Nomination for Filene's Department Store

From the form

The catalogue entry the section above was filed under.

NPS Form 10-900 (3-82) OMB No.1024-0018 Exp. 10-31-84 United States Department of the Interior National Park Service National Register of Historic Places Inventory - Nomination Form See instructions in How to Complete National Register Forms Type all entries - complete applicable sections 1. Name Filene's Department Store For NPS use only received JUN 2 5 1986 date entered historic same and/or common 2. Location street & number 426 Washington St. n/a not for publication Boston city, town n/avicinity of Massachusetts 025 state 3. Classification Category Ownership _ district public -building(s) private structure both site Public Acquisition object n/ain process being considered code Suffolk 025 county code Status occupied unoccupied work in progress Accessible X yes: restricted yes: unrestricted .

no Present Use agriculture X commercial educational entertainment government industrial military museum park private residence religious scientific transportation other: 4. Owner of Property name Equitable Life Assurance Society 426 Washington St. street & number Boston n/a city, town vicinity of 5. Location of Legal Description Massachusetts 02108 state courthouse, registry of deeds, etc. Suffolk County Registry of Deeds street & number Pemberton Square Boston city, town Massachusetts state 6. Representation in Existing Surveys Inventory of Historic Assets of the titleCommonwealth of Massachusetts has this property been determined eligible? yes date 1980 _federalX state county _ local depository for survey records Massachusetts Historical Commission, 80 Boylston Street Boston city, town state Massachusetts 7. Description Filene's Department Store, Boston, Mass.

Condition x excellent good fair deteriorated ruins unexposed Check one .unaltered altered Check one original site moved date Describe the present and original (if known) physical appearance

Description of the property

Filene's Department Store, built 1911-1912, is a large, monumental Beaux Arts style commercial building of steel-framed construction clad in glazed terra cotta and brick. Located in the heart of Boston's Downtown Crossing retail district, its robustly ornamented principal facades face Washington and Summer Streets. This building covers over one acre and with its later additions and urban park at its northern edge, encompasses the entire block bounded by Washington, Summer, Hawley, and Franklin Streets. The building has a plan that appears rectancular, though street constrictions actually make it a parallelogran. The plan of the original building had an inset in the northeastern party wall due to abutting buildings. The building rests on a concrete foundation and rises 125 feet to the cornice.

A modern (1972-73) addition at 384 Washington Street is faced in polished granite and cast concrete panels. This addition, to the north of the 1912 building, is not being nominated. Adjacent to the southern side of the 1912 building, Summer Street has been converted into a pedestrian mall with new lighting and benches. While the Washington Street facade encompasses seven bays, that on Summer Street contains ten bays. The upper stories remain remarkably intact in their original design, but the storefront level has been modernized and the original canopies replaced. -The street level originally was composed of a continuous series of large plate glass display windows and canopies having 3-light transoms above. Currently the first story contains large display windows and polished granite wall treatment, with the transom windows filled in.

Angled entrances to the store are located on Washington and Summer Streets near that intersection; entry to the Washington Street MBTA subway station is on Summer Street. An entry with stairs to the store basement is located in the northern bay on the Washington Street elevation. At that Summer Street/Hawley Street corner, a storefront fast food operation is now located. The main building has a wall treatment of light gray terra cotta, which imitates granite at the second story, corner piers, and top story, providing an overall enframement for a dark green terra cotta pier and spandrel window grid from levels three through seven. General format of the gray terra cotta is a smooth-finished course alternating with a low-relief decorative course. The green grid imitates cast metal, having engaged columns of ornamental banded reed colonetteswhich extend the full five-story height.

Embellishment is also seen on the smaller piers and the spandrels which feature projecting lion heads and floreate spandrels. Similar spandrels also are located between windows in the corner piers at the fourth through seventh floors. All windows contained within the green grid are Chicago windows -- a central large fixed area of plate glass flanked by sash windows. Windows on the seventh story are shorter than those of the lower floors, and are decorated with ornamental soffits. Window frames are painted gray. The Chicago style format is also followed on the brick wall facing Hawley Street but with narrower central Continued NPS Form 10-900-a (3-82) United States Department of the Interior National Park Service National Register of Historic Places Inventory - Nomination Form Filene's Department Store, Boston, Mass. Continuation sheet Item number 7 OMB No.

1024-0018 Expires 10-31-87 For NPS use only recelved date entered Page 1 The gray terra cotta wall surface and corner pier embellishment wraps around one bay each on the north party wall and the Hawley St. facade. Providing a visual base for the structure is the second story, with an elaborate series of five moldings and above, a wall surface enhanced by three courses of a low-relief shell and foliate pattern. Each window opening at this level is embellished by a rope-like molding, with the window sash set within deep reveals. Above the main entrance on Summer St., the second story window opening contains a metal sculpture of cherubs flanking a shield with an on it and four bells below. For the wall surface of the corner piers, courses of smooth terra cotta alternate with curvilinear ornamental courses.

Windows at the third story contain elaborate classical enframements featuring arched pediments, side columns, and balustrades supported by exagerrated console brackets and flanked by cartouches. The richly ornamented eighth story forms an elaborate crown to the building. It includes above the seventh story a variety of moldings including "F's" in circles joined by an elaborate floral garland. All windows of the eighth story have shouldered architraves and have floral patterns--which become modillions for the next level of moldings--flanked by horizontal brackets where a pediment would be. Cartouches flank all windows in the cornice, and swags link all the cartouches on the central bays. Additional top moldings, like the lower section of moldings, include cymatium, fascia, floral patterns, acanthus, and festooning.

Under the eaves run pipes which, in the event of a fire, release water and form a curtain around the building. In the middle of both the Summer and Washington Street facades, between the second and third floors are large olive framed clocks affixed perpendicular to the building's surface. Beneath each is the Filene's logo. On Hawley st., the southern cornermost bay is also faced with light grey terra cotta, while the remaining buff brick portion of the wall is divided into 6 bays. Un the east is a buff brick section used for shipping and receiving, connecting the main building to the former Jones, McDuffee and Stratton Building at Franklin and Hawley Streets, now the Men's Annex. Continued NPS Form 10-900-a (3-82) United States Department of the Interior National Park Service National Register of Historic Places: Inventory - Nomination Form Filene's Department Store, Boston, Mass.

Continuation sheet Item number 7 OMB No. 1024-0018 Expires 10-31-87 For NPS use anly received date entered Page 2 The northeastern party wall is of red brick, except for the Washington corner bay that is dressed in terra cotta above the fifth floor. A variety of window types are found throughout the building. Windows in the corner piers from the second through seventh floors are wide, double-hung one over one sash. Windows on the eighth floor are single broad, horizontal format alternating with oxeye windows. The rectangular units are now filled with glass blocks. On the north brick party wall which rises above the modern three story addition, there are small double hung windows of four over four vertical lights aranged in an irregular pattern.

The original windows are generally intact, although a few have been filled with air vents or air those on the party wall, are recessed within deep reveals. Adjacent to the 1912 building is a 3-story modern addition (1972-3) at 384 Washington St., faced in polished granite and cast concrete panels. Al though the area in which Filene's Department Store is located holds archaeological potential, the scale of the building is too large to anticipate any significant archaeological materials surviving.

From the form

The catalogue entry the section above was filed under.

Significance Filene's Department Store, Boston, Mass. Period prehistoric 1400-1499 1500-1599 1600-1699 1700-1799 1800-1899 X. 1900- Areas of SignificanceCheck and justify below -archeology-prehistoric community planning - archeology-historic conservation agriculture economics X architecture education art engineering X commerce exploration/settlement communications industry invention landscape architecture law literature military music philosophy - politics/government Specific dates 1911-1912 Builder

Statement of significance

/Architect Daniel H. Burnham & Co. Statement of Significance (in one paragraph) Filene's Departnent Store is significant as one of the city's best examples of early 20th century Beaux Arts Comnercial architecture, and as the last major work of the nationally influential architect Daniel H. Burnham. Built in 1912, Filene's is one of a series of major department stores throughout the world designed by Burnham, and has been the home since its construction of one of Boston's oldest and 1argest department stores. Filene's was a leader and pioneer in merchandising, labor, and distribution practices during the great age of department stores in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

In the Boston Landmarks Commission's Central Business District Preservation Study (1980) of 809 buildings, this building was evaluated to be of "Major Significance" (Group II) to the City, the Commonwealth and the New England Region. The 1912 building possesses integrity of location, design, materials, workmanship, setting, and association; as such it meets criteria A and c of the National Register of Historic Places. On March 16, 1912, the cornerstone was laid for the new Filene's location, and the store opened on September 3 of that year. The building was considered "modern" in its day because of the use of a window grid system which expressed (Sepstgt2) andicatefo Praikty tietaaude of he waskoordinchrickhait der Sept. 1912) been built." Burnham used the sharp contrast between the gray and olive green terra cotta to emphasize the space alloted to windows and light.

To this "modern" framework he added a richness of traditional Beaux Arts classical detailing, which has survived intact except at the storefront level. Wells Brothers and Co. of New York were contractors for this work of D. H. Burnham and Co. of Chicago. Architect Daniel Hudson Burnham (1846-1912) is known as the designer (with John Root ot buildings such as the kookery. Montauk, Reliance and Monadnock uildinas in Chicago and New York's Fuller ("Flatiron") Buildina (constructe( after Root's death in 1891), all pioneering works in the development of the technol ogy or the aesthnetic of the new "tall office buildings." Burnham was also one of the promoters of the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago and is considered one of the earliest City Planning experts.

The prominent Boston architectural firm of Parker, Thomas, and Rice was brought in as consulting architects to appease public outcry at the designation of an out-of-town architect. religion science sculpture social/ humanitarian theater transportation other (specify) WAJ8!

The rest of the file

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

Major Bibliographical References see continuation sheet 10. Geographical Data Acreage of nominated property less than one Quadrangle name - Boston South UT M References 1 9 33 0 2 6 5 4691040 Quadrangle scale 1:25,000 A Zone Easting Northing Zone LL LILLIL Easting Northing Lulul LILILL 1LJLI F H Verbal boundary description and justification Nominated property includes all of assessor's parcel number 4584. See attached Assessor's Map. List all states and counties for properties overlapping state or county boundaries n/a state code county code state code county code 11. Form Prepared By Carol Kennedy name/title Boston Landmarks Commission Massachusetts Historical Commission organization date May 1985 street & number 80 Boylston St. telephone (617) 727-8470 city or town Boston state Massachusetts 12.

State Historic Preservation Officer Certification The evaluated significance of this property within the state is: national X. state - X local As the designated State Historic Preservation Officer for the National 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 criteria and proceduresset forth by the National Park Service. State Historic Preservation Officer signature Valerie A. Talmage title Executive Director, Massachusetts Historical Commission date State Historic Preservation Officer 6/12/86 For NPS use only I hereby certify that this property is included in the Natjonal Register Delaru Byc Mational Register date 2-24-86 Attest: Chief of Registration date U.S.

GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE : 1983 0 - 419-311 NPS Form 10-900-a (3-82) United States Department of the Interior National Park Service National Register of Historic Places Inventory - Nomination Form Filene's Department Store, Boston, Continuation sheet Item number 8 OMB No. 1024-0018 Expires 10-31-87 For NPS use anly received dale antered Page Modifications were made to Burnham's original design before construction. In order to reduce costs, Filene's eliminated towers that would have been visible throughout the city, a high parapet, the continuation of the terra cotta completely across the Hawley Street facade, some ornamental terra cotta and iron work, a fancy sidewalk, a fur vault, a soda fountain, window floral boxes, and pneumatic tubes.

Filene's retained many unique features, however, in the final construction, most notably the direct access of the basement to the subway and the inclusion of store display windows along the concourse joining basement and subway. First floor plate glass store windows were almost continuous and the canopy had a glass roof. The storefront level and canopy were extensively altered according to the design of the architect David C. Abrahams in 1951. According to the Brickbuilder, the 1912 store had a novel interior layout involving "speciaTty shops designed after the manner of Parisian booths" rather than aisles. The store was at that time a co-operative with a profit-sharing membership of 2,000 employees. The building had roof recreation fields, an assembly hall,hospital, library, baths, and men's smoking room. William Filene, a Prussian immigrant, opened his first Boston shop in 1849.

In later years, Filene operated from a number of locations, including Boston, Salem,Lynn,New York, and Bath (Maine), selling women's clothing or fancy goods such as gloves, ribbons, buttons, furs and laces. By 1881 the entara ise enterprise was concentrated on its Boston stores. Filene's sons Lincoln and Edward A. joined the concern, in management and merchandising respectively. They inherited equal portions of the store upon william Filene's death in 1901. The store grew steadily, absorbing the R.H. White Co. department store in 1929 and becoming part of Federated Department Stores. Good labor relations were enhanced by the employees' elected Board of Arbitration, which settled internal disputes and elected members to sit on the Filene's Board. Members determined working hours, holidays and benefits, while management reserved the right to veto.

Benefits included a cafeteria, paid holidays, free medical care and health clinic, a savings and loan, legal aid, a ticket agency, library, and newspaper. Educational and training programs were also offered. In 1903, the store instituted a profit sharing plan for employees. Other notable labor practices were the adoption of a forty-hour work week and implementation of a retirement income plan for executives and nonexecutives. Continued NPS Form 10-900-a (3-82) United States Department of the Interior National Park Service National Register of Historic Places Inventory - Nomination Form Filene's Department Store, Boston, Mass. Continuation sheet Item number 8 OMB NO.

1024-0018 Expires 10-31-87 For NPS use anly received date entered Page 2 Filene's Sons Company leased a building at Washington and Winter Streets in 1907 which led in 1909 to the opening of the store's Automatic Bargain Basement, Filene's most widely-known merchandising technique. E.A. Filene conceived of the idea as a clearinghouse for distressed merchandise, bankruptcylots and remainders which might hamper normal flows of distribution. Service was minimal, and all sales were for cash. Each item was tagged with a price at least 10 per cent lower than the competition and the date on which it was first offered for sale. Twelve selling days later, anyunsold articleswere automatically reduced by25per cent. Another 25 per cent was subtracted after six more selling days, and this technique repeated until any items unsold after thirty days were donated to charity.

It was 10 years before the Basement showed a profit, but since then has showed continuing success. By 1910, when Filene's opened a Paris office, it was evident that new space would be needed in Boston. to $4 1/2 million. as a store and allowed for future expansion. seune rsags ba eg 18 mac They also wanted to take advantage of traffic from the new Washington St. subway station by connecting it to the store basement. In 1916, Lincoln Filene organized a Retail Research Association of eighteen leading department stores to study problems of marketing and operations. From this in 1921 grew the Associated Merchandising Corporation, a cooperative purchasing affiliate. Several members of the A.M.C., including Filene's, Abraham and Strauss, F.& R. Lazurus, Bloomingdales, I.

Magnin, and Sanger Harris formed Federated Department Stores in 1929 as a holding company to distribute risk over a wide geographical area. Eventually, each store became a division of the larger corporation. In the 1920's, Filene's purchased the building at 33-39 Franklin Street. This 1905, pier and spandrel commercial buildina was designed by the firm Parker and Rice. It was originally occupied by the Jones, McDuffee and Stratton Company who sold crockery, china, glass, pottery, lamps and gifts, and soccupied all ten floors Continued NPS Form 10-900-a (3-82) United States Department of the Interior National Park Service National Register of Historic Places Inventory - Nomination Form Filene's Department Store, Boston, Mass. Continuation sheet Item number 8 OMB No.

1024-0018 Expires 10-31-87 For NPS use only received dale entered Page 3 In 1935 the entire store was air-conditioned, the first store to be so in New England. Filene's became a pioneer in the development of branch stores (which often started as summer or college shops) and the shopping center with ample parking. In 1951 a new building was built on Hawley St. and the first floor of the main building was altered. In 1972, six buildings adjoining the 1912 building to the north were demolished and a modern addition replaced them. NPS Form 10-900-a (3-82) United States Department of the Interior National Park Service National Register of Historic Places Inventory-Nomination Form Continuation sheet Filene's Dartment Store, BostofémMumber 10 OMB NO. 1024-0018 Expires 10-31-87 For NPS use only received date entered Page 1 BIBLIOGRAPHY Tucci, Douglas S. Built in Boston: City and Suburb.

Boston: New York Graphic Society, 1978. Brickbuilder. "The New Filene Store." Vol. 21; September, 1912. p. 247-250 (discussion, exterior illustration and plans). Boston City Directories. Boston Tercentenary Committee. Fifty Years of Boston. 1932. pp. 190-191. Architectural Club Yearbook. 1911 (p. 229) and 1912 (no page #) (ext. illus.) Suffolk County Deeds. City of Boston. Building Department documents. Boston Landmarks Commission. Central Business District Preservation Study. Prepared by Pamela W. Fox and Mickail Koch. Building Inventory form. 1980. Gorman, Babette. Al1 About Filene's and the People who Made it Grow. Boston: Filene's, 1980. 9781 -1< GRANARY BURIAL GROUND (CEM) 87,900 STREET 3248 8000 PARK STREET CHURCH 123 STREET M.B.T.A STA. 77 75 73 WALL Filene's 426 Washington Street Boston, MA (So.

Quad) UTM References: 19/ 330265/ 4691040 N scale: 1" = 100' Boston Assessor's Map 20 18,428 26 28 98 9694 BOSWORTH 00 2, 30 °o> 19 18 "> 15 6> 65 59 BROMFIELD CHAPMAN PROVINCE 7073 8 10 3654 S7. 13 31 42 40 22,745 5828 PROVINCE 32 10,070 50 54 52 854 5 25 20 26 199, WAY ORDWAY PLA 10,177 11835 3s, J6S 3 | 369 STREET 17,980 EYAN 375 38, 122 121 120 118 WESLI 383 387 393 17,329 LOEW'S 14,335 HAMILTON ORPHEUM THEATRE 126 125 'a, 40,600 5390 384 1947 380 2357 392 398 300 4800 1127 2433 2412 1700 4800 3400 39 9715 STREET 33/464 WINTER 30 6 1532 25 23 25 1685 MUSIC HALL PL 3970 Pas *3, 439 1550 SUMMER 132 5700 2806 3288 ST.

PAUL'S CATHEDRAL (EPISCOPAL) 1108 9 9058 14,000 1520 16 20 PL WINTER 1810 1656 So 22 20 pry 4630 1180 1029 JACKSON STREET 8 4142 903 6850 6085 37/9 8/60 2 447 449 *32 35, 753 455 440 107,817 459 °6, 469 WASHINGTON 444 450 452 22/3 1532 32 4475 35 ,958 36 606937 ?8, 60 PLACE S3 Ss 2549 > 3337 11 13 18,277 24,234 STREET 2270 4488 HAWLEY 12,647 STREE 86001909 WASO Form - 177 ("R" June 1984) UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR NATIONAL PARK SERVICE NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES EVALUATION/RETURN SHEET Filene's Department Store Suffolk County MASSACHUSETTS resubmission nomination by person or local government owner objection appeal Substantive Review: Reviewer's comments: sample request JN 25 1996 Working No.. Fed. Reg.

Date: 2/3/87 Date Due: 2/24/86 - 8/9/8 Action: Intered in -ACCEPT 7-24-86 National Begister - RETURN - REJECT- Federal Agency: Jappeal J NR decision Recom./Criteria Reviewer Discipline Date _ see continuation sheet Nomination returned for: . _technical corrections cited below substantive reasons discussed below 1. Name 2. Location 3. Classification Category Ownership Public Acquisition 4. Owner of Property 5. Location of Legal Description 6. Representation in Existing Surveys Has this property been determined eligible? yes no 7. Description Condition excellent good fair deteriorated ruins unexposed Check one unaltered altered Describe the present and original (if known) physical appearance summary paragraph completeness clarity alterations/integrity dates boundary selection Status Accessible Present Use Check one original site moved date 8.

Significance Period Areas of Significance-Check and justify below Specific dates Statement of Significance (in one paragraph) Builder/Architect summary paragrapn completeness clarity applicable criteria justification of areas checked relating significance to the resource context relationship of integrity to significance justification of exception other 21012 olin 9. Major Bibliographical References 10. Geographical Data Acreage of nominated property Quadrangle name _ UTM References Verbal boundary description and justification 11. Form Prepared By 12. State Historic Preservation Officer Certification The evaluated significance of this property within the state is: national state local State Historic Preservation Officer signature date title 13.

Other Maps Photographs - Other Questions concerning this nomination may be directed to _ Signed - Date Phone: _ GPO 918-450 Comments for any item may be continued on an attached sheet Filene's Department Store 426 Washington St. Boston, Massachusetts 6:. Pamela Fox, 1980 Negative filed at Boston Landmarks Commission Photograph number 1 of 6 Southern oblique view of Summer St. facade; camera facing north Filene's Department Store 426 Washington St. Boston, Massachusetts Carol Kennedy, 1980 Negative filed at Boston Landmarks Commission Photograph number 2 of 6 Oblique view of northwestern (Washington St.) elevation; camera facing northeast Filene's Department Store 426 Washington St.

Boston, Massachusetts Carol Kennedy, 1980 Negative filed at Boston Landmarks Commission Photograph number 3 of 6 Oblique view of southeastern (Hawley St.) elevation; camera facing northeast Dal Filene's Department Store 426 Washington St. Boston, Massachusetts Carol Kennedy, 1980 Negative filed at Boston Landmarks Commission Photograph number 4 of 6 Oblique view of southeastern (Hawley St.) elevation; camera facing southwest Filenes Filene's Department Store 426 Washington St. Boston, Massachusetts Carol Kennedy, 1980 Negative filed at Boston Landmarks Commission Photograph number 5 of 6 Northern oblique view (Washington St. on right); camera facing south Filene's Department Store 426 Washington St.

Boston, Massachusetts Carol Kennedy, 1980 Negative filed at Boston Landmarks Commission Photograph number 6 of 6 Oblique view of northeast (Frankliln St.) facade; camera facing south # P 093 545111 Jre The Commonwealth of Massachusetts Office of the Secretary of State Michael Joseph Connolly, Secretary Massachusetts Historical Commission Valerie A. Talmage Executive Director State Historic Preservation Officer June 12, 1986 Carol Shull Chief of Registration National Register of Historic Places Dept. of Interior, NPS P.O. Box 37127 Washington, D.C. 20013-7127 Dear Ms. Shull: Enclosed you will find fifteen nominations forms for properties in Boston and Richmond, Massachusetts. Eleven of the Boston properties are being submitted for Determinations of Eligibility due to owner objection. The remaining properties are being submitted for nomination to the National Register.

Owner objections have been received for the Appleton, Auchmuty, Federal Reserve, 20-30 Bromfield, Hemenway, National Shawmut Bank, Parker House, Phoenix, Richardson, Sears Block and Crescent, and Tremont Temple buildings. All of the properties have been voted eligible by the State Review Board and have been signed by the State Historic Preservation Officer. Owners were notified of pending State Review Board consideration 30-75 days before the meeting andwere afforded the opportunity to comment. Comments received to date are attached to the nomination forms. sincerely, Saran Dimmenan Sarah Zimmerman Director of Preservation Planning /sjz enc. JUN 25 1986 80 Boylston Street, Boston, Massachusetts 02116 (617) 727-8470