John Hancock Building facts for kids
In Boston, Massachusetts, four different buildings have been called the "John Hancock Building." All of them were built by the John Hancock Insurance companies. When people talk about the John Hancock building, they usually mean the very tall, 60-story glass building on Clarendon Street. This famous building is also known as the John Hancock Tower or Hancock Place.
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Early John Hancock Buildings in Boston
John Hancock Insurance built several important buildings over the years. These structures helped shape the city's look. Let's explore some of the earlier ones.
The First Building: Devonshire Street (1891)
The very first John Hancock Building was built in 1891 on Devonshire Street. William G. Preston designed this building. Later, in 1919, the First National Bank of Boston bought it. This building was torn down in 1922 to make space for a new bank building. That new building was also later replaced by One Federal Street in 1971.
The Stone & Webster Building (1909)
In 1909, John Hancock started building a large addition. This new part was at the corner of Franklin and Devonshire Streets. Shepley, Rutan and Coolidge designed it in a beautiful French Renaissance architecture style. Its special "H type" shape meant almost every office had windows looking outside. Each floor had fancy marble and a fireproof bank vault.
John Hancock Insurance used the top three floors of this ten-story building. Other early tenants included the Library Bureau and Eliot National Bank. The building stretched across Devonshire, Franklin, and Federal Street. In 1920, Massachusetts Trust Company bought the rest of the building. They renamed it the Massachusetts Trust Company Building. Later, in 1926, Stone & Webster bought it and it became the Stone & Webster Building. This building was also eventually torn down to make way for One Federal Street.
The Stephen L. Brown Building (1922)
Another important John Hancock building was finished in 1922. It was designed by Parker, Thomas and Rice. You can find it at 197 Clarendon Street, right across from the famous John Hancock Tower. It was first known as the "John Hancock Life Insurance Company Building." The architects even won an award, the Harleston Parker Medal, for its design in 1924.
More recently, it was called "The Clarendon Building." Around 2001, it was renamed "The Stephen L. Brown Building." This was to honor Stephen L. Brown, who was the chairman of John Hancock Financial Services. It's said that if you look into the mirrored surface of the newest John Hancock Tower, you can see this older building reflected there.
This building was almost torn down to create open space when the tall John Hancock Tower was built. However, in 1982, the Boston Redevelopment Authority decided to keep it. They thought it was better to keep the building for taxes. Also, open space near the tower might have been too windy because of the tower's "wind tunnel" effect.
The Famous John Hancock Buildings
Two buildings stand out as the most recognized John Hancock structures in Boston. They are known for their unique designs and important roles in the city.
The Berkeley Building (1947)
The Berkeley Building is also known as the Old John Hancock Building. It is a 26-story building that stands 495 feet (151 meters) tall. It was completed in 1947 and is located at 200 Berkeley Street in Boston's Back Bay area. Cram and Ferguson designed this building. It is famous for its special weather beacon at the very top. This beacon uses different light patterns to show the weather forecast!
The John Hancock Tower (1976)
The John Hancock Tower is a very tall skyscraper on the southeast corner of Copley Square. It has 60 stories and reaches 790 feet (241 meters) into the sky. Henry N. Cobb from I. M. Pei & Partners designed it. The building was finished in 1976.
In 1977, the American Institute of Architects gave the design firm a special award for this building. In 2011, they gave it another award, the Twenty-five Year Award. For over 30 years, it has been the tallest building in Boston. It is also the tallest building in all of New England.
601 Congress Street: The Manulife Tower
In 2002, Manulife Financial started building a new 14-story building. This building is in the Seaport District at 601 Congress Street. Skidmore, Owings and Merrill LLP from Chicago designed it. This firm also designed the John Hancock Center and the Sears Tower in Chicago.
This building is very "green" and energy-efficient. It has a special dual glass curtain wall. This design helped it become one of the first buildings in Boston to get national LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification.
In 2004, Manulife announced that this building would be called the "John Hancock Building." The company said it would house the John Hancock Wealth Management Group. It would also have "John Hancock" signs outside and inside. However, the company usually just calls it "601 Congress." As of 2018, the official name of the building is the "Manulife Tower."
