20 Aug 2026 Your Passion for Preservation: “Friends of the Boston Harborwalk” advocate for preservation of Port Norfolk and the last remnant of A.T. Stearns Lumber Co.
Here, HBI’s Passion for Preservation series shares your preservation story with our readers. This entry was submitted by Michael Manning, chair of Friends of the Boston Harborwalk.
My name is Mike Manning and I lead an all-volunteer group called “Friends of the Boston Harborwalk.” Several years ago, I came across the A.T. Stearns Counting House while leading a walking tour of the Port Norfolk neighborhood of Dorchester. I immediately became interested in this beautiful brick structure.
With research, I discovered that the A.T. Stearns Lumber Company began business in 1849. The company was a major employer and commercial presence in Port Norfolk, providing massive quantities of the many varieties of lumber used to build the houses of Boston and New England. The company eventually closed in 1968. At its height, the lumber yard encompassed approximately 40 acres along the Neponset River. The Counting House is believed to have been built in 1855. Regrettably, in the spring of 2023, the building was scheduled to be demolished. The Counting House was the last vestige of more than a dozen buildings and related structures that occupied the property. Fortunately, the Department of Conservation and Recreation Commissioner, at that time, listened to the pleas of residents, neighbors, preservationists, and others and halted the demolition order.
A team was formed and now, led by Historic Boston Incorporated, a plan for the building’s restoration and reuse is currently in motion.
Read more about the A.T. Stearns Lumber Company and our efforts to preserve the Counting House here!
