John Hancock Building facts for kids

In Boston, Massachusetts, there have been three different buildings known as 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, shiny glass building on Clarendon Street. This building is also called the John Hancock Tower or Hancock Place.

The First John Hancock Building (1922)

Facade of the Stephen L. Brown Building.

The three John Hancock buildings. The two older structures are reflected in the façade of the newest. The Stephen L. Brown building is the low, flat one.

The oldest John Hancock building was finished in 1922. It was designed by a company called Parker, Thomas and Rice. You can find it at 197 Clarendon Street, right across from the much taller John Hancock Tower.

This building was first known as the "John Hancock Life Insurance Company Building." Later, 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.

An architect named Donlyn Lyndon once said something cool about this building. He noted that if you stand at the corner of Clarendon Street and St. James Avenue, you can see a reflection of the first two John Hancock buildings in the glass of the newest one. It's like a family picture in the sky!

Originally, there were plans to tear down this 1922 building. The idea was to make space for a public square next to the new, very tall John Hancock Tower. But in 1982, officials decided to keep the building. They wanted it to stay on the city's tax list. Also, they realized that an open space might not be good because the tall tower created strong winds around its base.

The Second John Hancock Building (1947)

The Berkeley Building is also known as the Old John Hancock Building. It stands 26 stories tall, reaching about 495 feet (151 meters) high. This was the second of the three John Hancock buildings built in Boston.

This building is located at 200 Berkeley Street in Boston's Back Bay area. It was designed by Cram and Ferguson and finished in 1947. One of its most famous features is the weather beacon at the very top. This beacon uses different light patterns to tell people the weather forecast.

The John Hancock Tower (1976)

The John Hancock Tower is on the southeast side of Copley Square. It is a huge skyscraper with 60 stories, standing about 790 feet (240 meters) tall. Henry N. Cobb of I. M. Pei & Partners designed it, and it was completed in 1976.

This building has won many awards for its design. In 1977, the American Institute of Architects gave it a special honor. In 2011, they gave it the Twenty-five Year Award, which is for buildings that have stood the test of time. For over 30 years, it has been the tallest building in Boston. It is also the tallest building in all of New England.

Images for kids

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  Construction site of Manulife building (601 Congress Street), taken 2003.