Hotel Buckminster

One of the first hotels in Boston, the Hotel Buckminster was designed by Winslow & Wetherell, an architecture firm known for many large hotels and buildings in the city. Built in 1897, the Hotel is located in Kenmore Square, a block away from Fenway Park, and for over 100 years, the Hotel has hosted many pivotal players of Boston history.

In 1919, the Hotel was the site of a major scandal in Major League Baseball (MLB). Known as the Black Sox Scandal, the incident occurred on September 19th after a Chicago White Sox vs. Boston Red Sox game. Gambler Joseph Sullivan met White Sox first baseman Arnold Gandil at the Hotel where they conspired to fix the 1919 World Series. In the fix, the White Sox would throw the Series in exchange for money. When the scandal was revealed, eight White Sox players were banned from the MLB for life.

Later on, the Hotel played important roles for both the military and civilians. During WWII, it served as a site to hold Italian POWs and was also home to WNAC Radio, a broadcasting company that reported the news during the War to Boston residents through its Yankee Network.

After the War, the Hotel became a beacon of nightlife with the Storyville nightclub moving into the ground floor in 1950. Legendary performers like Louis Armstrong and Billie Holiday graced its stage. A decade later, the hotel would ownership and briefly be renamed Hotel St. George – later renamed to “Boston Hotel Buckminster”.

Since its renaming, the Hotel Buckminster has remained a hotel and apartment building. With 132 guest rooms, it has been an ideal location for visitors to stay while they explore the city. Sadly, in March 2020, the Hotel closed its doors due to the pandemic.