CAPITAL CAMPAIGN.

The LWCS has engaged the Spencer Preservation Group (SPG) to serve as the preservation architects for our headquarters at 558 Massachusetts Avenue in the South End. SPG is the successor firm to Spencer, Sullivan & Vogt, which was engaged to prepare the initial Conditions Assessment Master Plan of the building in 2020. With the current funding, SPG is focusing on restoration plans and specifications for the building's façade, including the entrance portico and front steps.

The project is conceived of in three phases that ultimately form  a larger project to rehabilitate the building for full use  in the service of its ongoing mission.

I. EXTERIOR – First, addressing any structural distress is a priority, followed by addressing compromises in the masonry and building openings in order to create a weather-tight envelope. Once the building envelope and masonry issues are addressed, the next step will be to restore all exterior architectural details. Many of these elements are brownstone, and much of the existing brownstone has degraded to the point where it will need to be replaced. Another feature to be restored is the iron balcony that had to be removed from the building. The front window sashes and eight sets of the rear window sashes have been restored and are awaiting installation in conjunction with the restoration of the deteriorated jams, sills and the masonry / brownstone work.  Thank you to Window Woman of New England for their work in restoring the window sashes. Also planned is work to restore the rear of the building which includes a bay with 4 windows and the rear entry door & enclosure. An accessible entry route into the building is also planned for this phase.

II. INTERIOR – Once the envelope work is complete, the next step will be to address the building interior, starting with any interior structural issues. The next step will be to upgrade the building mechanical systems in a way that is not deleterious to the preserved historical fabric within. Updates to the mechanical, electrical, plumbing, and fire protection will be required to meet current code requirements as well as to restore the building to use by the League and for them to be able to rent out rooms as they did in the past. After the structural and mechanical upgrades, there will need to be a thorough repair of all moisture damaged elements at the ceilings, walls, and floors.  Finally there will need to be cosmetic work to paint and restore architectural details, restore and reinstall flooring. Another element of this stage of the project will be to implement vertical access through the building so that it complies with accessibility requirements, through installation of an elevator.

III. LANDSCAPING – Finally the revamping of the building will include restoration of the existing front cast iron fence and rear wall as well as new landscaping in both the front and rear gardens.

Thanks again to our grantors & supporters, including:

• The City of Boston Community Preservation Act (CPA)

• Massachusetts Historical Commission (MHC) 

• The National Trust for Historic Preservation and the African American Cultural Heritage Action Fund (AACHAF)

• Klarman Family Foundation

• The History of Equal Rights Grant 

• The Henderson Foundation

• Fidelity Trust

• Eastern Bank Foundation

• Cabot Family Foundation

• The Cruz Companies

• Onyx Spectrum Technology

558 MASSACHUSETTS AVENUE.

The building is a bow-front Victorian Gothic brick row house at the southeast corner of Chester Square in Boston's South End. It had a two-story ornamental iron balcony (recently removed and stored) and detailed brownstone quoins and elaborate brownstone around the windows and includes a brownstone entry porch approached by steps from the street with four Corinthian columns supporting a roof and a Gothic brownstone balustrade. Like all the houses on the square, it is four stories with a basement and a fifth level billiard room with 180 degree view of the Boston skyline.  

The interior of the building is remarkably intact. The spaces consist of large rooms with high ceilings; elaborate woodwork; carved marble fireplaces; gilt-framed mirrors imported from Paris; a monumental stairway leading to a second floor hallway with Corinthian columns and wall mirrors and topped with a skylight that has  ornamental painted glass  beneath; gilt bronze chandeliers; original kitchen apparatus in the basement; servant bell-pulls; doors and woodwork of rare tropical woods and veneers; mercury glass doorknobs; and some antique furniture, some of which is original to the building. 

Designations

The building has the following designations: 

* Boston Women’s Heritage Trail (South End) 

* South End Landmark District Designation 

* National Register District (05/08/1973) 

* Local Historic District (11/14/1983) 

* Preservation Restriction (01/29/1999) 

THE HISTORY OF 558.

The League of Women for Community Service, Inc. was established in 1918 in Boston, and is among the oldest continuing Black women’s club legacies in the United States. The U.S. Black women’s club movement emerged in the late 19th century and was composed of a number of local reform organizations dedicated to fighting racial subjugation and advancing the suffrage movement. The League's charter was in the cause of social welfare and culture in the Black community and since its founding, the organization has remained true to its mission by initiating a variety of educational, cultural, and social service programs, including hosting NAACP, Divine 9 and other community gatherings. Of note, the League’s headquarters housed Coretta Scott King when she attended college in Boston and could not access the dorms because of segregation. Today, as a modern organization, LWCS is guided by the principles of historic preservation, retention of ownership of its physical assets in the South End of Boston and ensuring public access to its collection. LWCS represents a convening of education and the celebration of community, culture, and the legacy of Black and women’s history in Boston and beyond. Its extensive and historically significant building and vast archive offer a remarkable and typically hidden bridge to American history through the eyes of a group of women who dedicated their lives to advancing civil rights and social justice for all people. The history of the organization and its buildings connect directly to the fight for social justice, equality and civil rights in the 20th century, making it a vital symbol of resilience and progress.

The League is currently focused on restoration of its headquarters and the development of a breadth of community and education programs and events. The heart of LWCS’s programming addresses the range of experiences of Black women, and other women allies, throughout history, highlighting narratives of resilience, activism, and cultural pride. Our goal over the next year is to expand our capacity in order to boost program offerings, collaborate with other complementary organizations in the region, and increase community engagement.