HBI & Our Partners - In the News
Historic Boston Incorporated was started in 1960 as a rescue mission for the places and spaces representing our many communities and their histories.
Then, a group of Bostonians, concerned about the impending loss of an important piece of the city’s architecture and heritage, formed Historic Boston Incorporated (HBI) as a non-profit organization and pooled their resources and connections to acquire and restore the Old Corner Bookstore buildings for continued use as retail shops and commercial offices. Downtown Boston’s oldest commercial building, the 1718 Old Corner Bookstore, was slated to become a parking garage until Historic Boston Inc. came in and saved this site along with the circa 1728 Cunningham House.
Since its founding, HBI has continued to demonstrate over its many projects that the preservation of historic buildings is an important economic driver for Boston; it is our honor to be a critical bridge between neighborhoods, preservationists, city decision-makers, and the private sector to forward a bright Boston future grounded in our past.
HBI & Our Partners - In the News
Nestled between triple-decker homes and facing busy Norfolk Street, an urban oasis flourishes in one of Boston’s oldest neighborhoods. The site, initially saved by Historic Boston Inc is now the flourishing home of The Urban Farming Institute.
HBI partner in preserving the Fowler Clark Epstein Farm through urban agriculture -- The Urban farming Institute -- had their good work in the community featured by CBS - Local WBZ News.
Exploring the possibilities held at the Charlestown Pumping Station.
Stacy Thompson and Kyle Shaffeld talk about what Chipotle in the OCB means for preservation across Boston.
St. Peter’s in need of more investment; St. Peter's received a $34,000 Steeples Grant from Historic Boston Inc. to help the restoration. Gomes said the goal of tomorrow’s fund-raiser is to have enough money for the church’s continual upkeep.
A well-known Jewish philanthropist has offered to help St. Peter’s parishioners in Dorchester -- assisted by HBI to stabilize their steeple -- to save their historic 135-year-old Catholic church.
The steeple of the First Parish Church — Dorchester’s oldest and most storied congregation— was returned to its proper spot atop the bell tower of the Dorchester landmark on Tuesday morning. The steeple was removed in November 2006 and has sat on a vacant lot across the street from the church ever since.
For years, the First Parish Church in Boston has been undergoing a major renovation project, which included the removal of its 150 foot steeple. Tuesday, the church landmark will be raised back into place. Advertisement The steeple was removed in 2006 to be restored as part of the overall renovation of the exterior of the Parish Street church, located in the Dorchester neighborhood of the city. The initial work was supported by many friends of the church as well as financial and...
There’s a new lift-off date for the First Parish Church steeple: Tuesday, August 6. The steeple — which was taken down from the historic structure as part of a massive restoration & renovation project with HBI in 2006— has been carefully rebuilt on a vacant lot across the street from the church atop Meetinghouse Hill.
Landmark & Historic Building Updates
The 1804 Anna Harris Smith House in Dorchester was designated a Boston Landmark on June 24, 2025.
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