Panel makes historic Old Corner Bookstore and Cunningham House official landmarks in Boston

Boston Globe

21-05-2025

Following a public review process, the Landmarks Commission voted 9-0 May 13 to recognize the buildings' historic value and architectural significance, according to the panel.
'The Old Corner Bookstore at 283 Washington Street is locally significant as the oldest extant commercial building in Boston, and nationally significant as the former home of Ticknor and Fields, a prominent nineteenth-century book publisher,' said Nicholas A. Armata, senior preservation planner at the Office of Historic Preservation, in an email to the Globe.
Ticknor and Fields published works by some of the most notable authors of the 19th century including Charles Dickens, Henry David Thoreau, Harriet Beecher Stowe, Ralph Waldo Emerson, Nathaniel Hawthorne, and Louisa May Alcott.
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Photo taken of Old Corner Bookstore site in 1920 while building was occupied by Cigar store.
Leon H. Abdalian
A Landmark status protects a historic site from physical changes that might compromise its integrity, according to the
The Old Corner Bookstore and Cunningham House were constructed out of brick in 1718 after a large fire in 1711 destroyed nearly 100 buildings in the area, and wood buildings were banned downtown, according to the Landmarks' Commission
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The buildings are rare surviving examples of residential Georgian architecture, popular during the 18th century, according to the Landmarks Commission.
The Old Corner Bookstore was occupied by booksellers and publishers from 1828 to 1903, while the adjacent Cunningham House at 277 Washington Street was occupied by booksellers and publishers from 1828 to the 1880s, according to Armata.
The buildings had various tenants throughout the first half of the 20th century including restaurants, printing shops, management companies, tailors, and furriers, Armata said.
Photo taken of Old Corner Bookstore [ca. 1961–1965].
George M. Cushing, Jr.
In the 1960s, the Old Corner Bookstore and Cunningham House faced demolition under city renewal plans for a parking garage, according to Armata.
Recognizing their historic value, the Bostonian Society helped form Historic Boston, Inc. (HBI), a nonprofit dedicated to preserving the city's architectural heritage through active reuse, according to the study report.
HBI proved that the buildings did not have to be preserved as museums, but could continue to host tenants, 'generating municipal tax revenue and adding value to the surrounding neighborhood,' the study report said.
'[The building] was saved from demolition thanks in part to the Boston Globe,' Armata said.
In the late 20th century, the Globe opened an advertising office on the ground floor while members of Charles Taylor's family, the newspaper's founding publisher and business manager, took offices upstairs, 'making financing the preservation project feasible,' according to Armata.
The final paperwork for Landmark designation was submitted to the Boston City Clerk's office on May 14, Armata said.
Boston Mayor Michelle Wu will have until May 29 to approve, reject, or take no action on the designation, Armata said.
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If accepted or if no action is taken the petition is transmitted to the Boston City Council. The Council will then have 30 days to approve, reject, or take no action, according to Armata.
Sarah Mesdjian can be reached at