Nomination for Old Corner Bookstore

From the form

The catalogue entry the section above was filed under.

Form 10-300 (July 1969) UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR NATIONAL PARK SERVICE NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES INVENTORY - NOMINATION FORM (Type all entries - complete applicable sections) NAME COMMON: The Old Corner Bookstore AND/OR HISTORIC: 2. LOCATION Congressional District #9 STREET AND NUMBER: Northwest corner Washington and School Streets CITY OR TOWN: Boston STATE CODE 025 COUNTY: Suffolk 3. Massachusetts CLASSIFICATION CATEGORY (Check One) OWNERSHIP District Site Building Structure Object Public Private Both Public Acquisition: In Process L Being Considered PRESENT USE (Check One or More as Appropriate) Agricultural Government Commercial - Industrial Educational Military Entertainment Museum Park Private Residence Religious Scientific OWNER OF PROPERTY OWNER'S NAME: Historic Boston, Inc.

STREET AND NUMBER: CITY OR TOWN: STATE: Boston LOCATION OF LEGAL DESCRIPTION COURTHOUSE, REGISTRY OF DEEDS, ETC: Suffolk Registry of Deeds, Suffolk County Court House STREET AND NUMBER: Pemberton Square CITY OR TOWN: STATE Boston Massachusetts Massachusetts REPRESENTATION IN EXISTING SURVEYS TITLE OF SURVEY: 1. Inventory of Historic Assets of the Commonwealth DATE OF SURVEY: 1970 Federal State DEPOSITORY FOR SURVEY RECORDS: Massachusetts Historical Commission STREET AND NUMBER: State House CITY OR TOWN: STATE: Boston County Massachusetts STATE: Mass.

COUNTY: Suffolk FOR NPS USE ONLY ENTRY NUMBER #PR 11 1973 DATE PCCEINED MAR 27 1973 NATIONAL REGISTER 19 CODE 025 STATUS Occupied Unoccupied - Preservation work in progress ACCESSIBLE TO THE PUBLIC Yes: - Restricted Unrestricted No Transportation - Other (Specity) - Comments CODE 025 CODE 025 Massachusetts Suffolk Local CODE 025 STATE: COUNTY: ENTRY NUMBER FOR NPS USE ONLY 7. DESCRIPTION (Check One) - Detoriorated X) Excellent CONDITION C Good (Check One) D Foir - Ruins - Unexposed (Chock One) C Altered X Unaltered - Moved IX] Origiral Sito DESCRIBE THE PRESENT AND ORIGINAL (IfknOwn) PHYSICAL APPEARANCE

Description of the property

The Old Corner Bookstore, located on the northwest corner of School and Washington Streets, is a brick house, two and one half stories high plus an attic, covered by a gambrelled roof. On the gable end the fenestration above the first floor is comprised of sash windows arranged in rows of five and three with a single window in the attic. At the ground level, two small-paned projecting show windows are located between the two entrances. Two projecting brick courses, extending almost the width of the wall, run beneath the two storied in the gable. These serve visually to separate the two stories and to define the floor levels. The Washington Street facade is three bays wide. On the first story two projecting windows similar to those on the gable end flank the recessed entrance which is centered on the wall.

Three sash windows are evenly spaced on the second story and above them two small dormers peek out of the roof. Brownstone quoining decorates the corners of the building at the second story level. The three story brick buildings next to the Bookstore on School Street were built in the carly 19th century. The structure adjoining the "Old Corner" was erected in 1828, while its neighbor was built somewhat earlier. The "Old Corner" was restored to its 1828 appearance in 1964. Since then the tivo School Street buildings have been restored, and the facade of 277 Washington Street will be restored in the near future.

Historic Boston, Incorporated, a non-profit corporation, in 1960 purchased the "Old Corner" and the adjoining buildings with the purpose of demonstrating that historic buildings need not always be museums, but could attract modern tenant occupancy, pay taxes to the city, add value to their surroundings, as well as being tourist attractions. The historical and architec- tural value of these buildings lies mainly in their exterior appearance. u

From the form

The catalogue entry the section above was filed under.

SIGNIFICANCE PERIOD (Check One or More as Appropriate) Pro-Columbian! 15th Century - 16th Century 17th Century X1 Bth Century U 9th Century 20th Century SPECIFIC DATEIS) (I1 Applicable and Known) AREAS OF SIGNIFICANCE (Check One or More as Appropriate) Abor iginal Education - Prehistoric Engineering Historic Industry Agriculture C Invention X Architecture Landscape Art Architecture Commerce Literature Communications Conservation C L Military Music 1711, 1833 L Politisal Religim/Phi. losophy Sciena Sculptre Social/Human- itarian Theater Transpertation -] Urban Planning Dothz (pecity) RECEYF AR 2 7 1973 NATIONAL IER STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE

Statement of significance

The Old Corner Bookstore, which stands at the intersection of Washington and School Streets in Boston's central business district, is the only eighteenth century house remaining in this part of the city. As such, it is a valuable neighbor to the Old South Meetinghouse of 1729, a National Historic Landmark. The Old Corner Bookstore served as a dwelling for more than a hundred years before it was converted for use as a bookstore. In the mid-nineteenth century, at the height of its fame, it was the home of the most notable publishing house in America. On that basis the building has been certified as a Massachusetts Historic Landmark. This brick structure was built soon after the great fire of October 2, 1711, by Thomas Crease, on land owned in the 1630's by William and Anne Hutchinson. An apothecary, 'Dr.

Crease" kept his shop in the main room of the house and lived in the rooms on the second floor. The building was held by various owners until 1828, when it was leased and remodeled by Timothy Carter. The first floor was converted into a 'handsome and convenient bookstore" for the firm of Carter and Hendee, and the upper floors were converted for business use. Carter also built the adjoining structure at 3 School Street, on the site of Dr. Crease's garden, to house his firm's printing presses. The heyday of the Old Corner as a bookstore and publishing house began in 1833, when the partnership of William D. Ticknor and Company, later Ticknor and Fields, took over the building. A large part of the success of this firm was due to Ticknor's younger partner, James T. Fields, whose innovations greatly altered the traditional relation of authors and publishers.

Fields was convinced that there was a large market for fine literature and especially American literature. To insure that his firm got the best of manuscripts, Fields offered American authors royalties, some ranging as high as twenty percent. Instead of pirating the works of English authors, the general practice among American publishers since there was no international copyright protection, Fields either paid English authors a flat sum for their manuscripts or placed them on the same royalty basis as American authors. By the 1850's, these practices had made Fields the publisher -- and the friend -- of almost every great English and American writer of the time.

Among the Englishmen were Tennyson, Dickens, Thackeray, Browning, DeQuincey, (continued) Massachusetts Suffolk County NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES INVENTORY-NOMINATION FORM Continuation Sheet: The Old Corner Bookstorc, Boston, Massachusetts 6. Representation in Existing Surveys [2]. Comprehensive State-wide Historic Preservation Plan 1971 Massachusetts Historical Commission State House, Boston, MA 025 8. Significance - Matthew Arnold and Leigh Hunt. Fields! American authors were the men whose work proved that American literature had come of age: Hawthorne, Emerson, Thoreau, Longfellow, Holmes, Whittier and Lowell. During these years, the Old Corner Bookstore became such a favorite meeting place for both native and visiting authors that it was popularly known as "Parnassus Corner". In 1859, Ticknor and Fields bought the Atlantic Monthly, the most literar!

American periodical of the day. With Fields as its editor, it also became the mos: famous. By 1864, the firm was ready to increase its interest in periodicals and acquired the North American Review , the oldest magazine in America. After the death of Ticknor in that same year, Fields moved his expanding business from the Old Corner to larger quarters. Other booksellers and publishers followed Ticknor and Fields at the Old Corner until 1903. After that time the building fell to less distinguished use and gradually deteriorated until it was purchased by a non-profit corporation, Historic Boston, Inc., in 1964. The Old Corner was restored to its 1828 appearance and now serves as the in-town office of the Boston Globe.

The rest of the file

Bibliography, boundary description, and the people who prepared and reviewed the nomination.

MAJOR BIBLIOGRAPHICAL REFERENCES Tryon, W. S. Parnassus Corner. Boston, 1963. Whitehill, walter M. Boston, a Topographical History. Cambridge, 1968. Final Report of the Boston National Historic Sites Commission to the Congress of the United States. Boston, 1960. 0 GEOGRAPHICAL DATA LATITUDE AND LONGITUDE COORDINATES DEFINING A RECTANGLE LOCATING THE PROPERTY CORNER LATITUDE Degrees Minutes Seconds LONGITUDE Degrees Minutes Seconds LATITUDE AND LONGITUDE COORDINATES DEFINING THE CENTER POINT OF A PHOPERTY -OF LESS THAN TEN ACRES LATITUDE LONGITUDE Degrees. Minutes Seconds Degrees Minutes Seconds NW NE 42 21 272 71 SE SW APPROXIMA TE ACREAGE OF NOMINATED PROPERTY: C. one half ILIST ALL STATES AND COUNTIES FOR PROPERTIES OVERLAPPING STATE OR COUNTY BOUNDARIES STATE: CODE COUNTY 03 32 STATE: CODE COUNTY.

STATE: CODE COUNEV STATE: CODE COUNTE 21 RECÊIVED MAR 27 1973 NATIONAL REGISTER CODE CODE CODE CODE FORMPREPAREDBY NAME AND TITLE: Anne R. Wardwell, Survey Director ORGANIZATION Massachusetts Historical Commission STREET AND NUMBER: 40 Beacon Street CITY OR TOWN: Boston 2. STATE LIAISON OFFICER CERTIFICATION DATE March 18, 1971 STATE CODE Massachusetts 025 NATIONAL REGISTER VERIFICATION As the designated State Liaison Officer for the Na- tional Historic Preservation Act of 1966 (Public Law 89-665), I hereby nominate this property for inclusion in the National Register and certify that it has been evaluated according to the c-iteria and procedures set forth by the National Park Service. The recommended level of significance of this nomination is: National State Local Name M7.X.

Danea Secretary of the Commonwealth, Chairman; Massachusetts Historical Commission I hereby certify that this property is included in the Nationa 1 Register. Pohestr Utley Director, Office of Archeology and Histopic Preservation Date 4/11/73 ATTEST: Date March 18, 1971 Date Keeper 473-73 National Register M - GPO 931-894 SIGNIFICANCE PERIOD (Check One or More as Appropriate) Pre-Columbian!

15th Century 16th Century 17th Century SPECIFIC DATE(S) (If Applicable and Known) AREAS OF SIGNIFICANCE (Check One or More as Appropriate) Aboriginal Education Prehistoric Engineering Historic Agriculture Architecture Invention Landscape Art Architecture Commerce Literature Communications Conservation Military Music STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE 18th Century 19th Century 20th Century Political Religion/Phi- losophy Science Sculpture Social/Human- itarian Theater Transportation Urban Planning Other (Specify) SEE INSTRUCTIONS DÄTE OF RECEIPT_ 3-10 - 72 DATA PAGE PHOTO (S) PHOTO DESCRIPTION (S) MAP (S) MAP DESCRIPTION (S) LOGGED ACKNOWLEDGE 3-/7-72 RESUBMIT REVIEW Checkul n/Pate Myers. Restosation is accurate fos 1828. HISTORIAN Yew fomsent 3-27-23 SuffoT PROPERTY Une Old Corner Bookstore STATE MASS.

YES NO NUMBER REGISTER: 16117 1 1 1973 18, <9 MAR REGIST 197 NATIONAL Hap csa seot selfhe 1-32-33 Sarbe 1/13/72 ARCHEOLOGIST accento 3-30-75 oncseteot Surel Tey car sot a better copay of e mmaf i the tie atyaant sl, inn snid-dras ASST. KEEPER grra rntrali ! bad windous. KEEPER 0K4173 WRITER/EDITOR pmland 9-13-72 DIRECTOR, OAHP EDITORIAL PROCESSING, EDITOR Federal Registry Entry_6-5-73 Logged APR 11 1978 Card APR 1 1 1973 Annual Edition Entry COMMENTS: WORKING NUMBER 3.17.72, 393 CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT: 10/31/22 PLEASE RETURN THIS FORM NAME OF PROPERTY orver DAYE: The attached National Register Inventory-Nomination form is being returned to your office for clarification of the information indicated below. 1. Name. 2. Location. 3. Classification. 4. Owner of Property. 5. Location of Legal Description. - 6. Representation in Existing Surveys. 7. Description. 8.

Statement of Significance. 9. Bibliography. 10. Geographical Data. a. Longitude and Latitude Coordinates. b. Acreage 11. Form Prepared By. 12. Certification. Photographic Coverage. Map gqverage- Ne MUS A4A have sMore legible cafy Other. Clarification or correction of the above items must be made prior to the initiation of our professional review. Correction of these technical errors does not necessarily insure that the nomination will then satisfy National Register criteria in full. Thank you for your attention to the above items checked. / SIGNED: Cdrmr lyer AL NGS INSU: SAV The Boston Globe Che Besto COMPANY NPSNumber 4/1473 Title:The Ols COrNER BookstorE. Loc. Suffolla moss.

CASt AND SOUTA FASADES PROPERTY OF THE NATIONAL REGISTER Form 10-301 (July 1969) UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR NATIONAL PARK SERVICE 3 NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES PROPERTY MAP FORM STATE Massachusetts COUNTY Suffolk (Type all entries - attach to or enclose with map) FOR NPS USE ONLY ENTRY NUMBER APR 11 137 NAME COMMON: The Old Corner Bookstore AND/OR HISTORIC: LOCATION STREET AND NUM BER: Northwest corner Washington and School Streets CITY OR TOWN: Boston STATE: Massachusetts MAP REFERENCE SOURCE: CODE 025 COUNTY: Suffolk U. S. G.S. Boston, South, Mass. SCALE: 1:24,000 DATE: 1956 REQUIREMENTS TO BE INCLUDED ON ALL MAPS 1. Property broundaries where required. 2. North arrow. 3. Latitude and longitude reference.

RECEIVED HAR 27 1973 NAT BECIT 8) -- - - UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR NATIONAL PARK SERVICE STATE Massachusetts COUNTY NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES Suffolk PROPERTY PHOTOGRAPH FORM (Type all entries - attach to or enclose with photograpil) FOR NPS USE ONLY ENTRY NUMBER APR 11 NAME COMMON: The Old Corner Bookstore AND/OR HISTORIC: 2. LOCA TION STREET AND NUMBER: Northwest corner Washington and School Streets CITY OR TOWN: Boston MAR NATI 27 1973 REGISTER DATE CODE 025 DATE STATE: Massachusetts CODE COUN TE:: 025 2TT19 Suffolk CODE 025 PHOTO REFERENCE PHOTO CREDIT: Massachusetts Historical Commission DATE OF PHOTO: 1972 NEGATIVE FILED AT: Massachusetts Historical Commission, Office of the Secretary, State House, Boston IDENTIFICATION DESCRIBE VIEW, DIRECTION, ETC.

east and south facades Form 10-301 (July 1969) UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR NATIONAL PARK SERVICE NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES PROPERTY MAP FORM (Type all entries - attach to or enclose with map) STATE Massachusetts COUNTY Suffolk FOR NPS USE ONLY EN TRDR 1BF 7973 U - NAME coMMON: The Old Corner Bookstore AND/OR HISTORIC: LOCATION STREET AND NUM BER: Northwest corner Washington and School Streets CITY OR TOWN: Boston STATE: Massachusetts MAP REFERENCE SOURCE: CODE 025 COUNTY: Suffolk U. S. G.S. Boston, South, Mass. SCALE: 1:24, 000 DATE: 1956 REQUIREMENTS TO BE INCLUDED ON ALL MAPS 1. Property broundaries where required. 2. North arrow. 3. Latitude and longitude reference. 31 VOTVN 0303934 18 T6) DATE CODE 025 PYPDRT 34 MI. (T.(CITY HALL) 3.9 MI.

*29 Rin DIRILUE MAOSAUUSEIIS DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC WORKS 6768 / NF (BOSTON NORTH) CHELSE: TRT 17E0 Charlestown Bridge Piay Grotnd Eas Cambridse SUMNER TUNNE 10% Dar rpss Ceii)) hospiti LONGELLK BRIDGE Charles River -RIVER Basin E) MEMORIAL BCACON, AVE NTRAL BOYLSTON 12:0 l'one Boston Common- 42 Fort Point! Pointo 21° Chanhet "Bay orth _TREMONT BOSTON, MASS. OLD CORNER BOOKSTORE U.S.G.S Boston, South, Mass. Date: 1956 Scale: 1:24,000 RESE 4 5 19 S outh Boston RC BLID Columbus Park DAY Carson Beach NEWBURYPORT 34 MI. ZVRTCITNMALLSSMI 00 329 STATE OF MASSACHUSETTS DEPARTMENT BE NUBLIC WORKS 6768 NE CHELSEA (CITY HALL) 1.7 MI.

(BOSTON NORTH) 7/02'30" 332 b6MIO US T LE Charles IAKAL RES Athletic Boston Charlestown Bridge East Cambridge s River Dan 34 SUMNER TUNNEL, TOLL Camp (38 Máss Generat® Hospital LONGFELLOW BRIDGE 28 River *Charles TER BAstT MEMORIAL Frog Pond Boston Common® Garden Chành ick.f20 Fort Rau FERN Park BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS OLD CORNER BOOKSTORE U.S.G.S. Boston, South, Mass. N4215 - W7100/7.5 Practical Arts dHich Sch NORFOLK GR 1956 AMS 6768 I SE-SERIES V814 42° 21' 274" 71° 03' 32" B S RECEIVED DEC 1972 NATIONAL REGISTER Roxbury C High Sch Uphams nelCorner SUDAN 8aV/n BOSTO. 1 Immigtation 21 /27 Sta IRES Commónwealth Pier INNER 37.

Fish 34 AAVA/E9 Reserved Cha: us xaxrf *./ RESEMATTON -Gas Park -s1 ROADWAY Higt 42° 20' cogity Pain 71 oá' 30 L Street Beach Carson cezcn Ola Harbor Tidal Flats DOR VERNON Russellex Sch BM Basin Vumoine Sta Savin yGroye Hah Fox Pt PYacht oo0o Club Piles®, Sy Mretine House Hi Malibi Beac MtBowdoin Commercial TNBE PETT CPIAG BAM JEKe LBETAD Joken F. X. Daroren Secretary of the Commonvealth The Commonwealth of Massachusetts Cfice of the Secretary Massachusetts Histonical Commission Boston, Mass. 02108 40 Beacon Street March 22, 1921 11 110 RECEIVED MAR 2 7 1973 NATIONAL REGISTER LT 91119 co National Register of Historic Places Department of the Interior National Park Service 18th and C Streets, N.W. Washington, D.C. 20240 Attention: Ms. Carol Shull CERTIFIED MAIL Dear Carol: Attached is a second copy of our nomination form for: Suffolk County, Boston, The Old Corner Bookstore.

Mary Means called shortly before she left the Register staff and told us that the last page of our original nomination form had somehow disappeared from your files. She asked that we send her another copy of that page with Secretary Davoren's signature. I am also enclosing a xerox of the materials we originally sent in so you will have a record copy of the full submission. If any other materials for this nomination turn up missing, please let me know so that we can send you duplicates. Best regards, Pasy Polly Ann Matherly Historian Massachusetts Historical Commission : pam Encls. age had notching, a xero Tre rue régueatedan nigin ENTRIES IN THE NATIONAL REGISTER STATE Date Entered MASSACHUSEYTS APR 1 1 1973 Name Boxford Village Historic District The Old Corner Bookatore Location Borford Essex County Boston Suffolk County Hon. Edward M. KennedAlso Notified Hon. Edward V. Brooke Hon.

Michael J. Harrington on- Jonn hoakle: irector, Northeast Regio PHR State Historic Preservation Officer Hon. John F.X. Devoren Secretary of the Comnonwealth Chairnan, Massachusetts Historical Commission 40 Beacon Street Boston, Hassachusette 02108 NRowland:1mp 4-20-73