Nomination for Youth's Companion Building

From the form

The catalogue entry the section above was filed under.

- PH0015962 UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR NATIONAL PARK SERVICE 7B No Form 10-300 (Rev.

6-72) STATE: Massachusetts COUNTY: NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES INVENTORY - NOMINATION FORM Suffolk FOR NPS USE ONLY ENTRY DATE (Type all entries complete applicable sections) MAY 2 1974 NAME COMMON: Sawyer Building) AND/OR HYouth's Companion Building (use for publication) LOCATION STREET AND NUMBER: 140-144 Berkeley Street and 195-217 Columbus Avenue CITY OR TOWN: CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT: Boston 9th STATE CODE COUNTY: Massachusetts 025 Suffolk CLASSIFICATION CATEGORY OWNERSHIP STATUS (Check One) District Building Site Structure Object Public Private Both Public Acquisition: - In Process Being Considered Occupied Unoccupied - Preservation work in progres: CODE 025 ACCESSIBLE TO THE PUBLIC Yes: LX Restricted C Unrestricted No PRESENT USE (Check One or More as Appropriate) Agricultural Government Commercial Industrial Educational Military Entertainment Museum Park Private Residence Religious Scientific Transportation 18 - Comments - Other (Speeity, PECFIVEL OWNER OF PROPERTY OWNER'S NAME: Black and White Taxi Service Co.

STREET AND NUMBER: 209 Columbus Avenue CITY OR TOWN: Boston LOCATION OF LEGAL DESCRIPTION COURTHOUSE, REGISTRY OF DEEDS, ETC: Registry of Deeds STREET AND NUMBER: Suffolk County Court House CITY OR TOWN: APF g 1974 NATIONAL REGISTER (E) STATE: Massachusetts CODE 025 Suffolk STATE CODE Boston Massachusetts REPRESENTATION IN EXISTING SURVEYS TITLE OF SURVEY: (1) South Cove Urban Renewal Plan - R-92/R-213; Table B; C-7 DATE OF SURVEY: * Local DEPOSITORY FOR SURVEY RECORDS: Boston Redevelopment Authority STREET AND NUMBER: Boston City Hall CITY OR TOWN: ISTATE: 025 Boston Massachusetts CODE 025 STATE- COUNTY: ENTRY NUM PER DATE FOR NPS USE ONLY DESCRIPTION (Check One) Deteriorated CONDITION Excellent X Good (Check One) - Fair Ruins - Unexposed (Check One) X AlteredR - Unaltered Moved X Original Site DESCRIBE THE PRESENT AND ORIGINAL (if known) PHYSICAL APPEARANCE

Description of the property

The Youth's Companion Building, a brick and red sandstone structure, is a modified Richardson Romanesque of*bTock almost rectangular in shape with a flat roof. It is a massive five story block with a strong symmetrical desigr that is generated by balanced horizontal and vertical emphases. ( The monumental central portal has a recessed entranceway beneath wide coffered span of the Syrian arch, - The wall surface is inscribed by a rectrilinear frame - the entire portal inspired by Louis Sullivan's Chicago examples.) A one: story replica is repeated in smaller scale for the Berkeley Street entrance. five floors are treated as individual layers except for the third and fourth floors which are unified; each layer is separated by an ornamental protruding stringcourse and has its own type windows.

The windows are grouped in bays, seven on the main facade and three on,side facade with the largest number of windows in the center bay and fewer in the corner bays. The retangular windows are uniformly proportioned. Each window is divided in thirds; the upper third is bisected by a narrow mullion and is separated by an immobile upper transom, which in total provides a delicate horizontal emphasis. The Tower two thirds is a movable, one over one double hung sash. - The horizontality of the floor layers is counter balanced by vertical Z arrangement of thewindow bays that alternate with unadorned piers. The third and fourth story window bays form an arcade of round-headed arches mounted onclusters of slender engaged colonettes which reinforce the upward thrust.

The cornersare emphasized by broad arched ground floor windows (repeating the entrance portal motif) and by the subtle protrusion of the entire corner- piers and window bay. The ground floor is smooth red sandstone, and the upper floors are reddish - buff brick. The sandstone, Targely quarried in Longmeadow, Massachusetts, is repeated in the carved ornamentation which is limited to stringcourses, arched portals, and spandrels. The spandrels have an extremely low relief foliate pattern bordered by Romanesque mouldings and imposts. Dressed brick is used for the third and fourth story colonettes and architraves on all the windows. Likewise, dressedbrick that creates a sawtooth pattern frameseach window bay and unifies the entire design. The main portal is three coffers wide,d. and the tympanum is penetrated by geometrically shaped single lights.

Un- fortunately, the name of the original publishing house, Perry Mason Publishing Co., incised on the extrados has been covered by wooden pieces. Flanking this portal are two date panels, "1891" on the right facing the entrance (date of construction) and "1827" on the left (date of founding of publication). Downspouts are concealed in the walls and drain out through lion heads beside the entrance. The interior supports of the building are of cast iron. Thirty-seven hundred Maine spruce trees were placed upside down under the building; iron piers were fastened to granite blocks placed among the trees before the foundation of granite and stone was laid. They reach the roof, making all the columns in the building in alignment. TTEL. Vi :1252C0

From the form

The catalogue entry the section above was filed under.

SIGNIFICANCE PERIOD (Check One or More as Appropriate) Pre-Columbian! 15th Century 16th Century 17th Century 18th Century 19th Century SPECIFIC DATE(S) (If Applicable and Known) 1890-1892 AREAS OF SIGNIFICANCE (Check One or More as Appropriate) Abor iginal X Education Prehistoric Engineering C Industry :] Agricultúre Invention Architecture Landscape Art Architecture Commerce Literature Communications Military Conservation! Music Political Religion/Phi- losophy Science Sculpture Social/Human- itarian Theater Transportatión STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE

Statement of significance

20th Century Urban Planning Other (Specify) The Youth's Companion Building was started in 1890 and was completed in 1892 and was perceived as a monument, an advertisement, a warranty ot the - architects who also designed Christ Church 1n Andover, Latin School in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and the Exeter Street Theatre in Boston, in addition to several schools in Newton. The building takes the manner of Henry Hobson Richardson and modifies it into something that approaches the style of Louis Sullivan's Chicago Auditorium and Stock Exchange. and The building's location in Back Bay, then the "new" area of Boston within walking distance of Back Bay Station, was conveniently located near the business center and accessible for easy contacts. Columbus Avenue had been recently constructed and was one of the broadest streets in Boston.

At the time of its construction, the Youth's Companion Building was larger than any other building near it; five stories above the basement and 92 feet high from the sidewalk to balustrade. It is described in King's How to See Boston as an immense and impressive brownstone building, one of the many magnificent buildings along Columbus Avenue, one of the most prominent thoroughfares in the city. The firm awarded the building contract to Norcross Brothers of Worcester, Massachusetts, the firm which was responsible for the building of Trinity Church among many other commercial buildings throughout the City. Norcross invented the flat-slab construction of reinforced concrete, used slabs of granite, and experimented in the use of sandstone. Fiske, Coleman, and Co. of Boston was responsible for the design of the 426 different/ patterns and mouldings used in the ornamentation.

young people which would interest them and at the same time direct their attention to the beauties of Christian character, the value of education, and the importance of industry, thrift, and upright living. It was founded in 1827 and had among its contributors virtually every noted author of the - It was the foremost literary paper of its time with a circulation exceeding 540,000 copies. It ceased publication in 1929 at which date it was absorbed by American Boy.

The rest of the file

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

MAJOR BIBLIOGRAPHICAL REFERENCES 1. Boston Evening Transcript, "One Hundred Years of the Youth's Companion" August 10, 1929, Book Section, p. 1-2. 2. 3 Damrel1, Charles, A Half Century of Boston's Building, Boston, 1895, p. 82. Harris, Louse, None But the Best, Brown University, p. 48. King, Moses, Boston Views 5 6 Ranlett, Felix, Youth Companion as Recalled by a Staff Member Schuyler, Montgomery, "The Romanesque Revival in America, Architectural Record, vol. 1, 1891-2, p. 174.

CEOGRAPHICAL DATA LATITUDE AND LONGITUDE COORDINATES DEFINING A RECTANGLE LOCATING THE PROPERTY R CORNER LATITUDE Degrees Minutes Seconds LONGITUDE Degrees Minutes Seconds NW NE Degrees 42 ° LATITUDE AND LONGITUDE COORDINATES DEFINING THE CENTER POINT OF A PROPERTY -OFLESS THAN TEN ACRES LATITUDE LONGITUDE Minutes Seconds Degrees Minutes Seconds 20 - 54.63 71 - 04 '22.30" " SE SW APPROXIMATE ACREAGE OF NOMINATED PROPERTY: 26,841 square feet les thar ane ILIST ALL STATES AND COUNTIES FOR PROPERTIES OVERLAPPING STATE OR COUNTY BOUNDARIES STATE: CODE COUNTY 7118/ CODE STATE: CODE COUNTY: RECEIVED CODE STATE: CODE COUNTY: STATE: CODE COUNTY: APR 3 1974 NATIONAL REGISTER CODE CODE FORM PREPARED BY NAME AND TITLE: Elizabeth Amadon, Survey Director ORGANIZATION Massachusetts Historical Commission (617) 727-8470 STREET AND NUMBER: 40 Beacon Street CITY OR TOWN: STATE Boston STATE LIAISON OFFICER CERTIFICATION by Boston Landmarks Commission DATE December, 1973 Massachusetts NATIONAL REGISTER VERIFICATION CODE 025 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 Nationa1 Register and certify that it has been evaluated according to the c-iteria and procedures set forthby the National Park Service.

The recommended level of significance of this nomination is: ational State Local ch.F.1.Darres Honorable John F.X.Davoren Secretary of the Commonwealth TitleChatrman, Massachusetts Htstortcat Commission Date 3|22174 I hereby certify that this property is included in the Nationa1 Register. aPuarkeesa Director, Office of Archeology and Historic Preservation Date 51/14 ATTEST: Date National Regist 5.1.29 GP0 931-894 - 19/329260/4690320 OTmReF wm 919-15 Form 10-300a UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR (July 1969) NATIONAL PARK SERVICE NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES INVENTORY - NOMINATION FORM (Continuation Sheet) (Number all entries) STATE Massachusetts COUNTY Suffolk FOR NPS USE ONLY ENTRY NUMBER DATE AY 2 Youth's Companion Building, Boston #7. DESCRIPTION The building's interior has been altered on the interior to some degree.

In addition to these changes, projecting shop windows were constructed on the side facing Columbus Avenue. Abrownstone parapet was substituted for the original balustraded cornice, and in 1953 the parapet was repaired by removing the architectural terra-cotta and replacing it with cut stone and brick. #8. STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE The Youth's Companion Building was also the birthplace of the Pledge of Allegiance. It was written, printed for the first time, and popularized around the United States in 1892 to commemorate the 400th Anniversary of Columbus in America. #6 EXISTING SURVEYS (2) Inventory of Historic Assets of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts State Survey Depository: Massachusetts Historical Commission (617) 727-8470 Address: 40 Beacon Street, Boston, MA Code: 025 171 8 6) RECEIVED APR 3 1974 14 NATIONAL REGISTER (ETIT ses enrt h.ra ePoge ..

ipnasya GPO 921.724 Youths Companion. Building Samyer Buldu STATE MRSS WORKING NUMBER 4,3.74.519 TECH REVIEW PHOTOS MAPS 2 CONTROL REVIB erax ploto formo. H0 leray de nosery, Suffolk sterise HISTORIAN Accept w.R.Luce 4/5/24 ACI THOCTURA, HTSTORZN Present use? : Office o commencial Accyet 4/9/74 ARCHEOLOGIST cm 4.4. 13 REVIEW UNIT CHIEF BRANCH CHIEF KEEPER Colz Huno 4-30.74 Gecept Wih 511/24 National Register Weite-up Juneraed Federal Register entry pune 4,1974 Send-back - Re-submit_ Entered MAY 2 074 INT: 1538-73 PROBLEM DESCRIPTION SHEET State's Name Vase Resource Name_ Yauths Conpanian Data Collector's Surname Famb Federal. Register List_ 74000393 County Name 3sfala Today's Date 3128189 Cert.

Date S12124 Describe Problem H ths Arepus ueatian, e 3 "Communcatong= Significant po 1 Kemanitarias Team Leader Date /_ N R Staff_ Date / F111 out in duplicate and place one copy with the nomination in the problem box, and the other in the weekly production folder.

08/14/84 Youth's Compovion Bokding 142 Berkeley St UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR NATIONAL PARK SERVICE NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES PROPERTY PHOTOGRAPH FORM (Type all entries - attach to or enclose with photograph) STATE Massachusetts COUNTY Suffolk FOR NPS USE ENTRY NUMBER MAY 2 1974 U - NAME coMMON: Sawyer Building AND/OR HISTORIC: Youth's Companion Building LOCA TION STREET AND NUMBER: 140-144 Berkeley Street and 195-217 Columbus Avenue CITY OR TOWN: Boston STATE: Massachusetts CODE 025 COUNTY: Suffolk PHOTO REFERENCE PHOTO CREDIT: Boston Redevelopment Authority DATE OF PHOTO: 1973 NEGATIVE FILED AT: Boston Redevelopment Authority Boston City Hall, Boston, Massachusetts IDENTIFICATION DESCRIBE VIEW, DIRECTION, ETC.

View of Berkeley Street entrance #1 of 4 photos 18:/ RECEIVE APR 3 197 NATIONA REGIST CINZO PROPERTY OF THE NATIONAL REGISTER 209 Youthis Companion Beilding 209 Columbos Que 2 - UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR NATIONAL PARK SERVICE NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES PROPERTY PHOTOGRAPH FORM (Type all entries - attach to or enclose with photograph) NAME COMMON: Sawyer Building AND/OR HISTORIC: Youth's Companion Building LOCA TION STREET AND NUMBER: 140-144 Berkeley Street and 195-217 Columbus Avenue CITY OR TOWN: Boston STATE: Massachusetts CODE 025 COUNTY: Suffolk PHOTO REFERENCE PHOTO CREDIT: Boston Redevelopment Authority DATE OF PHOTO: 1973 NEGATIVE FILED AT: Boston Redevelopment Authority Boston City Hall, Boston, Massachusetts IDENTIFICATION DESCRIBE VIEW, DIRECTION, ETC.

10 View of Columbus Avenue entrance STATE Massachusetts COUNTY Suffolk FOR NPS US ENTRY NUMBER MAY 2 197 #2 of4 photos PIECEIV APR 3 NATIONA REGISTE PROPERTY OF THE NATIONAL REGISTER outhis ComPonion BurldiNg 209 Polumbus Que UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR NATIONAL PARK SERVICE NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES PROPERTY PHOTOGRAPH FORM (Type all entries - attach to or enclose with photograph) NAME coMMoN: Sawyer Building AND/OR HISTORIC: Youth's Companion Building LOCATION STREET AND NUMBER: 140-144 Berkeley Street and 195-217 Columbus Avenue CITY OR TOWN: Boston STATE: Massachusetts CODE 025 COUNTY: Suffolk PHOTO REFERENCE PHOTO CREDIT: Boston Redevelopment Authority DATE OF PHOTO: 1973 NEGATIVE FILED AT: Boston Redevelopment Authority Boston City Hall, Boston, Massachusetts IDENTIFICATION DESCRIBE VIEW, DIRECTION, ETC.

View of Columbus Avenue portal ceiling STATE Massachuset COUNTY Suffolk FOR NPS ENTRY NUMB #3of4 photos APR 3 NA RE PROPERTY OF THE NATIONAL REGISTER Youth's ComPaNiON BuIldINg 209 Columbus lluE UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR NATIONAL PARK SERVICE NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES PROPERTY PHOTOGRAPH FORM (Type all entries - attach to or enclose with photograph) ISTATE Massachusetts COUNTY Suffolk FOR NPS USE ENTRY NUMBER MAY 2 NAME COMMON: Sawyer Building AND/OR HISTORIC: Youth's Companion Building LOCATION STREET AND NUMBER: 140-144 Berkeley Street and 195-217 Columbus Avenue CITY OR TOWN: Boston 181 STATE: Massachusetts CODE 025 COUNTY: Suffolk PHOTO REFERENCE PHOTO CREDIT: Boston Redevelopment Authority DATE OF PHOTO: 1973 NEGATIVE FILED AT: Boston Redevelopment Authority RECEIVE APR 2 -197 NATION REGIST Boston City Hall, Boston, Massachusetts IDENTIFICATION EL DESCRIBE VIEW, DIRECTION, ETC.

View of Columbus Avenue facade and part of Berkeley Street faca 1ooking northwesterly *4 of 4 photos PROPEKTY OF THE NATIONAL REGISTER 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 ENTRY NUMBER MAY 2 1974 - NAME COMMON: Sawyer Building AND/OR HISTORIC: Youth's Companion Building LOCATION STREET AND NUM BER: 140-144 Berkeley Street and 195-217 Columbus Ave CITY OR TOWN: Boston STATE: CODE 025 COUNTY: Suffolk Massachusetts MAP REFERENCE SOURCE: USGS 7.5' Series, Boston South Quadrangle SCALE: 1:24,000 DATE: 19:70 REQUIREMENTS TO BE INCLUDED ON ALL MAPS 1. Property broundaries where required. 2. North arrow. 3. Latitude and longitude reference. 18 RECFIVED APR.

3 1974 NATIONAL REGISTER DATE CODE 025 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 ENTRY NUMBER NAME COMMON: Sawyer Building AND/OR HISTORIC: Youth's Companion Building LOCATION STREET AND NUM BER: 140-144 Berkeley Street and 195-217 Columbus Avenue CITY OR TOWN: Boston STATE: Massachusetts MAP REFERENCE SOURCE: Boston Redevelopment Authority SCALE: 1" = 100' DATE: June 1965 REQUIREMENTS TO BE INCLUDED ON ALL MAPS 1. Property broundaries where required. 2. North arrow. 3. Latitude and longitude reference.

CODE COUNTY: 025 SUFFO1K1|18119 RECEIVED APR 3 1974 NATIONAL REGISTER ETETTI DATE CODE 025 ENTRIES IN THE NATIONAL REGISTER MASSACHUSETTS STATE Date Entered MAY 2 1974 Name The Steaeship HOBSXA Location Mantucket Mantucket County Clapp Houses Boston (Dorchester) Suffolk County Youth's Companion Buildine (Sawyer Building Savyer bullding Suffolk County -Mercin -Bouse Geckonk Bristol County King'a Chapel Burying Ground Boston Suftolk County Court Square listorfe District Springtield Haapden County Also Notified Hon.-Edwerd W. Brooke Hon. Edvard K. Konnedy Hon. Gerry B. Studds Hon. John J. Moakley Hon. Marsaret M. Reckler Hon. ldward P. Boland Regional Director, North Atlantic Region LPR MMott/ row 5/3/74 Stato Historic Preservation Officer Eon. John I.X. Davoren Secratary of tha Consonwesith Chairasn, Massachuaette Ilistorical Conniscion 40 Bencon St. Boston, Massachusette 02108