State Street Block, Granite architectural structure in Financial District, Boston, Massachusetts.
State Street Block is a granite building spanning multiple sections with regularly spaced windows running across its front face. The structure displays Italianate details and once stretched across 22 bays before portions were removed.
The building was completed in 1857 by architect Gridley James Fox Bryant, who designed it for the Long and Central Wharf Corporation. About three-quarters of the original structure were demolished in the mid-1900s during construction of the Central Artery highway.
The building reflects the commercial character of 19th-century Boston with its Italian architectural style, defining the look of the waterfront district. The regular window pattern on the facade shows how merchants and traders organized their workspace in this busy port area.
The building sits near the waterfront and is easily accessible from the Financial District. Visitors should know that only portions of the original structure remain visible, so viewing it from different angles helps understand its original scale.
The demolition for the Central Artery in the 1950s transformed a major commercial building into a fragmented section of the waterfront. This makes it a rare example of how a single infrastructure project permanently altered the urban landscape.
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