The Parker House Hotel Keeps Reinventing Itself

The 1890 photo just catches the corner of the Parker House Hotel on the Tremont Street side. Unfortunately, most photos throughout history have been taken from the School Street side, so it is hard to verify the building using photos. In, fact the 1890 photo may be the only documentation of the Tremont Street façade during this period, even if it is only the top floors. However, given its location in the 1890 photo, there is little doubt that it is the Parker House. In addition, by comparing the architectural details of the bit of the corner of the building to the 1866 photo from School Street (below), any doubts are eliminated.

The Parker House Hotel was originally built in 1855, after demolishing the Boylston Hotel which was on the site. It was then expanded down the School Street side in 1860, adding a 6 story wing. Then in 1863, it added a 10 story wing down Chapman Place. And in 1866, it built another wing at 66 Tremont Street, and added 2 stories to the main building. Sometime after 1884, an 8 story addition was added at the corner of School and Tremont Street. This is not shown in the 1890 photo, and may be key to narrowing the actual date of the 1890 photo.

The great trick that the owners of the Parker House Hotel pulled off was in the 1920s. When they wanted to demolish the hotel and build another, they did it one wing at a time. The hotel was open and running the entire time, so it is considered the same hotel, making it the oldest continuously running hotel in the USA.