Shreve, Crump and Low/Berkeley (420 Boylston St) Building - Boston, MA
Posted by: 
NorStar
N 42° 21.084 W 071° 04.377
19T E 329267 N 4690874
The building known for the company that had it built, is an early design of Art Deco that has been threatened with demolition.
Waymark Code: WMJ3RX
Location: Massachusetts, United States
Date Posted: 09/18/2013
Views: 4
In Boston's Back Bay neighborhood, is a building that presently called 'The Berkeley' or the Shreve, Crump and Low Building, a building that is an early and beautiful example of Art Deco design.
The building is located at 420 Boylston Street on the intersection of Boylston and Arlington Streets on the southeast corner and is west of the Boston Public Garden.
The building is considered one of the finest examples of Art Deco design, and is also one of the earliest built of that design in New England. It was built in 1905 for the jewelry company, Shreve, Crump and Low. Some of the notable features include strong vertical lines by the structure components, pointed spires at the top, a beautiful brass and glass door, and other carved designs.
In 1988, this building went through a major renovation to bring it close to its original appearance. The building was threatened with destruction in 2007, since it is only six stories in an area that literally has towers. I have been unable to find information in the last year or two to determine whether the building is still threatened.
One note: The Berkeley Building is also identified with the Old John Hancock Building about a block to the southwest. This is the building with a pyramid top and a weather indicator on the spire.
Another note: There is another building known as the Shreve, Crump, and Low Building on 330 Boylston Street, which was the next place the company moved to.
Sources:
ATA-In-Boston.netaweb.org:
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visit link)
Bostonartdeco.org:
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visit link)
Boston1905.blogspot.com (Berkeley-building):
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visit link)