The building at 941–955

Boylston Street Boylston Street is a major east–west thoroughfare in the city of Boston, Massachusetts, and its western suburbs. The street begins in Boston's Chinatown, Boston, Chinatown neighborhood, forms the southern border of the Public Garden (Boston) ...

in the

Back Bay Back Bay is an officially recognized Neighborhoods in Boston, neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts, built on Land reclamation, reclaimed land in the Charles River basin. Construction began in 1859, as the demand for luxury housing exceeded the ...

district of

Boston, Massachusetts Boston is the capital and most populous city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Massachusetts in the United States. The city serves as the cultural and Financial centre, financial center of New England, a region of the Northeas ...

was designed by Arthur H. Vinal in 1886, while he was City Architect, as the city's first combined fire and police station. The building, constructed in 1887, is in the

Richardsonian Romanesque Richardsonian Romanesque is a architectural style, style of Romanesque Revival architecture named after the American architect Henry Hobson Richardson (1838–1886). The revivalism (architecture), revival style incorporates 11th- and 12th-century ...

style, as was Vinal's most notable other work, the Chestnut Hill Water Works pumping station, built at about the same time. It has been designated a Boston Landmark by the Boston Landmarks Commission. The fire station at 941 Boylston, which is still active, houses

Boston Fire Department The Boston Fire Department provides fire services and first responder emergency medical services to the city of Boston, Massachusetts. It also responds to such incidents as motor vehicle accidents, dangerous goods, hazardous material spills, util ...

Engine Company 33 and Ladder Company 15. The police station, 955 Boylston, was home to

Boston Police Department The Boston Police Department (BPD) is the primary law enforcement agency of Boston, Massachusetts, United States. Founded in 1854, the BPD is the oldest municipal police department in the United States. It is also the 20th largest law enforce ...

Division 16 until 1976. From 1976 to 2007, the police station was home to the Institute of Contemporary Art; in 2007 it was acquired by

Boston Architectural College The Boston Architectural College (BAC) is a private college in Boston. It is New England's largest private college of spatial design. The college's main building is at 320 Newbury Street in Boston's Back Bay neighborhood. History Boston Arc ...

for $7.22 million. A courtyard between the two buildings originally led to shared stables for fire department and police horses. Division 16 would later add a single-story building immediately to the westThe street address of this building, which now houses a restaurant, is also 955 Boylston Street according to phone directory listings. (out of frame in the photo above). By 1976, the advent of motorized patrols had led to a consolidation of Boston's smaller police divisions, including division 16, into larger police districts, resulting in the closure and redevelopment of the police station. Plaques on the Boylston St. facade memorialize four Boston firefighters who died in the line of duty: Cornelius J. Noonan (d. 1938), Richard F. Concannon (d. 1961), Richard B. Magee (d. 1972), and Stephen F. Minehan (d. 1994).

References

External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:941-955 Boylston Street Government buildings in Boston Fire stations completed in 1887 Fire stations in Massachusetts Government buildings completed in 1887 Landmarks in Back Bay, Boston Richardsonian Romanesque architecture in Massachusetts 1887 establishments in Massachusetts Boston Architectural College