American House (Boston)
Hotel in Massachusetts, United States
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The American House (established 1835) was a hotel in Boston, Massachusetts, located on Hanover Street. Abraham W. Brigham,[4] Lewis Rice (1837–1874),[5][6][7] Henry B. Rice (1868–1888),[8][9] and Allen C. Jones (c. 1921) served as proprietors.[10] In 1851 the building was expanded,[11] to a design by Charles A. Alexander. In 1868 it had "the first hotel passenger elevator in Boston."[12] By the 1860s it also had "billiard halls, telegraph office, and cafe."[13] In the late 19th century it was described as "the headquarters of the shoe-and-leather trade" in the city.[8] Guests of the hotel and restaurant included John Brown,[14][15] Ralph Waldo Emerson,[16] William Whitwell Greenough,[17] Charles Savage Homer,[18] Zadoc Long,[19] and George Presbury Rowell.[20] Many groups held meetings there, among them: Granite Cutters' International Association of America,[21] Letter Carriers' Association,[22] National Electric Light Association,[23] and New England Shorthand Reporters' Association.[24] The hotel closed in 1916, and re-opened under new management in 1918.[1] It permanently closed on August 8, 1935,[25] and the building was shortly afterwards demolished to make room for a parking lot.[26][27][28] The John F. Kennedy Federal Building now occupies the site.[29]
| American House | |
|---|---|
American House, c. 1852 | |
  Location within Boston | |
| General information | |
| Type | Hotel |
| Location | 56 Hanover Street Boston, Massachusetts United States |
| Coordinates | 42.3608°N 71.0589°W |
| Opened | 1835 |
| Renovated | 1851 |
| Demolished | 1935 |
| Technical details | |
| Floor count | 6 |
| Floor area | 44,000 sq ft (4,100 m2) |
| Design and construction | |
| Architect | William Washburn (renovation) |
| References | |
| [1][2][3] | |
