Landmarks Commission recommends designation for 1792 Bussey House in Dorchester

The Boston Landmarks Commission on April 3 presented to the City Council’s planning committee its study report recommending the Captain John Bussey House at 1203–1205 Adams Street in Lower Mills, Dorchester, be designated a Boston Landmark.

Elizabeth Shaw, Deputy Director of Historic Preservation, and Jennifer Goglia, architectural historian for the Commission, said the house likely dates to about 1792, is one of the city’s surviving Federal‑style 18th‑century houses and would be among the roughly 50 oldest surviving buildings in Boston if placed on a historical list. The Commission said it voted to designate the property after accepting the study report.

Jennifer Goglia explained the property’s ownership and use history: it entered the Bussey family in the late 18th century, was associated with Captain John Bussey who served in local militia and later as a sea captain, was used by the Walter Baker Chocolate Company around the turn of the 20th century (which added a classical revival storefront), and today houses a credit union. She and Shaw said the study found no evidence that Bussey participated in the domestic slave trade.

The Commission outlined the effects of designation: exterior changes to the character‑defining features identified in the study report (the original two‑story Federal house and the early 20th‑century storefront) would require review by the Landmarks Commission; the designation would not regulate the building interior or its use, and would not necessarily preclude new construction on the site so long as character‑defining features are preserved.

Molly Donahue of the Boston Preservation Alliance testified in support of designation, calling the house “a rare surviving example of an 18th‑century building in Boston.” The committee did not vote on the Council’s final action; the Commission’s designation and the study report will be communicated to the Council for consideration.