THE CITY OF BOSTON and THE BOSTON SOCIETY OF ARCHITECTS / AIA
2001 Harleston Parker Medal
The 2001 Harleston Parker Medal for Design Excellence was awarded to the Boston Public Library Restoration and Renovation of the McKim Building. The Harleston Parker Medal award was established in 1921 by J. Harleston Parker in memory of his father. The first award was granted by the Boston Society of Architects/AIA in 1923. The intent of the award is to acknowledge the “single most beautiful building or other structure” built in the metropolitan Boston area
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
The McKim building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1973, and was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1986 for its architectural and historical significance.
U.S. National Historic Landmark
In 1986, the National Park Service designated the McKim Building a National Historic Landmark citing it as “the first outstanding example of Renaissance Beaux-Arts Classicism in America.” Within the McKim Building are fine murals series, fine collections of rare books and manuscripts, maps, and prints, and splendid gallery space for displaying the numerous treasures assembled over the past 160 years.