Preserving the best of Boston for America’s 250th Anniversary

From Mattapan to Downtown, Roxbury to Dorchester, Historic Boston collaborates with community partners to preserve landmark buildings for the future, bring new life to historic neighborhoods, and spark investment in our local small businesses. As the nation celebrates its 250th anniversary, Historic Boston Inc. is determined to preserve the very best of Boston. The four projects below epitomize our city’s history not only as the catalyst of the American Revolution, but also as a beacon for education, social justice, and environmental action.

Donating to our 2026 General Fund assists HBI in remaining flexible to further preservation in these rapidly changing times.

The Hancock House, Blackstone Block
The Hancock House is the last extant building in Boston to have been owned by John Hancock, first signer of the Declaration of Independence. Believed to have been built by John Hancock   c.1667 and occupied by his brother Ebenezer Hancock, Deputy Paymaster General to the Continental Army during the American Revolution, this historic house is a Boston Landmark that remains at risk at the dawn of America’s 250th. HBI seeks acquisition of the building to preserve the interior in perpetuity and reactivate the space as a hub for Boston’s mission-aligned nonprofits to elevate this building’s history as a long-awaited addition to Boston’s Freedom Trail.

“We believe that HBI’s mission aligns perfectly with that of the Printing Office of Edes and Gill;

to not only preserve Boston’s historically significant sites, but to help bring history itself to life! The properties saved by the efforts of HBI tell the stories of Bostonians past and present. Their legacy already includes saving iconic buildings like the Old Corner Bookstore. By seeking to acquire and protect the Ebenezer Hancock House, the partnership between HBI and Edes and Gill will transform the space into a dynamic educational space for generations to come.” 

-The Printing Office of Edes and Gill

The Old Corner Bookstore, Downtown

The 1718-1828 Old Corner Bookstore Complex remains the longest continually operating commercial building in downtown Boston. The complex consists of 4 separate buildings seated on the site of Anne Hutchinson’s former home. The building known as the Old Corner Bookstore (OCB) was constructed in c. 1718 as a residence and apothecary. Adjacent to the Old Corner on Washington Street, the Cunningham House was built in 1728. Alongside the OCB on School Street, 5 and 7 School Street were erected in c. 1828, while 11 School Street dates to the early 1800s. In the mid 19th Century the building earned its historic name as the home of famed American publishers Ticknor & Fields, who introduced the works of Dickens, Thoreau, Hawthorne, Emerson, and more to the American public. Made an official Boston Landmark in 2025, the complex is in the midst of a window replacement & facade restoration project that will improve overall energy efficiency while moving the complex closer to reflecting its 1833-1864 period of historical significance.

The A.T. Stearns Counting House, Dorchester 

Constructed c.1855, the building at 98 Taylor Street in Dorchester is the last remaining structure associated with the influential A.T. Stearns Lumber Company that operated for over a century and was largely responsible for catalyzing the residential and commercial development of the Port Norfolk area and popularizing the use of cypress lumber in construction. In partnership with the MA Department of Conservation and Recreation and Speak for the Trees, a Dorchester nonprofit that works with communities to advocate for and expand Boston’s tree canopy, we are working towards rehabilitating the A.T. Stearns Counting House into its headquarters and tree nursery.

         “The proposed Speak for the Trees Inc. nature center and nursery will complement the adjacent trail and promote the same goals of environmental justice advocacy…We are grateful to Historic Boston Inc. for recognizing the significance of the Stearns counting house…The last remaining historic structure from the Stearns complex will be preserved and used in a manner which benefits the community at large.”

-Port Norfolk Civic Association

The Phillips Brooks Memorial Reading Room, Hyde Park

Constructed in 1896, the Phillips Brooks Memorial Reading Room was Readville’s first public library. It was dedicated to the esteemed rector of Trinity Church, Phillips Brooks,  in honor of the final sermon he gave at the Blue Hill Chapel before his death in 1893. In partnership with the Blue Hill Community Church and the Hyde Park Historical Society, Historic Boston will rehabilitate this charming little reading room and bring it back into service as a community asset, reactivating the space for the Hyde Park neighborhood.

“The acquisition proposed by Historic Boston Inc. will ensure that this much-beloved community building will continue to provide public benefit into the future.”

-Hyde Park Neighborhood Association

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