Bussey House Study Report

The Boston Landmarks Commission has posted a study report on the proposed designation of the Bussey House in Dorchester as a Landmark under Chapter 772 of the Acts of 1975, as amended.

The Captain John Bussey House, at 1203-1205 Adams Street in the Lower Mills section of Dorchester, is significant to the city of Boston as one of few surviving properties from the 18^th century associated with an officer from the Revolutionary War, John Bussey (1751-1841). Bussey was also a well-known sea captain on trading vessels during the early 19^th century.

Despite alterations to the front elevation and an addition to the rear, the ca. 1792 house is sufficiently intact to indicate its 18th-century origins. A house of this age is a rarity in Boston; it may be one of the 50 oldest extant buildings in the city.

Sometime between 1905-1909, the management of the Walter Baker Chocolate Company outfitted the first floor of the house into a reading room for its employees. The Classical Revival storefront for the reading room, as noted in a 1977 inventory form for the Boston Landmarks Commission, is architecturally noteworthy and has acquired significance as a later addition. 

If designated, the Standards and Criteria in the study report will serve as guidelines for the Commission’s review of proposed changes to the property, with the goal of protecting the historic integrity of the landmark and its setting. 

Read the Bussey House study report

There are two ways to provide feedback on this potential Landmark designation:

1. Written feedback can be provided by visiting this link: feedback form.
2. The study report will be discussed at a public hearing on July 8, 2025. Members of the public are invited to attend this hearing and provide comments there as well. Please look for the hearing notice in the public notices section of our website. Hearing notices are posted no later than ten days in advance of the hearing.