Ames Building (early skyscraper)

The Ames Building at 1 Court Street was completed in 1893 and designed by Shepley, Rutan & Coolidge; it is frequently cited as Boston's first skyscraper. Originally built as a 13-story commercial office building, its masonry facade and classical ornamentation reflect late 19th-century commercial architectural trends. The structure has been restored and adaptively reused in the modern era.