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Boston’s First Skyscraper In 1893 Easton notable Frederick Lothrop Ames constructed the first skyscraper in Boston. It is the second tallest masonry load bearing-wall structure in the world. It wasn’t replaced as the tallest building in Boston until 1915 when the Custom House Tower was built. The Ames Building is located at 1 Court Street and today serves as dormitories for Suffolk University students. Not surprisingly, the building was designed in the Richardsonian Romanesque style by the firm of Shepley, Rutan, and Coolidge. For many years the building served as the corporate headquarters of the Ames Agricultural Tool Company as well as other businesses. It held an important place in Boston’s financial community. One of its more recent incarnations was as a luxury boutique hotel, the Ames Boston Hotel. In 2018 the building was ranked 87 out of 100 on Boston Magazine’s list of the best buildings in Boston. It had already been added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1974 and later designated as a Boston Landmark. You can clearly see the influence of Richardson who passed away in 1886. His style was continued by his associates. The building is 14 stories tall and faced with sandstone and granite. Note the arches and Romanesque columns. More information can be found by clicking on the links below. Additional pictures and written materials from 2018 compiled by our Board Member Steve Anderson.
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Anne Wooster Drury Archives
February 2026
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