Designed by architect Alexander Rice Esty and constructed in 1861, it was the first building completed on Newbury Street in Boston's newly filled Back Bay. In 1899, Frederic Crowninshield designed its sanctuary's centerpiece window, in which the allegorical figure Piety, from John Bunyan's The Pilgrim's Progress, points the way to Emmanuel's Land.
Emmanuel's Land Window depicts a scene from John Bunyan's Pilgrim's Progress
The Leslie Lindsey Memorial Chapel, consecrated in 1924, is considered one of the architectural gems of Boston. An all-encompassing product of and testimony to the artistry of Ninian Comper, the work comprises a decorative scheme for the chapel designed by the architectural firm of Allen & Collens. Comper designed its altar, altar screen, pulpit, lectern, dozens of statues, all its furnishings and appointments, and most notably the stained glass windows. The finest Gothic-revival style craftsmen were engaged for the project under the direction of Campbell & Aldrich of Boston. The chapel memorializes Leslie Lindsey and her husband of ten days Stewart Mason, who were married at Emmanuel Church and perished when the Lusitania was torpedoed in 1915. In 1966, the Back Bay historic district was established, protecting any building within its boundaries from exterior changes, including this building.
It has a cooperative, interfaith partnership with the Jewish Central Reform Temple, with which it shares the building. The clergy from the two congregations regularly offer sermons for each other's congregations, and members are invited to attend the other congregation's services.
Puppet Free Library
The church also houses the Puppet Free Library founded by Sara Peattie and the church's rector in the 1980s, Rev. Al Kershaw.[1] The library is located in the basement of the church. It houses a collection of giant puppets that can be lent to users for parades and other events. It also houses Peattie's studio. The puppets are often used by schools and in parades, including Boston's First Night New Year's celebration. The puppets are generic characters (e.g., giant cats, flowers, dragons),[1] as opposed to specific persons (e.g., Donald Trump) or characters (e.g., Pinocchio).[2]
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