Ames Building facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Ames Building |
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| General information | |
| Type | Office (1889–1999) Hotel (2007–present) |
| Location | 1 Court Street Boston, Massachusetts |
| Coordinates | 42°21′32″N 71°03′28″W / 42.35890°N 71.05786°W |
| Completed | 1889 |
| Technical details | |
| Floor count | 14 |
| Design and construction | |
| Architect | Shepley, Rutan, and Coolidge |
| Developer | Cleveland Quarries |
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Ames Building
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| Area | 0.1 acres (0.040 ha) |
| NRHP reference No. | 74000382 |
| Added to NRHP | April 26, 1974 |
The Ames Building is a historic hotel and tall building located in Boston, Massachusetts. It was once the tallest building in Boston. It held this title from 1893 until 1915. That's when the Custom House Tower was built. Even though it wasn't the very tallest structure (the Church of the Covenant's steeple was taller), it is still known as Boston's first true skyscraper. In 2007, the building changed from offices into a fancy hotel.
History of the Ames Building
The Ames Building is found at 1 Court Street in downtown Boston. The famous architecture firm Shepley, Rutan and Coolidge designed it. Frederick L. Ames paid for its construction. The building has a special style called Richardsonian Romanesque.
It is the second tallest building in the world made mostly of stone walls. Only the Monadnock Building in Chicago is taller. The Ames Building has fourteen stories. It is covered in granite and sandstone. The lower four stories have large arches. These arches frame the windows and rest on Romanesque columns. The upper floors have smaller arches. The sandstone came from Ohio.
Construction of the building finished in 1889. But the inside was not ready until 1893. It became the main office for the Ames family's farm tool company.
The Ames Building is very important. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1974. Later, in 1993, it was named a Boston Landmark.
Building Renovations
The building was empty for eight years. Then, in 2007, some partners bought it. They paid $17.7 million for the structure. A company called Tishman Construction Corporation worked on the updates. They followed a design by Cambridge Seven Associates.
The Ames Hotel and Dormitory
From 2009, the Ames Building was a fancy hotel. It was called The Ames Boston Hotel. But in 2019, the hotel closed its doors. Nearby Suffolk University bought the building. They turned it into a dormitory for students. It opened for students in the fall of 2020.
See also
In Spanish: Ames Building para niños
