The Berkeley Building is a 26-story, 495foot building located at 200 Berkeley Street, Boston, Massachusetts, USA. It is the second of the three John Hancock buildings built in Boston; it was succeeded by the John Hancock Tower. The building is known for the weather beacon at its summit, which broadcasts light patterns as weather forecasts. The Berkeley Building is the 19th-tallest building in the city. It was designated as a Boston Landmark by the Boston Landmarks Commission in 1985.HistoryThe building, located in Boston's Back Bay, was designed by Cram and Ferguson and completed in 1947. From 1947 until 1964 it was the second-tallest building in the city, one foot (30 cm) shorter than the 496foot Custom House Tower, but a much larger building and a conspicuous landmark. The Prudential Tower, completed in 1964, dwarfed both., 17 buildings are taller, yet it remains a handsome and easily recognized Boston landmark, familiar to commuters crossing the Charles River. A drawing of this building served as a logo for the John Hancock Insurance company for many years.In March 2003, the John Hancock Insurance company sold the Berkeley Building, along with the Stephen L. Brown building and the John Hancock Tower, to Beacon Capital Partners. In December 2006, the Berkeley and Brown buildings were reacquired by John Hancock. the John Hancock company refers to it as "The Berkeley Building," but in common parlance it is "the Old John Hancock Building."
