Horticultural Hall (Boston) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Horticultural Hall |
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Horticultural Hall exterior (2018)
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| General information | |
| Address | Huntington Avenue & Massachusetts Avenue |
| Town or city | Boston, Massachusetts |
| Country | United States |
| Coordinates | 42°20′35.15″N 71°05′06.38″W / 42.3430972°N 71.0851056°W |
| Renovated | 1984 |
| Owner | Northeastern University |
| Design and construction | |
| Architecture firm | Wheelwright and Haven |
Horticultural Hall is a cool old building in Boston, Massachusetts. It's located right where Huntington Avenue and Massachusetts Avenue meet. Built in 1901, it stands across the street from Symphony Hall. Since 2020, Northeastern University has owned the building. Today, it's home to the William Morris Hunt Memorial Library of the Museum of Fine Arts. You can also find offices for Boston magazine, 829 Studios, and Small Army here. Plus, the New England Conservatory of Music uses some of its space for performances.
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History of Horticultural Hall
This building is the third "Horticultural Hall" made for the Massachusetts Horticultural Society. It was designed in 1901 by architects Wheelwright and Haven. They built it on land the Society bought. Fun fact: this same team also designed the unique Harvard Lampoon Castle in Cambridge, Massachusetts.
When the Hall first opened in 1901, thousands of people came to see it. The opening lasted ten days! The hall was filled with amazing plants like amaryllises, azaleas, geraniums, gloxinias, jasmine, trumpet lilies, palms, rhododendrons, and wisteria. There was even a collection of 1,000 orchids. It was the best orchid collection ever seen in America at that time!
The building had a large lecture hall that could fit 300 people. Many groups used the hall over the years. These included the Benevolent Fraternity Fruit and Flower Mission, which helped people with fruit and flowers. Other groups were the Wildflower Society and the Garden Club Federation. The Boston Mycological Club (for mushroom lovers) and the New England Gourd Society also met there. You could also find the New England Gladiolus Society, the Herb Society of America, and the Boston Aquarium Society in the building.
The Hall was updated in 1984. Then, in 1992, it was sold to the nearby Christian Science Church. This building is currently being studied by the Boston Landmarks Commission. They are deciding if it should be named a special, historic landmark.
Other Buildings Used by the Society
Earlier Halls (1845–1901)
The Massachusetts Horticultural Society has had a few "Horticultural Halls" in Boston. The first one was on School Street, built in 1845. The second was on Tremont Street, built in 1865. The building we are talking about (from 1901) is the third one.
Elm Bank Horticulture Center (2001–Present)
Today, the Society's main home is the Elm Bank Horticulture Center. This center opened in 2001. It is located near the towns of Wellesley and Dover.
Images for kids
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1900, sketch of the building
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1901, the library inside
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1901, a chrysanthemum show
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1908, a map of the area
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1911, an old advertisement
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1912, an Italian garden display
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1920, the building's outside
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1921, a hand-colored picture
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2005, the building's outside
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2008, the building's outside
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2018, the building's outside
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