941–955 Boylston Street

941–955 Boylston Street
941–955 Boylston Street
	Interactive map of 941–955 Boylston Street
General information
Architectural style	Richardsonian Romanesque
Location	Boston, Massachusetts, United States
Coordinates	42°20′53″N 71°05′08″W / 42.34806°N 71.08566°W
Completed	1887
Client	City of Boston
Design and construction
Architect	Arthur H. Vinal

941–955 Boylston Street is a historic building in the Back Bay district of Boston, Massachusetts. Formerly a combined fire and police station, the fire station remains in active use by the Boston Fire Department. The building has been designated a Boston Landmark by the Boston Landmarks Commission.

History

The building, located on Boylston Street, was designed by Arthur H. Vinal in 1886, while he was City Architect, as the city's first combined fire and police station. The building, constructed in 1887, is in the Richardsonian Romanesque style, as was Vinal's most notable other work, the Chestnut Hill Water Works pumping station, built at about the same time.

The fire station at 941 Boylston Street, which is still active, houses Boston Fire Department Engine Company 33 and Ladder Company 15. The police station at 955 Boylston Street was home to Boston Police Department Division 16 until 1976. From 1976 to 2007, the police station was home to the Institute of Contemporary Art; in 2007 it was acquired by Boston Architectural College for $7.22 million.^[2]

A courtyard between the two buildings originally led to shared stables for fire department and police horses. Division 16 later added a single-story building immediately to the west^[3] (out of frame in the photo above). By 1976, the advent of motorized patrols had led to a consolidation of Boston's smaller police divisions, including Division 16, into larger police districts, resulting in the closure and redevelopment of the police station.

Plaques on the Boylston Street facade memorialize four Boston firefighters who died in the line of duty: Cornelius J. Noonan (d. 1938), Richard F. Concannon (d. 1961), Richard B. Magee (d. 1972), and Stephen F. Minehan (d. 1994).

References

^ "Historical Markers: Back Bay". The Bostonian Society. Archived from the original on 8 April 2007. Retrieved 1 May 2007.
^ "The Boston Architectural College Announces the Acquisition of 955 Boylston Street, Boston" (Press release). Boston Architectural College. 8 January 2007. Archived from the original on 3 May 2007. Retrieved 1 May 2007.
^ The street address of this building, which now houses a restaurant, is also 955 Boylston Street according to phone directory listings.

[1] "Historical Markers: Back Bay". The Bostonian Society. Archived from the original on 8 April 2007. Retrieved 1 May 2007.

[2] "The Boston Architectural College Announces the Acquisition of 955 Boylston Street, Boston" (Press release). Boston Architectural College. 8 January 2007. Archived from the original on 3 May 2007. Retrieved 1 May 2007.

[3] The street address of this building, which now houses a restaurant, is also 955 Boylston Street according to phone directory listings.

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[2]

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History

See also

References