Join Us for a Special National Announcement about the Malcolm X-Ella Little-Collins House in Roxbury

HBI and a national non-profit organization invite you to a Special National Announcement about the Malcolm X-Ella Little –Collins House in Roxbury.  A press conference with Mayor Menino will take place on Wednesday, June 6^th at 11 a.m. at 72 Dale Street in Roxbury.   Click here to register and for more information.

Hayden Building Groundbreaking Invitation, Monday, June 4th

Please join Historic Boston Inc. and Special Guests Mayor Thomas Menino and developer Ronald M. Druker, for a special groundbreaking celebration at the Hayden Building, 681  Washington Street, on Monday, June 4^th from 4:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. Enjoy food, drink, and hard hat tours of the building as it is rehabilitated for residential units. Click here to register and for more information.

A Great Day in Oak Square

HBI congratulates everyone involved in the rehabilitation of the Presentation School in Brighton’s Oak Square as they cut the ribbon on their new facility today.  The volunteers, who moved mountains to create a community center from this former parochial school, are true leaders.  While their work underscores the power of preservation, their motivation demonstrates the intangible bond between our sense of community and the places that embody our collective memory.

Read and listen to WBUR’s story about this remarkable grassroots achievement.

65 Pleasant Street and new owner, featured in the Boston Herald

Handyman special steeped in history 

Builder fixes up Animal Rescue league founder's home

By Greg Turner

Monday, May 7, 2012

Stacey Cordeiro searched for her first house for years, hunting for an affordable fixer-upper where she could put her carpentry and gardening skills to use, but established real estate investors always seemed to be one step ahead of the Jamaica Plain resident.

“An old house on a large lot is what I’ve been looking for, but that’s always what developers are looking for,” said Cordeiro, business manager at JP green-building company Living Structures. “I feel like I’ve been racing developers for years, and they’d always win.”

Then she came upon an historic opportunity: 65 Pleasant St. in Dorchester, a house on a relatively large corner lot that a “This Old House” crew would find challenging.

Read the Article 

Happy 100th Anniversary, Hyde Park!

An early Celebration of the Anniversary of Hyde Park in the collection of the Hyde Park Historical Society 

The decades seem to have flown by, but 2012 marks the 100^th anniversary the Hyde Park neighborhood becoming a part of the city of Boston. Hyde Park was actually incorporated as an independent town in 1868, formed from land ceded by Dorchester, Milton, and Dedham.

Interestingly, Hyde Park’s incorporation as a new town was contrary to the larger trend in the late 1860s and early 1870s, when other towns surrounding Boston, such as Roxbury and  Dorchester, were making the decision to allow themselves to be annexed to the city. The original Hyde Parkers were an independent-minded bunch, though—just like the current residents!—and had grand plans for their new town, which they named after the tony Hyde Park section of London. In 1912, Hyde Park became the last of the adjacent towns to join Boston. 

Our Dudley Square - the kick off to Preservation Month - featured in BU Newspaper

Last Saturday, April 28th, saw the kick-off to Preservation Month with some new events celebrating Roxbury. This was the first time Roxbury had participated in the festivities, but due to its success, it certainly will not be the last. Our Dudley Square was a multifaceted event, designed to appeal to people of all ages.

Nicole Leonard of Boston University covered the Our Dudley Square for The Daily Free Press, BU's independent student newspaper. Read her article Menino urges residents to help preserve Boston HERE.

Photo courtesy of the City of Boston, featuring Mayor Thomas Menino and Scavenger Hunt participant, Kai Lee Harriott 

This Building Has History

In celebration of Preservation Month, beginning May 1, you’ll be able to learn first-hand about some of the most historic buildings in Boston's Downtown Crossing neighborhood. This project is sponsored by the Boston Redevelopment Authority (BRA) and the Boston Landmark Commission (BLC), and is supported by the property owners who are allowing the City to place these decals in their windows.

Keep an eye out for these decals in the windows of the 9 buildings below: Simply scan the QR code with your smart phone to learn about the history each of these buildings and of the area.

Below are the buildings that are featured:

     *10-24 School Street (School Street and Washington Street)

     *407-411 Washington Street

     *Burnham Boiling (former Filene’s building) 

     *Old Corner Bookstore (Washington Street & School Street)

     *The Gilchrest’s building (Winter and Washington Street)

     *The Modern Theater (Washington Street)

     *Boston City Hall (One City Hall Square)

     *The Paramount Theater (Washington Street)

     *The Opera House (Washington Street)

Credit worthy: Developers to receive $16M in tax credits to renovate facilities

Premium content from Boston Business Journal by Brendan Lynch, Special to the Journal

Date: Friday, April 27, 2012, 6:00am EDT 

Photo of Noah Maslan, by W. Marc Bernsau, Boston Business Journal  

“It’s a critical resource,” said Noah Maslan, real estate director at Urban Edge, which secured $400,000 worth of credits and is eligible for another $400,000 in the next round. The organization will sell the credits to finance restoration of the Coleman-Webb Building in Jackson Square in Boston.