{"nrhp_refnum":"80000451","name":"Boston Young Men's Christian Union","other_names":[],"category":"building","location":{"address":"48 Boylston St.","address_restricted":false,"city":"Boston","county":"Suffolk County","state":"MA","lat":42.35200503100003,"lon":-71.06423957799996,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"1980-12-09","is_nhl":false,"nhl_designated_date":null,"areas_of_significance":["Architecture","Social History","Performing Arts"],"significance_levels":["national","state","local"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"L-shaped, five-story institutional building in High Victorian Gothic style at 48 Boylston Street, corner of Tamworth Street, in Boston's Theatre District. It was built in 1875 to designs by N.J. Bradlee, with Morton & Chesley as builders.","why_significant":"The building is called the most accomplished example of High Victorian Gothic architecture remaining in Boston's Central Business District. It is also one of about a dozen surviving structures in that style and one of very few built for non-commercial uses. It also reflects the Union's role as a fellowship institution for young middle-class workingmen.","narrative":"Built in 1875 at 48 Boylston Street, this five-story building was designed for the Boston Young Men's Christian Union, a group founded in 1851 by Harvard students as a Christian literature discussion circle. It grew into a fellowship organization for young men pursuing careers in the city. The L-shaped structure is richly decorated in High Victorian Gothic style, with a polychrome facade, a three-bay main mass with ground-floor storefront, and a side tower and entry. Inside were retail space initially leased to a bank, an auditorium, library, gymnasium, social and game rooms, and Union offices. Architect N.J. Bradlee was a life member and the brother of a founder. The building is considered the finest surviving High Victorian Gothic example in Boston's downtown and one of very few built for non-commercial purposes. It once formed a cluster with the Masonic Temple and Boylston Hotel. The clock tower was removed in 1927, and the building continues in its historic use.","period_of_significance":null,"architect_builder":"Architect N.J. Bradlee (Bradlee & Winslow); builder Morton & Chesley","architectural_style":"High Victorian Gothic","criteria":[],"status_note":"Condition listed as good/fair/poor without a clear mark; clock tower removed 1927; historic use continues and it is designated a Boston Landmark.","vacant_flag":false,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.0-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 02:11:54.68228-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/opastorage/live/57/7927/63792757/content/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_MA/80000451.pdf"},"photo":{"url_800":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/80000451/1c0899c513-800.webp","url_1600":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/80000451/1c0899c513-1600.webp","licence":"Public domain","author":"Biruitorul (talk)","credit_html":"<a href=\"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:BYMCU.JPG\" rel=\"noopener\">Biruitorul (talk)</a>, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons","source_page":"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:BYMCU.JPG"},"district":null,"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/63792757","wikipedia":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boston_Young_Men%27s_Christian_Union","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q4948211"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/massachusetts/suffolk-county/boston-young-mens-christian-union-80000451/"}