Gargoyles, chimeras, and grotesques are decorative architectural ornaments, whose origins trace back to 12th Century Medieval architecture. Grotesques were also a key feature of Renaissance Period churches and buildings of religious importance. Boston's historic architectural structures are a mix of Federalist, Colonial, Romanesque, Greek Revival, International, and Brutalist styled buildings, created or inspired by world renowned architects.
Ornaments and embellishments on large Boston buildings were typically specified by architects, but the design of the carvings on many other buildings were often left up to the individual stoneworkers, who sometimes sculpted portraits of their wives or even each other, transforming astreetscape into a quirky public art gallery. Popular subjects were cherubs, angels and demons.