At one point in time, the city of Boston didn’t have the skyline you see today. There was no Millennium Tower, Winthrop Center, or Prudential Center. In fact, a much smaller building was once considered the tallest skyscraper in Boston. Let’s take a look at the Ames Building in Massachusetts.
The Ames Building was designed by Shepley, Rutan, and Coolidge and was built in 1890. Its location on Court Street in Boston placed it within close proximity to the Old State House.
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At the time that construction on the Ames Building was completed, it was considered the tallest skyscraper in Boston. It started out as an office building in the city’s financial district.
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Due to its tall stature at the time, its roof became quite a tourist attraction. It was there that visitors could take in some of the best city views at the time.
Boston City Archives/Flickr
Aside from its height, the unique architectural style was always quite striking. Its blend of Byzantine and Romanesque styles back then had an addition of masonry blue slate and red sandstone to its facade.
Daniel Mennerich/Flickr
In 1974, the Ames Building was added to the National Register of Historic Places. In 2007, the building was purchased by a hotel group and turned into a boutique hotel known as The Ames Boston Hotel.
Elisa Rolle/Wikimedia Commons
After the hotel closed in 2019, the building was purchased by Suffolk University and transformed into a residence hall. While the Ames Building has not been the tallest skyscraper in the city of Boston for quite some time, it was the city’s first and will always be considered architecturally significant.
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Boston City Archives/Flickr
Daniel Mennerich/Flickr
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Kenneth C. Zirkel/Wikimedia Commons
Have you passed by and marveled at the Ames Building in Massachusetts? What building do you believe to be the most impressive in the state? Tell us about it in the comments! To learn more about the Ames Building, visit the Boston Preservation Alliance website.
Massachusetts has numerous buildings that are extraordinary works of architecture including Simmons Hall. Part of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Cambridge, there’s no other dorm quite like this!
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