Revere House

Revere House (1847–1912) was an upscale hotel in 19th-century Boston, Massachusetts, located on Bowdoin Square in the West End.[1] Fire destroyed the building in 1912.[2]

Not to be confused with Paul Revere House.
Revere House, Bowdoin Square, 19th century

Brief history

William Washburn designed the hotel building, constructed in 1847 on the former site of the house of Boston merchant Kirk Boott. The hotel was a project of the Massachusetts Charitable Mechanic Association. The association named their new hotel after Paul Revere, one of the founders of the group.[2]

Notable guests

Some considered Revere House "Boston's most prestigious hotel. It hosted the likes of writer Charles Dickens, singer Jenny Lind ("The Swedish Nightingale"). ... Famed orator Daniel Webster often used the portico to address crowds at political rallies."[3] Other notable guests: Ulysses S. Grant, Millard Fillmore, Franklin Pierce, Andrew Johnson, William Tecumseh Sherman, Walt Whitman,[4] Edward VII, Emperor Pedro II of Brazil, Philip Sheridan, the Iwakura Mission of Japan,[5] and singers Christina Nilsson and Adelina Patti.[2] Grand Duke Alexei Alexandrovich of Russia stayed at the Revere House in December 1871 when he visited Boston as part of his grand tour of the United States.

Ownership and management

Through the years, owners included Otis Norcross, Frederick W. Lincoln, Uriel Crocker, Nathaniel J. Bradlee.[2] Paran Stevens served as manager for many years. Management companies overseeing hotel operations included Chapin, Gurney & Co.; C.B. Ferrin; and beginning in 1885, J.F. Morrow & Co.[2]

Images
  • The residence of Kirk Boott, built in 1804 and rebuilt in 1846-47 as the Revere House
    The residence of Kirk Boott, built in 1804 and rebuilt in 1846-47 as the Revere House
  • 19th-century stereoview
    19th-century stereoview
  • Revere House, Bowdoin Square, 19th century
    Revere House, Bowdoin Square, 19th century
  • Portrait of Daniel Webster by Albert Gallatin Hoit, "which hung for years in the Revere House, Boston."
    Portrait of Daniel Webster by Albert Gallatin Hoit, "which hung for years in the Revere House, Boston."[6]
  • Detail of 1871 map of Boston, showing Revere House in Bowdoin Square
    Detail of 1871 map of Boston, showing Revere House in Bowdoin Square
  • Detail of menu from dinner given by Boston City Council, 1848
    Detail of menu from dinner given by Boston City Council, 1848

References
  1. King's hand-book of Boston, 1889
  2. "Twelve missing in Boston fire; Blaze Starts in Old Revere House and Spreads to Nearby Buildings", New York Times, p. 1, January 16, 1912
  3. Robert Campbell (May 21, 2006), "From square to bare; once filled with stately homes, Bowdoin Square's modern incarnation is decidedly less impressive", Boston Globe
  4. "Walt Whitman to the Staffords, 15[–17] April [1881] (Correspondence) - the Walt Whitman Archive".
  5. "'We welcome you, Lords of the Land of the Sun!' The menu for a banquet in honor of the Iwakura Mission during the Japanese embassy's visit to Boston in 1872". Object of the Month. Massachusetts Historical Society. February 2014. Retrieved May 28, 2014.
  6. This image may represent a version slightly different from that actually on display at the hotel. Cf. "Life portraits of Daniel Webster", McClure's Magazine, p. 620, 1897
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42°21′40.23″N 71°3′46.43″W

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