Most of us have passed or viewed the former Riverbank Court Hotel without a second thought about its history.
Here it is as the Riverbank Court Hotel in the early 1900s. (This photo by Leslie Jones is courtesy of the Boston Public Library, Leslie Jones Collection. Dated: 1934 – 1956 approximate)
Here it is today as Fariborz Maseeh Hall, an MIT residence located at 305 Memorial Drive.
This property found its way onto our "Then and Now" list because a photo of it from American Architect and Building News (January 1, 1901) keeps showing up on eBay labeled Charlesbank.
MIT has owned the building since 1937. In 1969, the building was included in the Historic American Building Survey. From that survey we know the history of ownership based on the Middlesex County Registry of deeds.
- "1900 J. Whitman Bailey buys land at 305 Memorial Drive from Embankment Land Co. for the use of Samuel Carr, Francis Peabody, Jr., and Benjamin P. Hyde as trustees of the Riverbank Court Trust, established January 1, 1900. Deed Book £798, p. 220."
- "1905 Albert S. Apsey and Hales W. Suter acquire land and buildings after foreclosure of Riverbank Court Trust's mortgage to Mercantile Trust Co. Deed Book 31*43, p. lUo."
- "1905 Riverbank Court Hotel Co. acquires land and buildings and in 1906 registers property. Deed Book31^3,P-lW;Land Reg. Book6,p.593."
- "1937 Massachusetts Institute of Technology purchases land and buildings. Land Reg. Book 28U, p. 197.:
It also listed the architect as H.B. Ball and set the date of construction at 1900.
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Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
Photography: Top photo Leslie Jones, second photo © 2016 Penny Cherubino, third photo American Architect and Building News (January 1, 1901)