Boston Back Bay Architecture Walking Tour

Boston Back Bay Architecture Walking TourBoston’s Copley Square in Back Bay has the most diverse architectural landmarks in the city. An extensive landfill project began in 1857 and completed in 1882 to fill in 700 acres of the bay. The Boston peninsula doubled in size and an elegant 19th-century French-inspired residential area emerged.

Copley Square was named after portrait painter John Singleton Copley. The urban space was once shaped like a triangle. There was no strict developmental plans until 1883. The City of Boston acquired parcels of land to detract developers from building offices and shops that would obscure views of the Boston Public Library and Trinity Church.

The must-see iconic architectural landmarks in Copley Square are:

• Boston Public Library – McKim Building – 1895
• Trinity Church – 1877
• 200 Clarendon(formerly the John Hancock Tower) – 1976
• Fairmont Copley Plaza – 1912
• Old South Church – 1873

See these buildings and more on an architectural tour of Boston with PhotoWalks!