Conductor's Building facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Conductor's Building |
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Conductor's Building in 2016 after renovations
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| General information | |
| Address | 112 Mount Auburn Street (2 Bennett Street) |
| Town or city | Cambridge, Massachusetts |
| Coordinates | 42°22′22″N 71°07′20″W / 42.372771°N 71.122286°W |
| Completed | 1912 |
| Client | Boston Elevated Railway |
| Owner | Carpenter & Co. |
| Dimensions | |
| Other dimensions | 144 feet (44 m) long by 20 feet (6.1 m) wide |
| Technical details | |
| Material | Brick |
The Conductor's Building is an old office building in Cambridge, Massachusetts. It is located near Harvard Square. This building was once used by the Boston Elevated Railway (BERy). It was built in 1912.
This building is special because it's the only original building left from when the Cambridge subway was first built. After being fixed up from 2014 to 2017, it was a restaurant for a short time. The building is also part of the Harvard Square Historic District.
Contents
The Conductor's Building: A Historic Hub
Building a Subway and a Home
From 1909 to 1912, the Boston Elevated Railway (BERy) built the Cambridge subway. This subway went from Park Street Under to Harvard Square. At Harvard Square, a special tunnel was built for streetcars. This helped move many busy streetcar lines away from the crowded square.
The BERy built the Conductor's Building to be the main office for its 7th Division. It was a long, narrow brick building. It was about 144 feet (44 m) long and only 20 feet (6.1 m) wide.
The first floor had offices and a large waiting area. This area was for conductors and motormen. They were the people who drove the streetcars. The basement had storage, locker rooms, and bathrooms. The second floor had more offices and a big meeting hall. There was also a small waiting room for the public.
From Busy Hub to Quiet History
Over the years, the company that owned the building changed names. First, it became the Metropolitan Transit Authority in 1947. Then, in 1964, it became the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA).
By the 1950s, the streetcar lines were changed to buses. Because of this, the building was not used as much by the MBTA. It slowly started to fall apart.
Even though it was in disrepair, the building was recognized as important. In 1988, it was added to the National Register of Historic Places. This means it's a special historic place. It's the only building left from when the Cambridge Subway was built in 1912. All the other original buildings have been torn down.
A New Chapter: Renovation and Restaurant
Around the year 2000, the MBTA stopped using the building completely. This was because it was no longer safe. In 2005, the MBTA thought about selling the building. They wanted to sell extra properties to make money.
Some people in the community were worried about losing a historic building. Others thought it would be good to fix up the area.
In 2012, a company called Carpenter & Company bought the Conductor's Building. They also bought the alley next to it. They planned a big project to build an office building and fix up the Conductor's Building. They even thought about turning it into "the longest bar in America."
The renovations were finished in early 2016. In 2017, a restaurant called Les Sablons opened in the building. However, it closed in August 2018. The building remains a historic landmark in Cambridge.
