King's Chapel History Blog

Video Series: King's Chapel During World War II - Air Raid Shelters and Hood Ice Cream?

4/27/2020

In the first video of our new "Did You Know?" series, featuring lesser-known stories from King's Chapel's past, History Program Director Faye Charpentier discusses several aspects of the church's history and activities during World War II.

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Keeping Time at King’s Chapel: A Historic Tradition

4/27/2020

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By Jennifer Roesch,
History Program Assistant

Early Sunday morning at King’s Chapel, the Verger, or overseer of the church service, goes through the checklist of duties in preparation for the weekly Morning Prayer service. One feels a bit of nostalgia, pondering the fact that centuries of Vergers before today had similar tasks on their list of Sunday service preparations. One of these historic duties includes winding the clock that sits on the face of the west gallery wall, below the majestic organ that tends to focus one’s attention on that side of the sanctuary. The task is fairly simple, as seen in the video of King's Chapel's current Sunday service Verger and Sexton, Clark Aitkins, demonstrating how the time is regularly kept. However, the clock itself has some fascinating history to explore...

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Unalienable Rights: Two King’s Chapel Perspectives on Freedom in 18th-Century Boston

4/16/2020

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By Christina Rewinski

Historic Site Educator

Since the dominant historical narrative in Boston, especially among sites on the Freedom Trail, revolves around the American Revolution, visitors frequently want to know how King’s Chapel history connects to stories of heroic Patriots fighting against oppressive British rule. While certain members of King’s Chapel fit this mold, the colonial congregation consisted of a financially, racially, and politically diverse group of people, each of whom reacted differently to events in the late 18th century. By comparing the words, actions, and experiences of two men of King’s Chapel during this time--Perez Morton and Lancaster Hill—it becomes clear that individuals define freedom in vastly different ways and their attempts to gain freedom vary greatly, even as they show a similar focus and passion for their cause.

Engraving of Perez Morton by C. B. J. F. de Saint-Mémin National Portrait Gallery, Smithsonian Institute

At King’s Chapel, Perez Morton is the epitome of the classic Boston Patriot. He was among the few congregants who remained in Boston through the American Revolution and returned to the church afterwards, purchasing pew four, in a prime central location in the church. Morton was elected churchwarden and joined one of the church’s most influential families through his marriage to poet Sarah Wentworth Apthorp, whose relatives were longstanding members and benefactors of King’s Chapel.

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New Online Exhibit: "Literary King's Chapel

4/9/2020

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Last week, the King's Chapel History Program launched its latest online exhibit: "Literary King's Chapel."

Co-curated by the Historic Site Educators, this year’s National Literature and Poetry Month program is available on our website in the form of a brand new exhibit. “Literary King’s Chapel” features several of our historic literary connections, including Oliver Wendell Holmes, Sr., Phillis Wheatley, and Nathaniel Hawthorne.

New content and activities will be added regularly throughout the month of April - follow us on social media to keep up with fun facts about our literary connections all month long!

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African American Congregants at King’s Chapel: The Power of Primary Sources

4/2/2020

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Compiled by Jennifer Roesch using research by Faye Charpentier

The King’s Chapel History Program is committed to continuing to include the voices of African Americans and other historically marginalized people in their interpretation and tours. When visiting the chapel, we encourage visitors to engage with these primary sources featuring these African Americans, beyond the historic site's Black History Month programming.

This February in honor of Black History Month, the King’s Chapel History Program shared with visitors the stories of some of our 18th and 19th century African American congregants. Inside the sanctuary and on social media, visitors explored how primary sources have informed our research and made it possible to learn about historically marginalized people through church and other archival records. African Americans have been marginalized throughout history not only through their omission in history books, but also through the lack of information found in archives. Thanks to the growing effort to digitize records as well as finding materials related to African American history, we have been able to begin to learn about the various lives of African Americans at King’s Chapel.

Here are some of the people we highlighted this month who had ties to 18th and 19th century King’s Chapel:

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This week on social media...

4/2/2020

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It has been a busy week behind the scenes at the King's Chapel History Program, as staff have been preparing our first online exhibit, debuting tomorrow.

Visit our Instagram and Facebook pages to read the final installment in March's "Women's History Month" series and the latest two posts in the "Medical Professionals at King's Chapel" series, which continues into April.

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HISTORY PROGRAM BLOG

Video Series: King's Chapel During World War II - Air Raid Shelters and Hood Ice Cream?

Keeping Time at King’s Chapel: A Historic Tradition

By Jennifer Roesch,
History Program Assistant

Unalienable Rights: Two King’s Chapel Perspectives on Freedom in 18th-Century Boston

By Christina Rewinski

New Online Exhibit: "Literary King's Chapel

African American Congregants at King’s Chapel: The Power of Primary Sources

Compiled by Jennifer Roesch using research by Faye Charpentier

This week on social media...

King's Chapel History Program

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HISTORY PROGRAM BLOG

Video Series: King's Chapel During World War II - Air Raid Shelters and Hood Ice Cream?

Keeping Time at King’s Chapel: A Historic Tradition

By Jennifer Roesch, ​History Program Assistant

Unalienable Rights: Two King’s Chapel Perspectives on Freedom in 18th-Century Boston

By Christina Rewinski

New Online Exhibit: "Literary King's Chapel

African American Congregants at King’s Chapel: The Power of Primary Sources

Compiled by Jennifer Roesch using research by Faye Charpentier

This week on social media...

King's Chapel History Program

Archives

Categories

By Jennifer Roesch,
History Program Assistant