Peter Fuller Building Explained

Peter Fuller Building
Location:808 Commonwealth Ave.,
Brookline, Massachusetts
Coordinates:42.3503°N -71.1053°W
Built:1927
Architect:Kahn, Albert
Architecture:Classical Revival
Added:October 17, 1985
Refnum:85003269
Mpsub:Brookline MRA

The Peter Fuller Building is a historic commercial building located at 808 Commonwealth Avenue in Brookline, Massachusetts.

Description and history

This five-story limestone-faced building occupies a prominent position on Commonwealth Avenue near the south end of the BU Bridge. It was designed by the prolific architect Albert Kahn, a noted designer of industrial buildings, and built in 1927 for the Cadillac Auto Company. It is one of the few Boston-area buildings designed by Kahn, who did extensive work designing automobile-related industrial facilities in the American Midwest. This building stood at what was then a gateway position leading to a row of automotive dealerships along Commonwealth Avenue, and was designed to be a local flagship showroom for the luxury Cadillac line.[1] It gets its name from Peter D. Fuller, president of the Cadillac Automobile Company of Boston.[2] It ceased to be a car showroom in 1978, when Fuller closed his dealership, citing high overhead costs.[3] It was purchased by Boston University (BU) the following year.[4] In 2020, the building became home to the Howard Thurman Center, a center for student life at BU.[5]

The building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on October 17, 1985.

See also

Notes and References

  1. Web site: NRHP nomination for Peter Fuller Building. Commonwealth of Massachusetts. 2014-05-14.
  2. News: Turner . Robert . Profile in the News: Peter Fuller: the 'Nice' Tough Guy . The Boston Globe . May 6, 1968.
  3. News: Corcoran . Daniel . The Economy: Peter Fuller to close Hub Cadillac agency . The Boston Globe . February 22, 1978.
  4. News: Cohen . Muriel . Four BU trustees quit, one is dropped . The Boston Globe . October 17, 1979.
  5. Web site: Howard Thurman Center for Common Ground | Boston University . Bu.edu . 2020-05-12.