30 Jan 2026 Recent work at the Old Corner reveals dormers in need of repair
As window replacement and facade repairs continue on the Old Corner Bookstore Complex, we realized that the dormer windows on both the 1718 Old Corner Bookstore and 1728 Cunningham House were also in need of repair. Here, Historic Boston’s Senior Project Manager Lisa Lewis shares some insights into the ongoing work at the Old Corner and a brief history of the building’s dormers.
The scaffolding that is now in place for the window replacement and façade repairs at the Old Corner Bookstore has allowed for a better look at upper floor conditions that weren’t very visible from the sidewalk. Closer inspection of the four dormer windows on the Old Corner Bookstore and Cunningham House revealed some wood rot that required addressing. New clapboards and corner boards that matched the previous materials were recently installed by A&A Windows on all four dormers.
The invention of dormer windows is credited to French architect Francois Mansart, who also originated the mansard roof to provide livable attic space while complying with Parisian height restrictions. Dormers (from the French “dormir,” to sleep) allowed for more light, ventilation, and head height which made attics more feasible as bedrooms. We believe some form of dormers have always existed on the Old Corner Bookstore complex’s two 18th century buildings, although the forms changed over the years as the occupancy uses evolved.
The Old Corner Bookstore was built as a residence and apothecary shop by Thomas Crease, and it’s likely the third floor had dormers on its gambrel roof to maximize and improve useable space, as shown in this conjectural drawing:
Conjectural sketch of the Thomas Crease House, c.1718.
Later illustrations that show the Old Corner and Cunningham House during the time of publishers Ticknor & Fields, with dormers present on both buildings. Early photos dated c. 1865 show the same.
c.1858 illustration.
Photo taken c.1865.
But photos dated c. 1870 show that both buildings now have larger shed dormers, which suggest there was an even greater need for space, light, and ventilation by upper floor tenants. 
The larger shed dormer on the Old Corner Bookstore was eventually completely blocked by a large billboard that was in place when HBI acquired the site in the 1960s.
When HBI rehabilitated the corner in the 1960s, the two smaller third floor dormers were recreated. The two small dormers on Cunningham House were recreated in 1976, when the whole façade of the Samuel Narcus Stationery store was rebuilt to its historic appearance in honor of the Bicentennial, as it has remained to this day.
Samuel Narcus Stationary at 277 Washington Street prior to it’s restoration in 1976 for the Bicentennial.
The Old Corner Bookstore Complex and Cunningham House c.1980.