Explore our Online Exhibits

featured exhibit
Queen's Chapel: Women's History at King's Chapel
Picture
Did you know that this church was once called "Queen's Chapell?" The handwritten text on the image above comes from our church records during the reign of Britain's Queen Anne, between 1702 and her death in 1714. This church's name originally reflected the English monarch and head of the Anglican Church, and the name changed based on the monarch's gender. Despite the official powers yielded by Queen Mary II and Queen Anne, women at King's Chapel did not have a voice in the church's leadership until the 1920s and could not be elected as church leaders until the 1940s. Yet, women have played a crucial role in this site's history and in their communities since the church's founding. Uncover the stories and legacies of twelve women connected to King's Chapel over the past 335 years through this online exhibit.
Uncovering the Past: Exploring Black History through Primary Sources 
This exhibit encourages viewers to step into the role of historian as we research the lives of historical Black attendees at King's Chapel. Pulling from the pages of King's Chapel's 18th and 19th century registers of baptisms, marriages, and burials, the exhibit guide viewers through the process of examining primary sources from King's Chapel's archives and discuss how we work to uncover the stories of Black congregants whose names were hidden in the archives.
Independent Country, Independent Church: American Independence, James Freeman, and King's Chapel's 1780s Theological Revolution
Picture
While the Anglican minister Reverend Henry Caner and many King’s Chapel congregants fled Boston during the American Revolution, the church members who remained behind would transform the church into the first in a new movement in American religious thought. With a 24-year-old Harvard graduate at its helm, King’s Chapel sailed forward in exploring making theological changes and democratic revisions to their historic Anglican liturgy. By 1787, to the dismay of the emerging American Episcopal Church, King’s Chapel ordained James Freeman as their minister in a lay-led ceremony, becoming America’s first Unitarian Christian church and laying the groundwork for the emergence of the Unitarian Church in the United States. This online exhibit explores the rich social and religious history of King's Chapel's own revolution in the 1780s. 
Literary King's Chapel
For centuries, Boston has been a hub for authors, poets, and other writers, many of whom had connections to King's Chapel. Some attended services as members or guests. Others have used the historic church--and its surrounding area--as inspiration for their written works. Co-curated by the Historic Site Educators, this online exhibit highlights some of the literature, poetry, and writings that are connected to King's Chapel. Learn about the historic church's literary connections to Oliver Wendell Holmes, Sr.,  Louisa May Alcott, and more!