Paul's House Diary

These buildings are not the tallest peaks on Boylston Street’s “high spine,” nor are they even that architecturally noteworthy, but the cornices and spires featured in this post deserve more than a passing glance. Taken on a beautiful day last March, I’m pulling these pictures out of the archives to continue the “looking up” trend I’ve got going on here with the past few posts.

These guys are a couple of classy mid-rises on the edge of Copley Square. Mostly infill buildings, they are of an era when infill buildings didn’t have to look like a pre-clad BU dorm like most of the mid-rises popping up in town lately. Mason’s and craftsman who could carve those cornices probably don’t exist anymore, and the arching windows (maybe palladian?) that hold up the crown’s of each of these buildings are a subtle and thoughtful detail that’s gone out of style.  When viewed on their own and not thrown into and lost within the bustle of Boylston, these two are minor masterpieces. The bright side of their placement is that the buildings they get lost among are almost all just as beautiful.

These next two are church spires that can be seen strolling the back-bay blocks either on or off of Boylston. I’ve featured the Arlington Street Church, and how it is made of delicious Roxbury Puddingstone, in previous posts, and its still pretty.