Symbolic of the many fine brick commercial and industrial buildings of the Bulfinch Triangle, the Paine Furniture Company Building survives as a reminder of the once vibrant furniture industry in this area. Founded in 1835, Paine Furniture went on to become very prominent in New England. The building covers half an acre and extends for half of the block of Canal Street, and the whole block of Market to Friend streets, making it quite a substantial building for a single owner, though for a time it was shared with another tenant. The visual division of the facade continues in the copper, slate, and shingle mansard roof with pedimented dormers, although these divisions were once more pronounced, with individual pavilions capping the corners and central bays of the facades.