When the Toy Theatre on Lime Street in Beacon Hill (last post) was formed in the early 20th century, the members of the small theatre group of well-connected artists and actors had their sights on something with permanence. By 1914, the group had funding and acquired land on Dartmouth street, a block away from Copley Square, and ground was broken to build a large new theatre. Designed by the architecture firm of Putnam & Cox, the fashionable Colonial Revival style building featured a large, rounded facade and was constructed of brick with a marble base and detailing. The theatre was designed with a retail space for supplemental income. Inside, decorations were refined and also included a staircase and railings donated by Isabella Stewart Gardner’s Fenway Court mansion, that were removed when she created the Tapestry Room in her home. The organization could not support running the building through shows, and the space was sold and rebranded as the Copley Theatre within a couple years. Continuing the bad luck, the City of Boston decided to extend Stuart Street by 1921, and this building was along the proposed route. The Toy Theatre was demolished in 1921, after just seven years.
Buildings of New England 