31 Mar Over 30 years later, HBI has sold the Hayden Building
Historic Boston is pleased to announce that we have sold the Hayden Building, passing the stewardship of this iconic H.H. Richardson building to a family that has admired this pillar of Chinatown for several years.
Designed by Henry Hobson Richardson in 1875, the Hayden Building proudly displays his large stone “Richardson Romanesque” style. The building was originally designed for the family of Richardson’s wife Julia Ward Hayden.
The building was not known to be a Richardson design until 1970, when a sketch of the design, attributed to Richardson, was discovered in the files of Boston architecture firm Shepley Bulfinch. This discovery effectively made the Hayden Building an early example of the architect’s emerging personal style and its first expression in a commercial structure. The Hayden predates Richardson’s seminal Marshall Field Wholesale Store in Chicago built in 1886, and remains the last extant commercial Richardson building in Boston.
Located in the crosshairs of what had once been the “Combat Zone,” Boston’s only adult entertainment district, the Hayden Building has housed a variety of uses. After decades of neglect and a series of fires in the 1980s, Historic Boston purchased and stabilized the building in 1993.
Historic Boston remained the owner and steward of the building for decades, activating only the ground floor retail space until 2011-2013, when HBI sold the adjacent building occupied by Penang restaurant and hired architects ThoughtCraft (then known as Cube) to redevelop the upper floors into four two-bedroom luxury apartments. The building is LEED Platinum certified and in July 2023 HBI placed a permanent preservation easement on the property.
The preservation restriction, held by Historic Boston Inc., is recorded in perpetuity with the building’s deed and requires present and future owners to review any capital repairs for the Hayden Building with HBI in order to ensure that changes respect and honor the building’s historical significance and architectural integrity.
The sale of the Hayden Building marks both an ending and a beginning—an enduring commitment to its preservation and a renewed focus for Historic Boston Inc. With a permanent preservation easement in place and new stewards who deeply appreciate its significance, this Richardson landmark will continue to be a defining presence in Chinatown. As we turn our attention to the next preservation challenge, we remain dedicated to safeguarding Boston’s historic places for future generations.
The Hayden Building’s new owners, a local family invested in Boston’s heritage, expressed their excitement for the property’s next chapter:
“Acquiring the historic Hayden Building was not just a purchase – it was a profound privilege. For my family and me, owning this building is a cherished opportunity to become a part of the enduring legacy and vibrant history of Boston, a city that embraced us over thirteen years ago when we initially planned to stay for just a year. This remarkable property, with its compelling saga from its inception by a famed 18th-century architect, through a devastating fire, to its resurrection with a modern and elegant touch by HBI, mirrors life’s cycles of resilience and renewal. It represents a seamless meld of history with innovation – a testament to the resilience and forward-thinking that also drive our personal commitments and professional endeavors in healthcare. This building stands as a beacon of progress, a part of Boston’s heritage that we are honored to preserve and enliven, just as this city has invigorated our family’s story and values. My sincere thanks to HBI for their noble mission and the true empathy and kindness they have shown throughout this process.”