Ames Building
Encyclopedia
The Ames Building is a skyscraper located in Boston, Massachusetts
. It is sometimes ranked as the tallest building in Boston from its completion in 1893 until 1915, when the Custom House Tower
was built. However, the building was never the tallest structure in Boston. The steeple of the Church of the Covenant
, completed in 1867, was much taller than the Ames Building. Nevertheless, it is considered to be Boston's first skyscraper
.
Located at 1 Court Street
and Washington Mall in downtown Boston, the Ames Building was designed by the architectural firm of Shepley, Rutan and Coolidge
in Richardsonian Romanesque
and paid for by Frederick L. Ames
. It is the second tallest masonry load bearing-wall structure in the world, exceeded only by the Monadnock Building
in Chicago
, completed that same year. It is thirteen stories high with a three-story granite base and sandstone and brick walls. The sandstone is from the Berea formation in Ohio and was supplied by Cleveland Quarries Company. Construction was completed in 1889, but interior work was not completed for occupancy until 1893. It became the corporate headquarters for the Ames families' agricultural tool company.
The Ames Building was added to the National Register of Historic Places
on 26 May 1974.
, the developers renovated the building for $40 million, converting it into a 114 room luxury hotel with an upscale restaurant. Renovations to the building were performed by Tishman Construction Corporation of New York
based on a design by Cambridge Seven Associates
and with oversight provided by Walsh Co. LLC
of Morristown, New Jersey
. The hotel, called the Ames Hotel, opened in November 2009 together with the Woodward restaurant and bar.
Massachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
. It is sometimes ranked as the tallest building in Boston from its completion in 1893 until 1915, when the Custom House Tower
Custom House Tower
The Custom House Tower - now Marriott's Custom House Hotel - is a skyscraper in McKinley Square, in the Financial District neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts, in the United States. Construction began in the mid-19th century; the tower was added in the 1910s...
was built. However, the building was never the tallest structure in Boston. The steeple of the Church of the Covenant
Church of the Covenant (Boston)
The Church of the Covenant is a Boston, Massachusetts, landmark, built in 1865-1867 by the Central Congregational Church and now affiliated with the Presbyterian Church and the United Church of Christ.-History:Built of Roxbury puddingstone in Gothic Revival style it was one of the first churches...
, completed in 1867, was much taller than the Ames Building. Nevertheless, it is considered to be Boston's first skyscraper
Skyscraper
A skyscraper is a tall, continuously habitable building of many stories, often designed for office and commercial use. There is no official definition or height above which a building may be classified as a skyscraper...
.
History
Court Street (Boston, Massachusetts)
Court Street is located in the Financial District of Boston, Massachusetts. Prior to 1788, it was called Prison Lane and then Queen Street . In the 19th century it extended beyond its current length, to Bowdoin Square. In the 1960s most of Court Street was demolished to make way for the...
and Washington Mall in downtown Boston, the Ames Building was designed by the architectural firm of Shepley, Rutan and Coolidge
Shepley, Rutan and Coolidge
Shepley, Rutan and Coolidge was a successful architecture firm based in Boston, Massachusetts, operating between 1886 and 1915, with extensive commissions in monumental civic and collegiate architecture in the spirit and style of Henry Hobson Richardson....
in Richardsonian Romanesque
Richardsonian Romanesque
Richardsonian Romanesque is a style of Romanesque Revival architecture named after architect Henry Hobson Richardson, whose masterpiece is Trinity Church, Boston , designated a National Historic Landmark...
and paid for by Frederick L. Ames
Frederick Lothrop Ames
Frederick Lothrop Ames, Jr. was the great-grandson of Oliver Ames, who established the Ames Shovel Company. He was the second son of Frederick Lothrop Ames and Rebecca Caroline Ames. The Ames were a wealthy family in Massachusetts and were fairly prominent in 19th century New England society...
. It is the second tallest masonry load bearing-wall structure in the world, exceeded only by the Monadnock Building
Monadnock Building
The Monadnock Building , is a skyscraper located at 53 West Jackson Boulevard in the south Loop community area of Chicago, Illinois. The north half of the building was designed by the firm of Burnham & Root and built in 1891...
in Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
, completed that same year. It is thirteen stories high with a three-story granite base and sandstone and brick walls. The sandstone is from the Berea formation in Ohio and was supplied by Cleveland Quarries Company. Construction was completed in 1889, but interior work was not completed for occupancy until 1893. It became the corporate headquarters for the Ames families' agricultural tool company.
The Ames Building was added to the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
on 26 May 1974.
Renovations
After being unoccupied for eight years, the building was purchased in April 2007 by Normandy Real Estate Partners for $17.7 million. In conjunction with Morgans Hotel GroupMorgans Hotel Group
Morgans Hotel Group is a hospitality company that owns & operates boutique hotels as well as acquiring and redeveloping in the United States and Europe....
, the developers renovated the building for $40 million, converting it into a 114 room luxury hotel with an upscale restaurant. Renovations to the building were performed by Tishman Construction Corporation of New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
based on a design by Cambridge Seven Associates
Cambridge Seven Associates
Cambridge Seven Associates, Inc. is an American architecture firm founded in 1962 and based in Cambridge, Massachusetts. The firm was founded upon the idea that the collaborative efforts of a varied group of designers and architects would be far more effective than those of any one individual...
and with oversight provided by Walsh Co. LLC
Limited liability company
A limited liability company is a flexible form of enterprise that blends elements of partnership and corporate structures. It is a legal form of company that provides limited liability to its owners in the vast majority of United States jurisdictions...
of Morristown, New Jersey
Morristown, New Jersey
Morristown is a town in Morris County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the town population was 18,411. It is the county seat of Morris County. Morristown became characterized as "the military capital of the American Revolution" because of its strategic role in the...
. The hotel, called the Ames Hotel, opened in November 2009 together with the Woodward restaurant and bar.