Bedford Block
United States historic place / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Bedford Block is an historic commercial building at 99 Bedford Street Boston, Massachusetts, in an area called Church Green. Built in 1875 in a style promoted by John Ruskin called Venetian Gothic. The style may also be referred to as Ruskinian Gothic.[2]
Bedford Block | |
Location | Boston, Massachusetts |
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Coordinates | 42°21′11.44″N 71°3′29.04″W |
Built | 1875 |
Architect | Charles Amos Cummings; Willard T. Sears |
Architectural style | Venetian Gothic |
NRHP reference No. | 79000368 [1] |
Added to NRHP | August 21, 1979 |
It was designed by Charles Amos Cummings and Willard T. Sears for Henry and Francis Lee [3] as a retail shoe center in an area that had been destroyed by the Great Boston Fire of 1872.[4] The building was added to the National Historic Register in 1979. Building was renovated in 1983 in conjunction with the Bay-Bedford Company.[2]
The Bedford Block's exterior is constructed of polychromatic bands of New Brunswick red granite, Tuckahoen marble, and pressed terra-cotta panels manufactured in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.[2][5] It was the first building after the Great Fire to use New Brunswick red granite as a material.[4]
The first floor features rough rustic blocks. Upper floor details include arched bay windows, Viollet-le-Duc inspired iron balconets[4] and flat column pilasters.[2] Each roof gable is topped with a finial crown.[2] There is a glazed tile clock is located in a 5-story tower at the corner of Bedford and Summer streets.