American House (Boston)

The American House (established 1835) was a hotel in Boston, Massachusetts, located on Hanover Street. Abraham W. Brigham,Boston almanac. 1837 Lewis Rice (1837–1874),"Lewis Rice" [1809-1877]. Memorial biographies of New England historic genealogical society, v.7, 1871-1880. Boston: the Society, 1907A.Forbes, J. W. Greene. The rich men of Massachusetts: containing a statement of the reputed wealth of about fifteen hundred persons, with brief sketches of more than one thousand characters. Boston: W. V. Spencer, 1851George S. Rice. "Lewis Frederick Rice" [1839-1909]. Boston Society of Civil Engineers, papers and discussions, v.6, no.5, May 1919 Henry B. Rice (1868–1888),King's Handbook of Boston, 4th ed. 1881Massachusetts Charitable Fire Society. "Henry Brigham Rice" [1843-1903]. Acts and by-laws: list of members and officers, and sketches of members deceased, 1892-1904. Boston: University Press, 1904 and Allen C. Jones (c. 1921) served as proprietors.Boston register and business directory, 1921 In 1851 the building was expanded, to a design by Charles A. Alexander. In 1868 it had "the first hotel passenger elevator in Boston." By the 1860s it also had "billiard halls, telegraph office, and cafe."A guide to Boston and vicinity: a complete hand-book, directing the stranger how to find its public buildings, hotels, depots, places of amusement, horse cars, churches, benevolent and religious institutions, newspaper and telegraph offices, cemeteries, etc.; with a map of the city and numerous fine steel illustrations; also, a guide to the principal first-class stores in the various lines of trade. Boston: 1867 In the late 19th century it was described as "the headquarters of the shoe-and-leather trade" in the city. Guests of the hotel and restaurant included John Brown,Walter Muir Whitehill. "John Brown of Osawatomie in Boston, 1857." Proceedings of the Massachusetts Historical Society, Third Series, Vol. 69 (Oct., 1947 - May, 1950)Edward Renehan. The secret six: the true tale of the men who conspired with John Brown. Univ of South Carolina Press, 1997 Ralph Waldo Emerson,Van Wyck Brooks. Life of Emerson. NY: Dutton, 1932 William Whitwell Greenough,Barrett Wendell. "Memoir of William Whitwell Greenough" [1818-1899]. Proceedings of the Massachusetts Historical Society, Second Series, Vol. 14, Feb. 1901 Charles Savage Homer,Philip Conway Beam. "Winslow Homer's Father." New England Quarterly, Vol. 20, No. 1 (Mar., 1947), pp. 51-74 Zadoc Long,Diary of Zadoc Long, in: Alfred Cole, Charles Foster Whitman. History of Buckfield, Oxford County, Maine, from the earliest explorations to the close of the year 1900. Buckfield, ME: 1915 and George Presbury Rowell.George Presbury Rowell. Forty years an advertising agent, 1865-1905. NY: Printers' ink publishing co., 1906 Many groups held meetings there, among them: Granite Cutters' International Association of America,Granite cutters' journal, April 1921 Letter Carriers' Association,Boston Almanac. 1891 National Electric Light Association,Electrical Review and Western Electrician, Feb. 27, 1915 and New England Shorthand Reporters' Association.New York Public Library. Semi-annual dinner, 1900, menu and program. Dinner, 1901, menu and program. The hotel closed in 1916, and re-opened under new management in 1918."American House Closes Tomorrow." Boston Daily Globe. 7 August 1935: p. 11. It permanently closed on August 8, 1935,"Tried Japanese Bellhops First." Boston Daily Globe. 11 August 1935: p. C8. and the building was shortly afterwards demolished to make room for a parking lot."Begin Razing Monday of American House." Boston Daily Globe. 24 August 1935: p. 19."Boston Proper and Back Bay. " Map. Atlas for the City of Boston. G. W. Bromley & Co., 1938. Web. 7 May 2013. (shows the American House has been replaced by a parking lot)Jones, Leslie. Aerial view of Scollay Square area. 1947 (approximate). Boston Public Library. 7 May 2013. (shows the parking lot occupying the former site) The John F. Kennedy Federal Building now occupies the site.David Kruh. Always something doing: Boston's infamous Scollay Square, rev. ed. Northeastern University Press, 1999

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American House (Boston)

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