Old Corner Bookstore
Encyclopedia
The Old Corner Bookstore is a historic building in the center of Boston, Massachusetts. It is located at the corner of Washington
and School Street
s, along the Freedom Trail
of revolutionary and early American historic sites.
, who was expelled from Massachusetts
in 1638 for heresy
.
The building itself was constructed in 1712 by Thomas Crease as a residence and apothecary
shop. From 1832 to 1865, it was home to Ticknor and Fields
, a publishing company founded by William Ticknor
, later renamed when he partnered with James Thomas Fields
. For part of the nineteenth century, the firm was one of the most important publishing companies in the United States, and the Old Corner Bookstore became a meeting-place for such authors as Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
, Ralph Waldo Emerson
, Nathaniel Hawthorne
, Charles Dickens
, and Oliver Wendell Holmes, Sr.
Ticknor and Fields rented out the whole building, using only the corner for a retail space. Other section of the building, particularly upstairs rooms and storefronts facing School Street, were in turn sublet to other businesses. After the death of Ticknor, Fields wanted to focus on publishing rather than the retail store. On November 12, 1864, he sold the Old Corner Bookstore to E. P. Dutton
; Ticknor and Fields moved to Tremont Street. A succession of other publishing houses and booksellers followed Ticknor and Fields in the building.
and is Boston Landmark under the auspices of the Boston Landmarks Commission.
(a division of the Old Corner Bookstore Inc.), which operated there from 1982 to 1997 and specializes in travel books & maps. A Boston Globe
company store operated in the building from 1998 through 2002, selling Boston Globe products and tourist memorabilia.
A national discount jewelry chain, Ultra Diamonds, occupied the retail space from 2005 until the company's bankruptcy in 2009. Then the space was briefly used as a showroom for crafts created by North Bennet Street School students and faculty. Now (2011) the building is being retrofitted for a Chipotle Mexican Grill
restaurant.
Washington Street (Boston)
Washington Street is a street originating in downtown Boston, Massachusetts that extends southwestward to the Massachusetts-Rhode Island state line. The majority of it was built as the Norfolk and Bristol Turnpike in the early nineteenth century...
and School Street
School Street
School Street is a short but significant street in the center of Boston, Massachusetts. It is so named for being the site of the first public school in the United States...
s, along the Freedom Trail
Freedom Trail
The Freedom Trail is a red path through downtown Boston, Massachusetts, that leads to 16 significant historic sites. It is a 2.5-mile walk from Boston Common to Bunker Hill Monument in Charlestown. Simple ground markers explaining events, graveyards, notable churches and other buildings, and a...
of revolutionary and early American historic sites.
History
The site was formerly the home of Anne HutchinsonAnne Hutchinson
Anne Hutchinson was one of the most prominent women in colonial America, noted for her strong religious convictions, and for her stand against the staunch religious orthodoxy of 17th century Massachusetts...
, who was expelled from Massachusetts
Massachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
in 1638 for heresy
Heresy
Heresy is a controversial or novel change to a system of beliefs, especially a religion, that conflicts with established dogma. It is distinct from apostasy, which is the formal denunciation of one's religion, principles or cause, and blasphemy, which is irreverence toward religion...
.
Apothecary
Apothecary is a historical name for a medical professional who formulates and dispenses materia medica to physicians, surgeons and patients — a role now served by a pharmacist and some caregivers....
shop. From 1832 to 1865, it was home to Ticknor and Fields
Ticknor and Fields
Ticknor and Fields was an American publishing company based in Boston, Massachusetts.-Early years:In 1832 William Davis Ticknor and John Allen began a small publishing business which operated out of the Old Corner Bookstore located on Washington and School Streets in Boston, Massachusetts...
, a publishing company founded by William Ticknor
William Ticknor
William Davis Ticknor I was an American publisher in Boston, Massachusetts, USA, and a founder of the publishing house Ticknor and Fields.-Life and work:...
, later renamed when he partnered with James Thomas Fields
James Thomas Fields
James Thomas Fields was an American publisher, editor, and poet.-Early life and family:He was born in Portsmouth, New Hampshire on December 31, 1817 and named James Field; the family later added the "s". His father was a sea captain and died before Fields was three...
. For part of the nineteenth century, the firm was one of the most important publishing companies in the United States, and the Old Corner Bookstore became a meeting-place for such authors as Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
Henry Wadsworth Longfellow was an American poet and educator whose works include "Paul Revere's Ride", The Song of Hiawatha, and Evangeline...
, Ralph Waldo Emerson
Ralph Waldo Emerson
Ralph Waldo Emerson was an American essayist, lecturer, and poet, who led the Transcendentalist movement of the mid-19th century...
, Nathaniel Hawthorne
Nathaniel Hawthorne
Nathaniel Hawthorne was an American novelist and short story writer.Nathaniel Hawthorne was born in 1804 in the city of Salem, Massachusetts to Nathaniel Hathorne and the former Elizabeth Clarke Manning. His ancestors include John Hathorne, a judge during the Salem Witch Trials...
, Charles Dickens
Charles Dickens
Charles John Huffam Dickens was an English novelist, generally considered the greatest of the Victorian period. Dickens enjoyed a wider popularity and fame than had any previous author during his lifetime, and he remains popular, having been responsible for some of English literature's most iconic...
, and Oliver Wendell Holmes, Sr.
Oliver Wendell Holmes, Sr.
Oliver Wendell Holmes, Sr. was an American physician, professor, lecturer, and author. Regarded by his peers as one of the best writers of the 19th century, he is considered a member of the Fireside Poets. His most famous prose works are the "Breakfast-Table" series, which began with The Autocrat...
Ticknor and Fields rented out the whole building, using only the corner for a retail space. Other section of the building, particularly upstairs rooms and storefronts facing School Street, were in turn sublet to other businesses. After the death of Ticknor, Fields wanted to focus on publishing rather than the retail store. On November 12, 1864, he sold the Old Corner Bookstore to E. P. Dutton
E. P. Dutton
E. P. Dutton was an American book publishing company founded as a book retailer in Boston, Massachusetts in 1852 by Edward Payson Dutton. In 1986, the company was acquired by Penguin Group and split into two imprints: Dutton Penguin and Dutton Children's Books.-History:Edward Payson Dutton founded...
; Ticknor and Fields moved to Tremont Street. A succession of other publishing houses and booksellers followed Ticknor and Fields in the building.
Preservation
Threatened with demolition in 1960, the building was "rescued" through a purchase by Historic Boston, Inc. for the sum of $100,000. Historic Boston Incorporated is a not-for-profit preservation and real estate organization that rehabilitates historic and culturally significant properties in Boston’s neighborhoods so they are a usable part of the city’s present and future. The building is listed on the National Register of Historic PlacesNational Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
and is Boston Landmark under the auspices of the Boston Landmarks Commission.
Recent tenants
In recent times, the Old Corner Bookstore's retail space has held a branch of the Globe Corner BookstoreGlobe Corner Bookstore
The Globe Corner Bookstore was one of the largest travel book and map retailers in North America. It was located at 90 Mount Auburn Street in Cambridge, Massachusetts, near Harvard Square...
(a division of the Old Corner Bookstore Inc.), which operated there from 1982 to 1997 and specializes in travel books & maps. A Boston Globe
The Boston Globe
The Boston Globe is an American daily newspaper based in Boston, Massachusetts. The Boston Globe has been owned by The New York Times Company since 1993...
company store operated in the building from 1998 through 2002, selling Boston Globe products and tourist memorabilia.
A national discount jewelry chain, Ultra Diamonds, occupied the retail space from 2005 until the company's bankruptcy in 2009. Then the space was briefly used as a showroom for crafts created by North Bennet Street School students and faculty. Now (2011) the building is being retrofitted for a Chipotle Mexican Grill
Chipotle Mexican Grill
Chipotle Mexican Grill, Inc. is a chain of restaurants in the United States, United Kingdom, and Canada specializing in burritos and tacos, founded by Steve Ells in 1993 and based in Denver, Colorado...
restaurant.
Tenants of no.76 Cornhill
- 1712
- Thomas Crease
- 1789
- Herman Brimmer, merchant
- John Jackson, broker
- Samuel Thayer and Minott Thayer, shopkeepers
- 1807
- John West
- 1817
- Dr. Samuel Clarke, apothecary
Tenants of 135 Washington Street
- 1828
- Carter & Hendee (Richard B. Carter, Charles J. Hendee)
- 1829
- Benjamin Perkins & Co.
- 1830
- Gray and Bowen (Frederick T. Gray, Charles Bowen)
- 1833
- Allen & Ticknor (John Allen, William D. Ticknor)
- 1838
- Samuel H. ParkerSamuel H. ParkerSamuel Hale Parker was a publisher and bookseller in 19th-century Boston, Massachusetts, United States. He published musical scores as well as novels, sermons, and other titles...
- Samuel H. Parker
- 1840
- Parker & Ditson (S.H. Parker, Oliver DitsonOliver DitsonOliver Ditson was an American businessman and founder of Oliver Ditson and Company, one of the major music publishing houses of the late 19th century. Ditson began his business with Samuel H...
)
- Parker & Ditson (S.H. Parker, Oliver Ditson
- 1841
- William D. Ticknor
- 1844
- Oliver Ditson
- 1847
- William D. Ticknor & Co. (Wm. D. Ticknor, John Reed Jr., James T. Fields)
- 1853
- Ticknor, Reed, and Fields
- 1854
- Ticknor and Fields
- 1868
- E.P. Dutton & Co.E. P. DuttonE. P. Dutton was an American book publishing company founded as a book retailer in Boston, Massachusetts in 1852 by Edward Payson Dutton. In 1986, the company was acquired by Penguin Group and split into two imprints: Dutton Penguin and Dutton Children's Books.-History:Edward Payson Dutton founded...
(Edward Payson DuttonEdward Payson DuttonEdward Payson Dutton was a prominent American book publisher.In 1852, Edward Dutton founded the E. P. Dutton book-selling company in Boston, Massachusetts...
, Charles A. Clapp) - H.O. Houghton & Co.Henry Oscar HoughtonHenry Oscar Houghton was an American publisher, co-founder of Houghton Mifflin, and a mayor of Cambridge, Massachusetts.-Biography:...
- E.P. Dutton & Co.
- 1869
- A. Williams & Co. (Alexander Williams)
Further reading
- Nathaniel Bradstreet Shurtleff. "Old Corner Bookstore." A topographical and historical description of Boston, Part 1, 2nd ed. Boston: Printed by request of the City Council, 1871
- "Old Corner Bookstore." New England Magazine, Nov. 1903.