Athenaeum Press

The Athenæum Press Building is an historic building located at 215 First Street in Cambridge, Massachusetts. It occupies the entire block between First Street, Second Street, Athenaeum Street, and Linskey Way (formerly Munroe Street). Topped by a statue of Athena, it is visible from the Charles River and Longfellow Bridge.

Athenaeum Press
Location215 1st Street
Cambridge, Massachusetts
Coordinates42.364200°N 71.0793°W / 42.364200; -71.0793
Built1895
ArchitectLockwood, Greene,& Co.
Architectural styleOther
MPSCambridge MRA
NRHP reference No.82001917 [1]
Added to NRHPApril 13, 1982

History

The building was designed by Lockwood, Greene & Company (with tile vaults designed by the Guastavino Company[2]) and completed in 1895. It was built for Ginn and Company and Edwin Ginn, owners of the Athenaeum Press, to house its printing operations, and was built using principles of late 19th-century textile mill construction. Due to its highly visible location, the building was given a number of stylistic embellishments.[3] The front of the building resembles an Ancient Greek temple implemented in brick, patinated copper, and glass. The building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1982. The building was the third major printing house built in Cambridge (after those of Harvard University Press and Riverside Press), and one of the first major industrial sites on Cambridge's riverfront.[3]

The building has 380,000 square feet (35,000 m2) of floor space and was renovated circa 2005. The facility was used for many years to print textbooks.[4] Ginn later became part of the Penguin Group.

Current use

As of 2019, Occupants include the Cambridge Athletic Club (a local gym), Partners HealthCare Innovation, the Lean Enterprise Institute, SAGE Therapeutics, Constellation Pharmaceuticals and several other small businesses.

  • Statue of Athena on the building's roof.

See also

References
  1. "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. April 15, 2008.
  2. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2011-09-27. Retrieved 2011-08-15.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  3. "NRHP nomination for Athenaeum Press". Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Retrieved 2015-05-22.
  4. http://silentbeauties.blogspot.com/2011/08/ginn-and-company-athenaeum-press-1925.html
  • Souvenir of the Athenaeum Press by Ginn and Company, 1903. A 24-page book with descriptions and photographs, available for free download.
  • Silent movie showcasing printing activities in the building in 1925. Moviecraft archive.
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