Nobody quite knows what to do with this monument of Boston real estate. Once a swanky hotel that represented the lap of luxury, it now rots before Bostonians eyes, leaving only the memories.
The hotel was built by the Walworth brothers of Massachusetts, who wanted to establish their mark in the newly developing South End of Boston. When it opened its doors in 1875, the cobblestones streets were still overflowing with horses and carts. At the time most of the buildings in the area were warehouses, which made the unusual looking hotel stand out even more. The residential hotel featured 50 rooms and 2,000 square-foot flats with high, elegant ceilings.
READ MORE: Sign up to Mirror US's SMS updates for the latest straight from the newsroom
A member of the South End Historical Society, Hope Shannon, said: “I think, Alexandra was a princess related to or slated to marry someone from the English royal family. She might’ve been from Denmark. The rumor is they named the hotel Alexandra after her. The Alexandra was built around the same time she was alive."
However, much like well known figures from the past, buildings also fall victim to the passing of time, eventually everyone who once remembered them, has gone. A simple powerwash would reveal the true beauty that lies beneath decades of caked dirt and neglect. Those who witnessed the Alexandra in her prime, would tell Bostonians of today that she was something to behold.
It is unclear why and when exactly the hotel shut down, but in the years that followed, it was totally abandoned and left to fall into disrepair. For years, the once luxurious interior crumbled before the eyes of passers by. Graffiti was strewn across the walls, broken windows were boarded up, and filth accumulated outside. Then, in 2008, news broke that the building had been purchased by the Church of Scientology, for $4.5 million.
The sale caused controversy in the surrounding area. Debates exploded about the church’s intentions - as they are known to actively recruit members, locals were afraid that they were targeting the now disadvantaged area to indoctrinate vulnerable residents living in nearby housing developments. Perhaps disrupted by the public outcry, and the $17 million they were required to raise to renovate, the church was unable to actually use the building.
The problem building was once again passed on, this time to Alexandra, Partners, LLC who intended to turn it into a complex with condos, a ground floor cafe, and a rooftop bar. The project was just approved this year. Their mission is to “restore the façade of the existing Hotel Alexandra” while repurposing the building into something useful.
Click hereto follow the Mirror US on Google News to stay up to date with all the latest news, sport and entertainment stories
In online forums, several locals call the hotel “a dilapidated eyesore” that has been untouched for their lifetime. Without any more interruption, the project is set to continue next year. Boston is home to some of the country’s most iconic historical architecture, and any opportunity to restore a piece of the city’s history is welcome.