137 Beacon Street
Owner/Developer: The Gibson Society, Inc.
Architect: Watson & Henry Associates, Michael C. Henry, PE, AIA, Principal
Construction: Lumus Construction, Inc.
Fire System Design: Heritage Protection Group; Advanced Saftey Systems

Designed by Edward Clarke Cabot in 1859, this six-story brick-built row house located at 137 Beacon Street was built for Catherine Hammond Gibson and has essentially been preserved as it appeared during three generations of Gibson family occupancy (1859-1954).  The building is a National Historic Landmark, and registered on the Massa- chusetts State Register of Historic Places.  Since 1957, it has operated as a house museum of daily life in the Back Bay during the mid-nineteenth to early-twentieth centuries and as a museum of Victorian and Edwardian decorative arts. 

When the house was completed in 1860, it had lighting, running water up to the third floor and central heating, making it among the most modern residences in Boston.  Electricity was added in the early 1900s.  As the Gibsons either replaced or retrofitted building systems, they left older systems in place. 

In 2002 an historic structures report recommended that fire detection and fire suppression systems be installed.  Designs by the project architect Watson & Henry Associates, in conjunction with Heritage Protection Group, and Advanced Safety Systems, maximized the retention of historic fabric.  New systems were installed by Lumus Construction Inc. with minimal impact to existing finishes and visual appearance.  A full upgrade of the fire detection system, a fire suppression system, emergency lighting, a new heating system with upgraded temperature and humidity controls and filtration, and an upgrade to the electrical system were completed in 2008.  This project not only protects the house and guests from fire but also greatly extends the life of the collection with greater control of the indoor environment, adding yet another layer of building technology advances for future generations to study.

Photo courtesy of Margaret Wray