National Register of Historic Places

Boston Transit Commission Building

Boston, Suffolk County, Massachusetts
Listed
August 30, 2007
Type
Building
Period
Colonial
Ref No.
07000861

About this property

The Boston Transit Commission Building is an historic office building at 15 Beacon Street in Boston, Massachusetts. It served as the headquarters of the Boston Transit Commission, the nation's first public transportation agency, which was responsible for the initial creation of Boston's subway system, now operated by the commission's successor, the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA). The ten-story Beaux Arts or Classical Revival building was designed by William Gibbons Preston and built in 1903–04 on the site of the 1722-built mansion of merchant Edward Bromfield. The commission occupied the building until it went out of existence in 1916. The city took the property in 1920 by eminent domain, and used it to house the Boston School Committee. The city sold the building in 1998, and it has been converted into XV Beacon, a 63-room luxury hotel which is a member of the Historic Hotels of America. The hotel features art works by Jules Olitski, Gilbert Stuart, Maggi Brown, Martha Lloyd, Joe Greene, Tony Evanko, Ben Freeman, and others. In 1965 the building was the site of a 114-day protest by Reverend Vernon E. Carter, who began living on the sidewalk outside the building to protest against continued de facto segregation in Boston's public schools after the Boston School Committee voted against taking action on April 26. Carter's "Freedom Vigil" ended on August 18 with the passing of the 1965 Racial Imbalance Act. The building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2007. National Register of Historic Places listings in northern Boston, Massachusetts

Location

15 Beacon St.
Boston, Suffolk County, Massachusetts
42.35834, -71.06226

Categories

ARCHITECTUREEDUCATIONPOLITICS/GOVERNMENTTRANSPORTATION
National Register nomination ›
Sources

Property data from the National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service (public domain).

Description adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

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Native Heritage
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Nearby Historic Sites

Boston Athenaeum
Industrial
0 mi
Harding, Chester, House
Industrial
0 mi
Park Street District
Listed
0.1 mi
John Adams Courthouse
Industrial
0.1 mi
Massachusetts Statehouse
Industrial
0.1 mi

Nearby Battles

Siege of Boston
1775Revolutionary War
0.2 mi

Questions about this property

When was Boston Transit Commission Building listed on the National Register?

Boston Transit Commission Building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on August 30, 2007.

What type of historic resource is Boston Transit Commission Building?

Boston Transit Commission Building is classified as a building in the National Register of Historic Places.

What is the period of significance for Boston Transit Commission Building?

The period of significance for Boston Transit Commission Building is recorded as the colonial era.

Can I research the history near Boston Transit Commission Building?

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