From Dave Brigham:
Kenmore Square and its immediate environs have changed a lot in recent years, just like much of Boston. Boston University has erected several new buildings, and a few years ago sold several properties to development and investment firm Related Beal. That company will tear down some buildings and construct new ones in the heart of the square (see September 5, 2018, "With Kenmore Square Development, Citgo Sign Will Stay").
There are, however, still some cool old buildings in the area, including one that functions as a middle finger of sorts to the fancy newness all around it (see February 8, 2018, "Casual Abandonment"). Here are a few more....
The Hotel Buckminster sits astride history, as well as Beacon and Commonwealth streets and Brookline Avenue, smack dab in the middle of everything. Built in 1897, the hotel is perhaps known best for hosting the meeting at which the plan to fix the 1919 World Series was hatched, leading to the Black Sox scandal. Among one of several Boston hotels alleged to be haunted, the Buckminster has over the past century served as home to radio and TV stations and a World War II prisoner holding facility; hosted a nightclub; housed college students and much more.
In 1886, the Edison Electric Illuminating Company of Boston was established, one of several launched in the wake of Thomas Edison's founding of an electricity generation business. Eventually, after a buyout, the company became known as Consolidated Edison. Not to be confused with Combustible Edison:
This power station, located along Beacon Street, dates to 1917. It was designed by Bigelow and Wadsworth, according to this web site. "The facade is in an Italian Renaissance style. When it was in use, the building housed transformers and other electrical equipment to power electrical lighting in the area. The upper floors contained batteries," per the blurb at that site.
The last stop on this short trip is this pair of buildings. On the right is the Lourdes Center, which opened at this site in 1963. "Our Mission is to promote a loving devotion to Our Lady of Lourdes," according to the Center's web site, "and to distribute Lourdes Water in North America, which is shipped to us from France." So cool!
On the left, at 700 Beacon Street, is the former Art Institute of Boston at Lesley University. I love this building! The art institute moved out of here to another cool building in Porter Square in Cambridge. Check it out here.
The building at 700 Beacon is now a student group meeting and rehearsal space for Boston University.
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