5-9 School Street

Located in the heart of Downtown Crossing, this 2,266-square-foot ground-floor retail space presents a rare opportunity to establish your business within one of Boston’s most significant historic landmarks. Built in 1718, the Old Corner Bookstore later housed renowned publisher Ticknor and Fields, whose authors included Nathaniel Hawthorne, Henry David Thoreau, Harriet Beecher Stowe, and Ralph Waldo Emerson. Saved from demolition in 1960, the building remains an active commercial destination and is featured along Boston’s Freedom Trail, Literary Trail, and Women’s Heritage Trail. The flexible ground-floor retail space offers two direct entrances on School Street, two single-occupancy restrooms, modern electrical service, and a gas heating system installed in 2022. The space is well suited for specialty retail, literary or cultural concepts, galleries, showrooms, and other low-impact commercial uses. Existing food-service infrastructure, including a walk-in cooler, black iron venting system, updated grease trap, and drains also provides flexibility for select low-impact café or restaurant concepts. Ownership will prioritize uses compatible with the building’s historic character.