60 State Street facts for kids
Quick facts for kids 60 State Street |
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| General information | |
| Type | Office |
| Location | 60 State Street, Boston, Massachusetts |
| Coordinates | 42°21′33″N 71°03′23″W / 42.35903°N 71.05646°W |
| Completed | 1977 |
| Height | |
| Roof | 509 ft (155 m) |
| Technical details | |
| Floor count | 38 |
| Floor area | 823,009 sq ft (76,460.0 m2) |
| Design and construction | |
| Architect | Skidmore, Owings & Merrill |
| Developer | EQ Office |
60 State Street is a tall building, also known as a skyscraper, located on historic State Street in the Government Center area of Boston, Massachusetts. It was finished in 1977. This building is the 15th tallest in Boston, standing 509 feet (155 meters) high. It has 38 floors inside.
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History of the Site
The spot where 60 State Street now stands has a long history. Back in 1713, there was a place called the Great Britain Coffee-House here. It was a popular spot where people could buy coffee, tea, and chocolate. This was a busy corner where Queen Street (now called Court Street) met King Street (now State Street).
Later, in 1838, a man named Thatcher Magoun Sr. set up his business here. He was a ship designer and builder from Medford, Massachusetts. His company, Thatcher Magoun & Son, used this location as a "counting-house." This means it was an office where they managed money, kept records, and handled letters for their shipbuilding business. This helped make State Street a very important financial area in Boston.
Thatcher Magoun Sr.'s son and grandson continued the family business until the late 1870s. They were involved in shipping goods by sea.
The Thatcher Magoun Ship
After Thatcher Magoun Sr. passed away in 1856, a special clipper ship was named in his honor: the Thatcher Magoun. A clipper ship is a very fast sailing ship. This ship was built in Medford. It had a figurehead (a carved figure on the front) that looked just like Thatcher Magoun Sr.
The Thatcher Magoun was known for its speed. It made many trips between Boston, New York City, and San Francisco. It also sailed to places like Liverpool, England, and Hong Kong. One of its fastest trips from Boston to San Francisco took only 113 days!
Building Design and Features
Architecture Style
The 60 State Street building was designed by a company called Skidmore, Owings & Merrill. It was built using pink granite. This color helps it fit in with other nearby buildings, like Faneuil Hall and Boston City Hall Plaza, which are made of red brick.
The building has a unique look with triangular pillars made of granite. These pillars are placed between tall, rectangular windows that go from the floor to the ceiling. From a distance, the building looks like two tall, eight-sided towers standing next to each other. This design with many sides and angled corners is a nod to Boston's older buildings, which often have angled bay windows.
Around the building, there is a raised area for people to walk. You can reach it from State Street or by stairs from Faneuil Hall Marketplace.
Businesses Inside
Many different companies have offices at 60 State Street. A large international law firm called WilmerHale has its main office here. Good Measures, a health company, also has its main office in the building. For many years, the Sheraton Hotel group had its headquarters here too.
On the 33rd floor, there is a beautiful event space called The State Room. It used to be a restaurant. Now, The State Room hosts special events like weddings and company parties. From this high floor, you can see amazing views of Boston Harbor, the Financial District, Boston Common, the Massachusetts State House, the Charles River, and the Mystic River. In 2009, the TV show American Idol even held its first round of auditions for Boston here!
At street level, you can find a Bank of America branch. There are also ATMs at the corner of Congress Street and State Street. Berkshire Bank also announced in 2017 that 60 State Street would be its new main office.
