Athenaeum Press facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
|
|
Athenæum Press
|
|
 |
|
 Location in Massachusetts
Location in the United States
|
|
| Location | 215 1st Street, Cambridge, Massachusetts |
|---|---|
| Built | 1895 |
| Architect | Lockwood, Greene, & Co. |
| MPS | Cambridge MRA |
| NRHP reference No. | 82001917 |
| Added to NRHP | April 13, 1982 |
The Athenæum Press Building is an historic building located at 215 First Street in Cambridge, Massachusetts. It occupies the entire block between First Street, Second Street, Athenæum Street, and Linskey Way (formerly Munroe Street). Topped by a statue of Athena, it is visible from the Charles River and Longfellow Bridge.
History
The building was designed by Lockwood, Greene & Company (with tile vaults designed by the Guastavino Company) and completed in 1895. It was built for Ginn & Company and Edwin Ginn, owners of The Athenæum Press, to house its printing operations, and was built using principles of late 19th-century textile mill construction. Due to its highly visible location, the building was given a number of stylistic embellishments. The front of the building resembles an Ancient Greek temple implemented in brick, patinated copper, and glass. The building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1982. The building was the third major printing house built in Cambridge (after those of Harvard University Press and Riverside Press), and one of the first major industrial sites on Cambridge's riverfront.
The building has 380,000 square feet (35,000 m2) of floor space and was renovated circa 2005. The facility was used for many years to print textbooks. Ginn & Company later became part of the Penguin Group.
Current use
As of 2019, Occupants include the Cambridge Athletic Club (a local gym), Partners HealthCare Innovation, the Lean Enterprise Institute, SAGE Therapeutics, Constellation Pharmaceuticals and several other small businesses.
Gallery
-
Statue of Athena on the building's roof.
