Youth's Companion Building

Youth's Companion Building

Youth's Companion Building Peter Vanderwarker or Antonina Smith

Youth's Companion Building

1890–1892, Hartwell and Richardson. 195–217 Columbus Ave. and 140–144 Berkeley St.

Constructed by the Perry Mason Publishing Company for their popular boys' weekly Youth's Companion, the building presents a long five-story facade of buff-colored brick over a ground floor of Longmeadow sandstone. As with most of Hartwell and Richardson's commercial work at this time, the exterior detailing derives from the Romanesque ornament popularized by H. H. Richardson. A massive two-story round arch entrance portal with a coffered ceiling centers the Columbus Avenue facade. The Berkeley Street elevation has a smaller round arch entrance with floral ornament. As originally constructed, a corbeled cornice and parapet provided a traditional architectural finish for the roof line.

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