Goldsmith Block
Also known as: Ruggles-Shawmut Housing
Why it's listed
Goldsmith Block is a four-story brick apartment building at Shawmut Avenue and Ruggles Street in Lower Roxbury, Boston. Simon Goldsmith, a local real estate developer, built it in 1892 on filled marshland and hired architect Cornelius A. Russell to design it. Its rusticated Classical Revival details include granite quoins, a granite watertable, a corbelled parapet, brick banding and three arched entrances with large keystones. The building was listed because it reflects the immigrant communities of the Dudley Square area, including Jewish, Irish and Canadian families, who lived there as tenants over several decades. It also marks a shift from single-family row houses to larger multi-unit apartment buildings. It is one of the few apartment blocks to survive 1960s urban renewal in the area and the only historic block there devoted entirely to housing. A rehabilitation finished in October 2006 stabilized the foundation and created modern, accessible apartments.
Significance in brief: The building is tied to the diverse ethnic, religious and social groups who lived in Lower Roxbury around Dudley Square. It is one of the last Classical Revival apartment blocks in the area to survive 1960s urban renewal. It is also the only remaining historic apartment block in this section devoted entirely to housing, and an example of Russell's work.
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 07000510, listed June 5, 2007. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 41 Ruggles St., 746-750 Shawmut Ave., Boston |
|---|---|
| County | Suffolk County |
| Listed | June 5, 2007 |
| Reference number | 07000510 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1892-1957 |
| Architect / builder | Cornelius A. Russell |
| Architectural style | Late 19th and 20th Century Revivals: Classical Revival |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture, Community Planning and Development, Black, European, Social History |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | A certified historic rehabilitation was completed in October 2006, and the building remains in multiple-dwelling use with one-, two- and three-bedroom units, including accessible units. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 42.33238, -71.08350 (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 07000510.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q5580317
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.