The building was the third "Horticultural Hall" built for the
Massachusetts Horticultural Society. It was designed in the English Renaissance Revival style in 1901 by architects
Wheelwright and Haven on land purchased by the Society. (This firm also designed the whimsical
Harvard Lampoon Castle in
Cambridge, Massachusetts.) When the Hall was dedicated in 1901, thousands of members and visitors attended its ten-day opening, during which time the hall was filled with
amaryllises,
azaleas,
Pelargonium geraniums,
gloxinias,
jasmine,
trumpet lilies,
palms,
rhododendrons,
wisteria, and a collection of 1,000
orchids, the finest collection gathered in America to that time. The building's larger lecture hall could seat 300. It was home to many organizations including the
Benevolent Fraternity Fruit and Flower Mission, the
Wildflower Society, the
Garden Club Federation (whose founding in 1927 was organized by the Society), the
Boston Mycological Club, the
New England Gourd Society, the
New England Gladiolus Society, the
Herb Society of America, and the
Boston Aquarium Society. The building was renovated in 1984, and sold to the neighboring
Christian Science Church in 1992. This building is currently under study by the
Boston Landmarks Commission for landmark status. ==Other buildings==