John Hancock Tower. According to my guide book, it is the tallest building in New England (I guess that doesn't include New York City). It was built in the 1970s and soon after it was finished the glass pane windows started popping off whenever it was windy. I read that it was due to unanticipated torque on the building and that the problem had been fixed since, but still, I was glad it wasn't windy yesterday!



The next building you notice is the Trinity Church which was built in 1877 and supposedly (according to our Duck Tour Guide from last week) has a pipe organ inside with over 11,000 pipes!


We didn't take the time to go inside, but here is a picture of the main sanctuary:


Next up on the square is the Boston Public Library which the first public library in the country and is still the largest one. The "limit" on how many books you can check out at one time is the same as it was when it opened in 1887: 75!


Here's a neat picture of the inside:

The last building on the square is the "New" Old South Church, built in 1875... it was very Gothic in style what with the spires, dome, and colored bricks:

Ellie had fun playing on the steps of the fountain...



... and on the Tortoise and the Hare sculptures that were placed to honor the Boston Marathon runners at the 100 year anniversary of the race in 1996 (the finish-line for the race is across the street from Copley Square).


A view down the street where the Marathon ends:

More pics to follow of the rest of our day in Back Bay...