Boston Public Library
Built 1887 by Philip Johnson. Added to the National Register in 1973, and a National Historic Landmark.
The record
| Property type | Building |
| Address | Copley Sq., Boston, MA |
| County | Suffolk County |
| Listed | May 6, 1973 |
| Listed for | Art, Architecture, Social history |
| Level of significance | National |
| Also known as | Boston Public Library National Historic Landmark |
| Reference number | 73000317 |
| Built | 1887 · more from the 1880s |
| Architect | Philip Johnson |
| Style | Renaissance Revival architecture |
| Designations | National Historic Landmark |
The nomination form, the document that argues why this place matters, is in the National Archives: Read the nomination ↗
Visiting
| Address | Copley Sq., Boston, MA |
| Coordinates | 42.3492° N, 71.0787° W · Directions ↗ |
| Also in Boston | 316 listed places in Boston → · walking tours → |
Explore
Map
Nearby in Suffolk County
Local history books for Boston
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Guidebooks to historic places and travel in Massachusetts
Titles come from Open Library's catalog, matched by subject heading or by title.
Reference
Questions people ask
When was Boston Public Library listed on the National Register?
May 6, 1973. It is also a National Historic Landmark, the higher of the two designations.
Source: National Park Service
When was Boston Public Library built?
1887, designed by Philip Johnson, in the Renaissance Revival architecture style.
Source: Wikidata
Where is Boston Public Library?
Copley Sq., Boston, Suffolk County, Massachusetts.
Source: National Park Service
Where is the nomination form for Boston Public Library?
The National Archives holds the nomination form, the document that made the case for listing.
Source: National Archives
Sources
Name, location, type and dates come from the National Register office's spreadsheet of listed properties, because the Park Service's spatial data does not carry this listing. The map point comes from Wikidata. Construction date, architect, style, photograph and encyclopedia link come from Wikidata and Wikimedia Commons, matched on reference number 73000317. Nothing here is transcribed by hand. The nomination form and photographs ↗ at NPGallery are the original nomination as filed with the National Park Service, and the form is often the best description of the place.