Building at 138-142 Portland Street
Also known as: 85 Merrimac St.
Why it's listed
Standing at the junction of Portland, Traverse and Merrimac Streets in Boston's Bulfinch Triangle, this five-story brick building was completed in 1896 to designs by architect Stephen R. H. Codman. Its trapezoidal plan, rounded corners, bracketed cornice, ox-eye windows, carved cartouches and ornamented brick spandrels set it apart from the plainer woodworking and furniture buildings nearby. It was listed for two reasons. First, it was the Boston branch home of the National Casket Company, which moved in soon after completion and used the second-floor sales room and upper-floor storage. The branch grew into New England's largest casket supplier, and its manager, P.B. Heintz, later became company president. Second, the building is an early, excellent example of commercial Beaux-Arts design, one of only two in the North Station area. A 1950s aluminum facade was removed during a 1983-84 rehabilitation, and most original exterior fabric survives.
Significance in brief: The nomination cites Criterion A because the building housed the Boston branch of the National Casket Company during the formative years of that nationally important firm. It cites Criterion C because the building is an excellent, early example of commercial Beaux-Arts design and one of only two such buildings in the North Station area.
Machine-generated summary. This summary was generated by a language model from the official nomination document and has not been reviewed line by line by an editor. It may contain errors. Check the source document before relying on any detail. Source: nomination document (PDF) · National Archives catalog entry. NRHP reference 85002015, listed September 5, 1985. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 138--142 Portland St., Boston |
|---|---|
| County | Suffolk County |
| Listed | September 5, 1985 |
| Reference number | 85002015 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1800-1899 and 1900- (specific date 1896) |
| Architect / builder | Stephen R. H. Codman |
| Architectural style | Beaux-Arts |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Commerce, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Rehabilitated and restored in 1983-84 with tax-incentive funding; upper floors serve as offices and the ground floor is commercial. The form lists the property as occupied. |
| Acreage | 0.1 |
| Within district | Bulfinch Triangle Historic District |
| Coordinates | 42.36421, -71.06148 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
For an income-producing building, listing (individually or as a contributing building in a district) is the gateway to the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit on qualified rehabilitation costs, often stackable with state credits. Work claiming the credit must follow the Secretary of the Interior's Standards and be approved in advance.
Listing does not restrict a private owner acting without federal money or permits; where federal funding or licensing is involved, Section 106 review applies.
General information, not legal or tax advice. Rules change; confirm with your State Historic Preservation Office or a qualified adviser.
Sources and further reading
- National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places database (snapshot May 2026), reference 85002015.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q4986541
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.