Engraved in brick, copper, and glass, the Athenæum Press Building stands as a testament to Cambridge’s industrial and intellectual past. It’s a remarkable structure. Today we’ll explore its history.
The Athenæum Press Building is located at 215 First Street in Cambridge. It occupies an entire block. The streets surrounding it are First Street, Second Street, Athenæum Street, and Linskey Way. Linskey Way was formerly Munroe Street.
Visible from the Charles River and Longfellow Bridge, the Athenæum Press Building has a prominent location. It’s topped by a statue of Athena. This statue was sculpted by Adio diBiccari.
The Athenæum Press was designed by Lockwood, Greene, and Company. The Guastavino Company designed its tile vaults. Construction finished in 1895. Edwin Ginn and Ginn & Company commissioned it. They owned The Athenæum Press. The building housed their printing operations. Its design used principles of late 19th-century textile mill construction.
Its prominent location led to stylistic embellishments. The front resembles an Ancient Greek temple. It uses brick, patinated copper, and glass. The Athenæum Press Building earned a spot on the National Register of Historic Places in 1982.
The Athenæum Press was Cambridge’s third major printing house. Harvard University Press and Riverside Press came before it. It was also one of the first major industrial sites on Cambridge’s riverfront.
The Athenæum Press Building boasts 380000 square feet of floor space. A renovation took place around 2005. For many years, the facility printed textbooks. Ginn & Company eventually became part of Pearson Education.
What about now? As of 2019, several businesses occupy the Athenæum Press Building. These include the Cambridge Athletic Club, Partners HealthCare Innovation, and the Lean Enterprise Institute. You’ll also find SAGE Therapeutics and Constellation Pharmaceuticals. Several other small businesses are here too.
So, as you stand before this building, remember its past. The Athenæum Press Building has evolved from a printing hub to a modern multi-use space. It remains an integral part of Cambridge’s landscape.