KING'S CHAPEL
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Crypt Entrance

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The entrance to the King’s Chapel crypt, an exterior gate located below the chancel, was the only door to the burial space prior to the early-20th century. Each person buried in the crypt was transported across this stone threshold. Unlike rural cemeteries where there are few barriers between families and their departed loved ones, the exterior archway served as an intentional partition between the sanctuary, a space for the living, and the crypt, a space for the dead. After a burial service in the sanctuary above, coffins had to be carried out the main doors and then around to the back crypt entrance. 

Upon entering the crypt, one would have to light their own way to the tombs lining the walls. The tombs simply had gates at their entrances, so the smell of decaying remains inside would have been overwhelming.  The tombs were not elaborately decorated since crypt was not seen as a place to memorialize the dead. Instead, memorials were often placed inside the chapel so the living could more visibly remember their loved ones.

As fire and building codes became mandatory in the 1920s, additional entrances were added to the King’s Chapel crypt and sanctuary. Pew ownership diminished at this time, and a staircase was dug down into one of the pews in the sanctuary previously owned by members of the congregation and was converted into an interior entrance to the crypt. A second pew on the School Street-side of the chancel was removed to create an emergency exit, also allowing easier exterior access to the crypt’s stone stairs below. Due to their convenience, the interior and exterior entrances are used far more regularly today than they were historically.

Return to the History Homepage.
Return to "Crypt" page.
King's Chapel
Est. 1686
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 www.kings-chapel.org |  58 Tremont St. Boston, MA 02108  |  617-227-2155 
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  • Home
    • About Us >
      • Welcome
      • Calendar
      • Clergy & Staff
      • Contact Us & Directions >
        • Send A Message
      • Employment Opportunities >
        • Church Sexton Position
        • Assistant Minister Position
  • Worship
    • Holy Week 2023
    • Sunday at 9 AM
    • Sunday at 11 AM
    • Lent 2023
    • Sermons
    • Special Annual Services
    • Book of Common Prayer
  • Music
    • Tuesday Recitals
    • Concert Series
    • Musical Inquiries
  • History & Tours
    • Plan Your Visit >
      • 2023 At A Glance
      • Guided Tour Offerings >
        • Group Tours
    • Explore Our History >
      • A Brief History
      • The Stone Chapel: Art & Architecture >
        • The Wooden Chapel
        • Georgian Architecture
        • Box Pews
        • Interior Colors
        • Memorials
        • The Chancel Windows
        • The Last Supper Painting
      • Crypt and Burying Ground >
        • Crypt >
          • Crypt Highlights: Crypt Entrance
          • Crypt Highlights: Tomb Structure
          • Crypt Highlights: The Stranger's Tomb
          • Crypt Highlights: Research and Family Connections
          • Crypt Highlights: Remaining Memorials
          • Crypt Highlights: Hand-Hewn Beams
        • Burying Ground
      • Religious History >
        • Online Exhibit: Independent Country, Independent Church
        • 334 Years of Ministry
      • Slavery at King's Chapel
    • Online Exhibits >
      • Queen's Chapel: Women's History at King's Chapel
      • Revolutionary King's Chapel: Online Exhibit
      • Literary King's Chapel
      • Uncovering the Past: Exploring Black History Through Primary Sources
    • History Events & Programs >
      • Past Events & Programs
      • Recorded History Programs
    • Christmas History at King's Chapel >
      • Decking the Halls: The History of Decorating with Greens
      • Christmas Lights: Then and Now
      • 18th & 19th Century Christmas Services & Music
      • Christmas Feasts & Treats Throughout History
      • Holiday History Trivia
    • History Program Blog
    • About Us >
      • History Program Staff
      • Contact Us
    • Support the History Program
  • Community
    • News & Updates >
      • Parish Community News
      • Between Sundays Archive
    • Community from Home
    • Community Action Committee >
      • Anti-Racism Resources
    • Memorial to Enslaved Persons
    • Environmental Action Initiative
    • Join King's Chapel
    • For Members >
      • Budget Meeting 2023
      • Partner Church Sunday 2022
      • KC Bylaws
      • 2022- 2023 Church Leadership
  • Giving
    • Why Give
    • Ways to Give
    • Stewardship >
      • Pledge
  • Weddings & Baptisms
    • Weddings >
      • Dear Prospective Couple
      • Wedding Inquiry
      • Wedding Service
    • Baptisms
  • Space Rentals
  • Member Action Initiative