Built by a man who counted Winston Churchill and the Duke of Windsor among his friends, The Lenox Hotel came on the scene at the turn of the 20^th century with great fanfare. The year was 1900. Boston, along with New York, was the financial center of America and had already staked its claim as the nation’s intellectual and medical capital. The ruling class, known as the Boston Brahmins, was facing off politically with the Irish Catholics. A budding startup known as American League was birthing its baseball franchise on Huntington Avenue Grounds. And a ‘rags-to-riches’ hotel impresario known as Lucius Boomer had just erected Boston’s tallest building — a $1.1 million, 11-story Beaux-Arts hotel, which he would name for Lady Sarah Lennox, wife of King George, III.

Explore our storied past through these vintage postcards and images!