The Weirdest Building Names in Boston
All Boston locals have heard of the Old State House, Quincy Market and Faneuil Hall. But how about “The Pregnant Building?’’ Or “The Skinny House?’’
All Boston locals have heard of the Old State House, Quincy Market and Faneuil Hall. But how about “The Pregnant Building’’ and “The Skinny House?’’ Yup, they’re here too.
We scoured the streets of the Hub – err, the Internet – and found the most entertaining, unusual, and downright baffling building names around Boston:
1. The Pregnant Building
100 Federal Street
Owned by Boston Properties, this skyscraper is located in the heart of the Financial District. While the 37-foot behemoth boasts panoramic views of the Boston Harbor, the Charles River, and Cambridge’s skyline, its architectural quirks have been subject to some jokes over the years.
Basically, it looks like it’s pregnant. So people started calling it “The Pregnant Building.’’ But those who work there – mainly Bank of America employees – can rest assured that it’s totally a “basketball mom.’’
2. Thirteen Foot House
50 Mount Vernon Street
This Beacon Hill house earns its name for being 13 feet tall. That doesn’t sound too exciting, but its history is certainly quaint. The building was originally divided into three carriage houses that accompanied larger homes on Chestnut Street. According to “Boston Ways,’’ by George F. Weston Jr., the property’s deed says: “the roof of the aforesaid stable shall never be raised more than thirteen feet above Olive Street (Mount Vernon Street).’’
The height restriction provides some current residents of Mount Vernon Street with unrestricted views of Boston Common – and some unusual history.
3. The Skinny House
44 Hull Street
Located on the Freedom Trail in the North End, this teeny tiny house is said to span only 10.4 feet at its widest point. Current residents probably live there as a dramatic diet plan that involves turning down all the nearby pizza and cannolis.
This four-story house is also known as a “spite house.’’ Legend has it that a disgruntled brother constructed it to block his greedy brother’s view of the harbor. That seems like a dramatic way to settle an argument, but, hey, at least it’s left us with a quirky Boston oddity.
Visitors can stay for $250 to $325 per night.
4. Scarlett O’Hara House
Revere Street
Okay, so this isn’t actually a house, but you’ll have loads of fun convincing your touristy friends that it is.
Tucked away in Beacon Hill, you’ll certainly feel like you’re looking at a two-story white Greek Revival-style building. It’s straight out of “Gone With the Wind!’’
But actually, it’s a skillfully done 3-D painting that was completed over 30 years ago to hide an ugly brick and concrete wall. Neighbors apparently have a lot of fun with the charade, and even decorate the wall with a wreath during the holiday season.
5. Darth Vader Building
Boylston & Exeter Streets
Also known as One Exeter Plaza, this skyscraper is just another boring Back Bay office building, but it earned its nickname by being taller than the surrounding structures and for having a high, dark-colored mansard roof.
The 14-foot building was constructed in the ‘80s by engineering firm Jung-Brannen Associates, and apparently offers a pretty sweet view of the Back Bay. It’s also a short walk away from popular shopping destinations on Newbury Street and Copley Square.
While we find the “Star Wars’’ nickname funny, others aren’t as charmed with the building.
In “Victorian Boston Today: Twelve Walking Tours,’’ author Mary Melvin Petronella describes the Darth Vader building as an imposing structure of “slick green glass.’’
Petronella writes: “Re-building without contextual awareness of or concern for scale and materials has been the tragedy of Boylston St. on the north side of Copley Sq.’’
6. Warren Anatomical Museum
10 Shattuck Street
This medical museum is free to the public 9-5 p.m. Monday through Friday. It’s named after Dr. John Collins Warren, who donated the founding collection of anatomical and pathological specimens to Harvard Medical School in 1847. Though the building’s name isn’t that unusual, the contents of the museum make it worth mentioning.
The museum’s current collection contains roughly 15,000 artifacts, including conjoined fetal skeletons, papier-mâché anatomical eye models, and the Dr. W. T. G. Morton ether (anesthetic) inhaler, used in the first ether-assisted surgery. I know you’re intrigued now.
It’s also home to the famous skull of Phineas Gage, a railroad worker who survived a 13-pound tamping iron going right through his head.
7. The Ether Dome
55 Fruit Street
It sounds like something out of a horror film, but it’s true: The Ether Dome, a Massachusetts General Hospital teaching amphitheater, is where the first surgery using ether was performed in front of an audience.
Between 1821 and 1868, you could watch more than 8,000 surgeries performed there.
What else were you going to do for fun in the 19th century?
In case you’re fascinated by the macabre and want to know just what this surgery might have looked like, the amphitheater has a painting of just that – a bunch of suited men hovering over a man with blood gushing out of his neck. There’s also an Egyptian mummy and some early surgical tools.
The Huntington Theatre Company even made a play about it.
8. The Boston Athenaeum
10 ½ Beacon Street
Founded in 1807, this five-story building is one of the oldest independent libraries in the US. It overlooks the Granary Burial Ground, so you’ll definitely get some peace and quiet if you choose to read here.
In 1966, the building was designated as a National Historic Landmark. If you’re willing to pay a monthly membership fee, you can peruse over 500,000 books. It’s also home to rare volumes and manuscripts, like the illustrated Nuremburg Chronicle from the 15th century and a 17th century devotional volume called “Testament and Psalter.’’
Bonuses: Dogs are permitted, and members still have tea and scones once a week. Also, rumor has it there’s a 1976 painting on the 5th floor of a man holding a joint. And did I mention there’s a book bound in human skin?
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