Office Of Historic Preservation 2025 Year in Review

From Lower Mills to Orient Heights, Charlestown to Hyde Park, 2025 was another productive year for Boston's Office of Historic Preservation.

In 2025, the Office of Historic Preservation, which includes the Archaeology Department, the Commemoration Commission, the Boston Landmarks Commission, and the 10 historic districts, had a productive year working on a wide range of projects. In collaboration with our stakeholders, both within City Hall and the broader community, our team worked to redefine what historic preservation means in terms of affordable housing, environmental stewardship, and preserving Boston's unique sense of place, which is recognized worldwide.

LANDMARKS

In partnership with Mayor Wu and the Boston City Council, the Boston Landmarks Commission (BLC) had one of its most productive years to date,

landmarking 7 structures within the city limits. Notable landmarks include two properties with ties to the American Revolution; Old North Church (North End) and Old South Meeting House (Downtown), Old Corner Bookstore and Cunningham House (Downtown) were also landmarked, including the iconic Nubian Square building, Ferdinand's Blue Store (Roxbury) and Roslindale's very first landmark, 318 Metropolitan Avenue. 

In 2025, staff at the Landmarks Commission also started the process to designate Monument Square as Charlestown's first protected historic district. 

Now let's take a look at what some of the agencies inside the office of historic preservation have been up to:

ARCHAEOLOGY

2025 was a year of discovery and research for the Archaeology Team, as we worked across the City to uncover, study, and share its hidden histories. Here are some moments that made this year memorable:

HISTORIC COMMISSIONS

The Boston Landmarks Commission and the 10 historic districts also processed over 933 design review applications and held nearly 130 hearings,

subcommittees, and public meetings for existing landmarks and historic districts. Together, these applications represent an estimated $723,000,000 in investments in the buildings, neighborhoods, and landscapes that define Boston’s past, present, and future. Let’s review the breakdown of investments by commission:

• 20 Applications, $1,568,087 in investments.

• 302 Applications, $35,387,299 in investments.

  Notable Project: 181 Commonwealth Avenue: In April the Back Bay Architectural Commission approved the renovation of 181 Commonwealth

  Avenue. This five-story brick rowhouse was designed by architect Clarence S. Luce and built in 1878 by T. E. and W. H. Stuart, builders, as the home of merchant Charles Whitney and his wife, Jessie Grant (Perkins) Whitney. In the 1960s the property was operated as a women's dormitory for the Chamberlain School of Retailing and the Cambridge School of Business. It remained a dormitory until 2023, and will be converted into condominium units as part of this approved project. Exterior work approved by the Back Bay Architectural Commission includes: restoration of masonry, wood elements and slate roofing, replacement of windows with historically appropriate wood windows, new landscaping, installing a garage door opening at the rear elevation, removal of fire escapes, installation of a roof terrace at the front facade, and installation of a deck at the uppermost roof.

• 3 Applications, $229,878 in investments.

• 20 Applications, $1,661,787 in investments.

  Notable Project: 138 Arlington Street In September, the Bay Village Historic District voted unanimously to approve the demolition of a 1 story commercial building built in the 20th century and erect a new, single family residence at 138 Arlington Street. The new building pays tribute to the district's unique Federal and Greek Revival architectural features while simultaneously implementing contemporary design elements. 

• 61 Applications, $115,918,820 in investments.

  Notable Project: 

• 28 Applications, $7,487,473 in investments.

• 11 Applications, $158,611,198 in investments.

  Notable Project: 10 Malcolm X Boulevard In July, the Highland Park Architectural District Commission approved the construction of two new buildings on currently vacant land at 10 Malcolm X Boulevard. The project includes the construction of a 6-story multifamily rental building; and construction of a 3-story multifamily home-ownership building with new amenity open space. This existing building at 80 Dudley Street, designed by Harold Field Kellogg and  built between 1913-1915 as the clubhouse for the Roxbury Boys Club of Boston, will be preserved as part of this project.

• 4 Applications, $807,400 in investments

• 268 Applications, $319,291,051 in investments
• Notable Project: South End Public Library – In July, the SELDC voted to approve the demolition of the existing 1970's public library at 685 Tremont Street and approved a new, multistory building. The new library will offer upgraded facilities and a contemporary design influenced by the architectural characteristics of the historic district.

• 23 Applications, $359,134 in investments

MONUMENT SQUARE LANDMARK DISTRICT STUDY COMMITTEE

On July 26, 2022, the Boston Landmarks Commission accepted for further study a petition submitted by registered voters to designate the Monument Square Landmark District in Charlestown.  The Study Committee for the Monument Square Landmark District held its first meeting on April 1, 2025, and has been meeting regularly, both in person and virtually, to review the petition, evaluate the proposed boundary, and draft potential standards for the district.

One major topic currently under consideration is whether to expand the boundary proposed in the original petition. The existing proposal includes only the buildings directly around Monument Square, but the committee is exploring whether additional nearby streets and properties with similar histories should be included. They are also weighing the benefits of creating a “protection area,” which would surround the district and provide light oversight focused on preventing demolitions, landscape or topography changes, or major height/massing increases that could compromise the core historic district. 

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APPLICATION APPROVAL RATES

When an applicant submits a request, each application for changes to a landmark or historic district is carefully reviewed by staff for compliance with the guidelines of that district or landmark. Staff works closely with each applicant to achieve the best possible outcome. As a result, the vast majority of the applications processed by Boston's Historic Commissions (approximately 85%) were approved, with 6% still in process. Only 1% of all applications were denied.

Commemoration Commission

On March 19, 2025, the Boston City Council voted to amend the ordinance establishing the Commemoration Commission as first discussed in July 2024 and as passed by commissioner vote in October 2024. This revision reduced the number of voting members from 44 to 37, in an effort to alleviate how often the Commission ran into the inability to have a quorum. In addition, advisory committees /stakeholder groups replace the original subcommittee structure. These groups will take no official votes but may share ideas and recommendations in a non-binding fashion. In an effort to strengthen and support the amendments to the ordinance, Commemoration Commission staff is working on bylaws to develop frameworks for the Commission to be successful in the endeavors they have been tasked with. These bylaws will exist inside of a handbook commissioners can reference routinely.

The Commission swore in one new member and will be filling three seats.

The commissioners worked on an interim report that recommends commemorative activities that can be undertaken and explored for Boston 250 titled Interim Recommendations of the Boston Commemoration Commission: Commemorative Activities for Boston 250, which is now being edited based on feedback provided on the first draft.

In an effort to highlight Boston’s diverse historical resources, the Boston Commemoration Commission has compiled a list of repositories, historical collections, projects, museums, and other places where people can learn about Boston's history. With support from the Boston Public Library, this list will be made publicly accessible as The Boston Historical Collections and Resources Database, a simple, searchable database on the Library’s website. We envision this as a launching point for Boston residents and visitors alike who seek to deepen their understanding of our shared history. This is envisioned as a living resource, and once it is publicly accessible, users will be able to fill out a similar web form to help us fill in any gaps.

ADDITIONAL FACTS