GRAHM SITES TODAY...

KENMORE & WADSWORTH HALL

Today, the former Hotel Kenmore and Wadsworth Hall are known as Kenmore Abbey, a modern mixed-use apartment complex for senior citizen and special needs tenants. Both buildings have been totally renovated and as a result most of the interior layout is completely different, although some of the Kenmore's marble lobby entrance has been preserved. Nuggets record store, which has been in Kenmore Square since the later years of Grahm is now located on the first floor of Kenmore Abbey where the school library once was. 

LEAVITT HALL

Leavitt Hall was sold at auction in 1977 when the College was unable to make mortgage payments. It was purchased by a private developer who removed the famous illuminated billboard advertising White Fuel. The "gushing geyser" had for many years competed with the Citgo sign for lighting up the square. The building has since been totally renovated and restored to it's original name of Hotel Buckminster, catering to students and business travelers.

660 Beacon Street

was originally built as an auto showroom for Peerless motorcars. In 1978 it leased out classroom space to Grahm after Leavitt Hall was closed.

It is now owned by Boston University and is home to a 6-story Barnes and Noble bookstore. The landmark Citgo illuminated billboard has been anchored to it's roof since the 1940's and for many years it housed the Kenmore Square Movie Theater.

632 Beacon Street was originally built as the head office of the Lumber Mutual Insurance Company. It is the former home of the Grahm TV and Radio production studios and was the schools Administrative Office. It was purchased in the 1980's by Boston University. For a while the former Grahm radio studios served as the facility for BU's own radio station WTBU.

It has since been converted into a dormitory and is now an annex of neighboring Myles Standish Hall.

A visit to Kenmore Hall, 1997

Here are some views of the inside of Kenmore Hall as it looks today.

Here is the 490 Commonwealth Ave. entrance.

The rest of the lobby to the left of the handrail has been partitioned off for office space.

A view of the stairwell looking down into the "pit", or courtyard as they now call it

The lobby has been changed a lot, but the marble staircase retains it’s original appearance.

The circular wooden banister to the right surrounds a hole cut into the floor for a view of the basement, the purpose of which I can’t imagine.

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