Conductor's Building

Boston Elevated Railway

Industry	Public transportation
Founded	1894
Fate	Merged into Metropolitan Transit Authority in 1947
Successor	Metropolitan Transit Authority (MTA)
Headquarters	Boston, Massachusetts , United States

The Conductor's Building served as an administrative center for the Boston Elevated Railway (BERy) and is situated on Bennett Alley close to Harvard Square, Cambridge, Massachusetts. Constructed in 1912 to function as the headquarters for BERy's 7th Division, it stands as the only original edifice left from the development of the Cambridge subway. Between 2014 and 2017, it underwent refurbishment concurrent with a nearby hotel project and was operated as a dining establishment from April 2017 until August 2018. Since December 2021, it has been home to Wusong Road, an American Chinese restaurant combined with a tiki bar. Known formally as Boston Elevated R.Y. Offices, this building is a contributing element of the Harvard Square Historic District.

Construction

From 1909 through 1912, the Boston Elevated Railway constructed the Cambridge subway, extending from Park Street Under to Harvard Square. This included a streetcar tunnel connecting Mount Auburn Street to Cambridge Street, designed to divert heavily trafficked streetcar routes away from the congested Harvard Square area. To support these lines, the Bennett Street Carhouse was established with track connections running through what later became Bennett Alley.

To facilitate operations, BERy erected a narrow two-story brick structure measuring approximately long by wide to serve as its 7th Division headquarters. The building's ground level contained offices and a spacious lobby designated for conductors and motormen; below, the basement was equipped with storage spaces, locker rooms, and restrooms; while the upper floor housed additional offices, an assembly hall, and a modest public waiting area.

Decline

In 1947, the BERy was integrated into the Metropolitan Transit Authority, which itself became part of the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) in 1964. By the 1950s, many streetcar routes had been replaced by trackless trolleys and buses, with the Bennett Street Carhouse serving trackless trolley operations. The facility ceased operation around 1978 amid construction activities for the Red Line Northwest Extension, leaving Bennett Alley to function as a layover point for routes accessing the tunnel. As administrative roles were consolidated elsewhere, the division headquarters saw minimal use by the MBTA and gradually deteriorated.

Designated as Boston Elevated R.Y. Offices, this building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on July 27, 1988, during an expansion of the Harvard Square Historic District. It remains the sole surviving structure from the original 1912 Cambridge Subway project; other components such as station entrances, powerhouses, and carhouses have since been demolished.

Reuse

Due to safety issues, the MBTA vacated the building around 2000. In 2005, there was consideration to sell off surplus properties including the Conductor's Building to raise funds. Public opinion was divided—some expressed concerns over losing a historic landmark while others supported revitalizing an underutilized site.

In 2012, Carpenter & Company acquired the Conductor's Building along with Bennett Alley and an adjacent parcel containing an active MBTA transformer for $4 million. The MBTA preserved permanent easement rights for bus access through Bennett Alley. Starting in February 2014, Carpenter & Company initiated a $65 million project that included constructing an office building above the transformer and refurbishing the Conductor's Building into what was promoted as "the longest bar in America."

The renovations were completed by early 2016, allowing Bennett Alley to reopen for bus traffic. In March of that year, restaurateurs announced intentions to launch a dining venue within the building before year-end. Les Sablons commenced operations in April 2017 but shuttered by August 2018. Subsequently, Wusong Road—a fusion of American Chinese cuisine and tiki bar—began operating there in December 2021.

External links

• 2007 segment by Cambridge Community Television featuring the building