Piano Row District
Why it's listed
Piano Row is a group of late 19th and early 20th century commercial buildings in downtown Boston, running along Boylston and Tremont Streets, Park Square and Boylston Place beside Boston Common. The buildings reflect the city's music trade, particularly piano manufacturing and music publishing. One example is a 10-story marble Renaissance Revival office building at 178-179 Tremont Street, built for the Oliver Ditson Company, which in 1917 was the country's largest music publishing business. Other buildings include the Little and Colonial Buildings on Boylston Street, the Walker Buildings and the Hotel Touraine. The area was surveyed in 1979 as part of a study of Boston's theatre area, and its buildings are noted for the quality of their architecture and for achieving significance between about 1890 and the 1930s. The district is generally well maintained, privately owned and in commercial use, and its styles vary but belong to the turn of the century.
Significance in brief: The district is described as significant for the quality of its architecture and for its link to Boston's music industry, especially piano manufacturing and music publishing. Its buildings are said to have achieved significance between about 1890 and the 1930s. It forms part of the Boston Theatre multiple resource area, which also reflects the growth of theaters and movie houses.
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 80000458, listed December 9, 1980. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | Boston Common, Park Sq., Boylston Pl. and Tremont St., Boston |
|---|---|
| County | Suffolk County |
| Listed | December 9, 1980 |
| Reference number | 80000458 |
| Resource type | District |
| Architectural style | Turn-of-the-century styles, not uniform; includes Renaissance Revival (178-179 Tremont Street office building) |
| Areas of significance | Architecture, Performing Arts |
| Level of significance | National, State, Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Area described as well maintained, privately owned and commercial in use. Letters in the file mention alterations and water damage at one building on Boylston Street. |
| Acreage | 4.3 |
| Coordinates | 42.35236, -71.06474 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
This is a historic district. Buildings within its boundary are either contributing (they add to the district's significance) or non-contributing. Owners of contributing income-producing buildings can claim the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit; homeowners should look at state credits. National Register districts impose no design review by themselves; a local historic district ordinance, if one exists, does (the difference explained).
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 80000458.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q7190142
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.