The Tremont Temple on 88 Tremont Street is a Baptist church in Boston , Massachusetts , affiliated with the American Baptist Churches, USA . The existing multi-storey, Renaissance Revival structure was designed by Boston architect Clarence Blackall , and opened in May 1896. It replaced a much smaller 1827 structure which had repeatedly suffered damage by fires.
19-724: The new facility was designed with a large auditorium, ground-floor retail shops, and upper-story offices, all of which could be leased commercially so that the congregation could welcome all worshippers for free. The building is currently under study for landmark status by the Boston Landmarks Commission . On 28 December 1843, the Free Church Baptists bought the Tremont Theatre , built in 1827 in Greek Revival style. They renamed it
38-707: A Landmark by presenting at the hearing, and the public is invited to comment. Commissioners are nominated by professional and neighborhood organizations, and appointed by the Mayor. Most are also confirmed by City Council. All commissioner positions are voluntary. There are 85 commissioner slots among the Boston Landmarks Commission and the 10 local historic commissions, although BLC commissioners also hold slots on local commissions. There are currently 7 historic designated districts and 3 architectural districts. Each district has its own commission staffed by
57-607: A coalition called the City Conservation League to try to save the old building — one of the few survivors of the Great Boston Fire of 1872 — but it made way for a low modern brick structure that sits there today as Macy's. Some outraged customers cut up their credit cards in protest of the demolition. These protests and preservationist grassroots efforts led to the creation of the Boston Landmarks Commission. He built for Royal Robbins of Waltham Watch Co.
76-523: A hotly contested and even violent anti-slavery gathering that had to be quelled by Boston police . The Temple was damaged by fire in April 1852; at the time, offices were occupied by music instructors, dentists, a taxidermist, and several artists: Fitz Henry Lane , Benjamin Champney , Mr. Kimberly, John C. King , B. F. Mason , Wellman Morrison , John Pope , and John W. A. Scott . It was also used for
95-461: A preservation planner within the Boston Landmarks Commission. The commissioners assure that the architectural and historical integrity of the district is not compromised. The districts include: Highland Park in Roxbury was most recently designated in 2022. Nathaniel J. Bradlee Nathaniel Jeremiah Bradlee (June 1, 1829 – December 17, 1888) was a Boston architect and a partner in
114-426: A strong community of abolitionists, both black and white. Wendell Phillips gave a speech there the day after Lincoln’s election: “the slave has chosen a President … Not an Abolitionist, hardly an antislavery man, Mr. Lincoln consents to represent an idea. A pawn on the chessboard. … we may soon change him for knight, Bishop or queen, and sweep the board (applause).” Frederick Douglass spoke there on December 3, 1860, in
133-469: A train from Boston to Keene , New Hampshire . His papers are archived in the Boston Athenæum . Bradlee's early 1860s Jordan Marsh department store, an ornate brownstone edifice with a landmark corner clock tower in what is now known as Boston's Downtown Crossing , sparked a major historic preservation movement in the city when it was torn down in 1975. Local architect Leslie Larson had founded
152-739: Is now known as the Bradlee-McIntyre House (built 1885), probably the best example of Victorian Cottage Style architecture in Central Florida . In 1885, Henry Herman Westinghouse, younger brother of George Westinghouse , built a nearby house whose plan was a mirror image of the Bradlee-McIntyre House. Westinghouse also had Bradlee design homes of 12 to 15 rooms near Boston Avenue in town. Bradlee died unexpectedly in Bellows Falls , Vermont while on
171-556: The 20th century, films were screened at Tremont Temple, though commercial leasing ended in 1956. The auditorium was used December 31, 1985, for a staged production of the opera The Burning Fiery Furnace by Benjamin Britten . Boston Landmarks Commission The Boston Landmarks Commission (BLC) is the historic preservation agency for the City of Boston . The commission was created by state legislation in 1975 . Urban renewal in
190-711: The Cochituate Water Board. The Bradlee Basin at the Chestnut Hill Reservoir , Newton, Massachusetts , completed in 1870, was named in his honor. In 1876 , Bradlee ran unsuccessfully for mayor of Boston. From 1866 to 1896, his family lived in the Alvah Kittredge House , a Greek Revival mansion (built 1836) at 10 Linwood Street, Roxbury, Massachusetts . He vacationed in Altamonte Springs , Florida in what
209-482: The Landmark Commission include identifying historic resources through preservation surveys, protecting and recognizing historic properties through designation, and preserving designated Landmarks through the design review process. The BLC also administers Article 85 Demolition Delay for the entire city of Boston. Whenever a building proposed to be demolished is determined by BLC staff to be significant,
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#1732776606856228-500: The Tremont Temple and adapted it for use for religious worship. They did not charge for attending their church and had a racially integrated congregation. Although the building was largely used for religious purposes, it also served occasionally as the venue for public events. An Egyptian mummy was displayed beginning on 28 September 1850, and Sam Houston gave a speech there against slavery on 22 February 1855. Boston had
247-551: The United States started with the Housing Act of 1949 , part of President Harry Truman 's Fair Deal. In Boston , almost a third of the old city was demolished, including the historic West End, to make way for a new highway, low- and moderate-income high-rises, and new government and commercial buildings. The Boston Landmarks Commission was created by legislation in 1975 as a response to the mass demolitions, particularly
266-621: The demolition of the Jordan Marsh Building on Washington Street. Built in the 1860s, the ornate building featured a well-known corner clock tower designed by Nathaniel J. Bradlee . Along with an entire row of annex buildings, the building was torn down in 1975 and replaced by a new building . Public outrage and grass roots protests influenced preservation legislation and sparked preservation action. There are now over 8000 landmarked properties in Boston. The chief responsibilities of
285-457: The firm of Bradlee, Winslow & Wetherell . Bradlee was born in Boston to Elizabeth Davis and Samuel Bradlee. He married Julia Rebecca Weld on April 17, 1855. Their children were Joseph Williams Bradlee, Caroline Lousia Bradlee, Elizabeth Lydia Bradlee, Eleanor Collamore Bradlee, and Hellen Curtis Bradlee. Bradlee designed many of the townhouses in Boston's South End , and was president of
304-525: The name Tremont Temple Baptist Church in 1891. The Reverend George C. Lorimer served as pastor of the church for twenty-one years, interrupted by brief pastorships in other locations. He left in 1901, after guiding the congregation through construction and opening of a new building, to move to a New York City congregation. The congregation had decided on a new, larger structure, which was completed and opened in May 1896. Designed by architect Clarence Blackall , it
323-488: The public is invited to testify at a public hearing. If the BLC invokes a 90-day Demolition Delay as a result, there is an opportunity for the community to participate in discussions with the developer and explore alternatives to demolition. The Commission meets twice a month on second and fourth Tuesdays - Design Review starts a few hours prior to the business portion at every fourth Tuesday hearing. Applicants propose changes to
342-477: The storage of Thomas Thompson extensive art collection, largely destroyed. The temple suffered subsequent fires in 1879 and 1893 and was repaired. The Temple was the site of Charles Dickens ' first reading during his 1867–68 tour of the United States. Dickens read from "A Christmas Carol" and "The Pickwick Papers" during his two-hour reading on December 2, 1867. The congregation called it Tremont Street Baptist Church and later Union Temple Baptist Church, adopting
361-430: Was intended to be a church with an auditorium and other spaces suitable for leasing for business purposes, in order to support church functions. The building originally was designed with retail stores on the ground floor and commercial offices on the upper floors. Revenue from business rents and rental of the auditorium for concerts enabled the church to continue to provide free seats to all worshippers. At various times in
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