Historic Boston Incorporated 1999 Preservation Revolving Fund Casebook : Property
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Click here for Summer 2002 Update
| 119 Merrimac Street | Central Business District |
| • Handsome brick commercial building in Bulfinch Triangle
Historic District • Except for a ground floor bar, this six story building appears to be vacant • Distinctive
triangular shape and • Strategically located near several large-scale government buildings, new office development, and the Fleet Center |
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| Name: 119 Merrimac Street | Bldg SqFt: 23,496 | Lot SqFt: 3,960 | |
| Address: 10-18 Lancaster Street, 105-121 Merrimac Street |
Ward: 3 | Parcel: 1676 | |
| Neighborhood: Central Business District | Zoning: Bulfinch Triangle District | ||
| Year Built: 1900 | Use: Ground floor bar / vacant upper floors | ||
| Style: Flatiron | Condition: Fair | ||
| Architect(s): Stephen Codman | Owner: New Merrimac Development Trust, LLC 11 Stowell Drive (P.O. Box 660) Winchester, MA 01890-3911 |
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| Historic Certification: Bulfinch Triangle National Register Historic District | |||
| FY99 Building Assessment: $283,000 FY02 Building Assessment: $554,800 |
FY99 Tax: $12,428 FY02 Tax: $15,663 |
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| FY99 Land Assessment: $283,500 FY02 Land Assessment: $377,200 |
Tax Status: Current | ||
Preservation Strategy:
Explore with the owner various options for redeveloping the site, including the Federal Historic Preservation Investment Tax Credits, in order to maximize the positive impact of a highly desirable project.
Significance:
The tall triangular brick warehouse at 105-119 Merrimac Street is part of an important concentration of late-19th and early 20th century commercial buildings within the Bulfinch Triangle. Charles Bulfinch designed the unusual triangular street grid in 1804 to lay atop land created by the filling of Mill Pond, with Causeway Street corresponding to the location of the old Mill Dam. Completed in the 1830s, the landfill project attracted intense commercial development, and Causeway Street became the terminus for a number of Boston's first railroad lines. Proximity to the railroad, especially after consolidation of several lines into Union Terminal in 1889, helped the district to develop into the center of Boston's furniture manufacturing industry. Charles P. Curtis, original owner of 105-119 Merrimac Street, operated a furniture showroom and warehouse out of the building.
Preservation Challenges:
The odd triangular shape and limited square footage may create challenges for the economic feasibility of re-using the building. The present owners acquired the building in mid 1998 presumably for redevelopment. No binding plan of redevelopment appears to be in place, although there are discussions about hotel or office uses.
Neighborhood Context:
Several large-scale modern government buildings, including the O’Neil Federal Building, the State Service Center, and the New Chardon Street Courthouse lay across Merrimac and Causeway Streets from the Bulfinch Triangle. The Fleet Center and North Station are also nearby. The district contains several upscale restaurants and nightspots, as well as a new office building at 101 Merrimac Street across the street from 105-119 Merrimac Street. The east end of the Bulfinch Triangle will undergo extensive redevelopment as part of the Central Artery Project after removal of the overhead expressway.
Other Sources of Information:
Bulfinch Triangle National Register Historic District nomination form
Entry Completed: 05/28/1999
The Boston Redevelopment Authority approved New Merrimac Development's plan to rehabilitate this building into an 88 room boutique hotel in the summer of 2001. The plan includes an interior gut renovation and construction of three additional stories above the existing building. These stories are to be of glass curtain wall construction to minimize the impact on the building's original design. Following the events of September 11, 2001, however, New Merrimac Development lost its financing. It is about to sell the property to an unnamed entity, which will then redevelop the building as New Merrimac Development planned. Construction should begin in the next few months.Update Entry Completed: 08/12/2002
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