Armory of the First Corps of Cadets

The Armory of the First Corps of Cadets is a historic armory at 97–105 Arlington Street and 130 Columbus Avenue in Boston, Massachusetts. Over the years it has been known as Park Plaza Castle, Castle at Park Plaza, and The Tower.

Armory of the First Corps of Cadets
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
The Tower
Park Plaza Castle
Show map of Boston Show map of Massachusetts Show map of the United States
Location	Boston, Massachusetts
Coordinates	42°20′58.83″N 71°4′12.05″W
Built	1897
Architect	William Gibbons Preston
Architectural style	Late Victorian
NRHP reference No.	73000314[1]
Added to NRHP	May 22, 1973

Description

The four-story granite structure was designed by William Gibbons Preston and built beginning in 1891 and finished in 1897. Due to political unrest during the period, the building was designed to withstand mob violence. Its most prominent feature is its six-story tower. It is built in the Romanesque Revival style.^[2] The building's staircases are built by the Guastavino system, as are some tower vaults.^[3]

The building was built to store armaments and contained a rifle range, gymnasium, and drill hall.^[4]

In the late 1960s, the University of Massachusetts Boston leased the building and converted it into the university's first library.^[5] The building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1973^[1] and designated as a Boston Landmark by the Boston Landmarks Commission in 1977.

Between the early 2000s and 2018, a Smith & Wollensky steakhouse operated inside the four-story head house.^[4]

For years the building was known as the "Park Plaza Castle" and owned by the adjacent Boston Park Plaza, which used it as a banquet facility up until 2014. At that time it was sold and renamed "Castle at Park Plaza."

Wedding and events venue

The Tower at night

In 2020, the venue was renovated by new owners and rebranded as a wedding and events venue called "The Tower."^[4] Much of the original detailing as well as the doors were retained during the renovation.^[4] The Tower contains a distinct area on each of four floors:^[4]

• First floor: The Parlor, an open space with wood beams and decorative fireplaces^[4]
• 2nd floor: The Gallery, which features high ceilings with vintage chandeliers^[4]
• 3rd floor: A 750-square-foot Reading Room^[4]
• Top floor: The Library includes a catwalk, original bookcases, and large windows^[4]

See also

• First Corps of Cadets (Massachusetts)
• National Register of Historic Places listings in northern Boston, Massachusetts

References

1. "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. April 15, 2008.
2. "MACRIS inventory record for Armory of the First Corps of Cadets". Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Retrieved 2014-05-30.
3. Ohlendorf, John. "First Corps of Cadets Armory". Guastavino.net. MIT. Archived from the original on 2015-08-23. Retrieved 2015-12-16.
4. Kashdan, Rachel (24 January 2020). "The Tower, Boston's Newest Wedding Venue, Was Modeled after a Medieval Fortress". Boston Weddings. Boston Magazine. Archived from the original on 6 December 2022. Retrieved 9 July 2023.
5. Feldberg, Michael (2015). UMass Boston at 50: A Fiftieth-Anniversary History of the University of Massachusetts Boston. Amherst, Massachusetts: University of Massachusetts Press. p. 49. ISBN 978-1625341693.

External links

• Media related to Armory of the First Corps of Cadets at Wikimedia Commons
• City of Boston, Boston Landmarks Commission Armory of the First Corps of Cadets Study Report
• "The Tower". Longwood Venues. Longwood Venues. Retrieved 9 July 2023.; galleries of photos