Statement of Significance (as of designation - April 19, 1994):
From its founding in 1867 by Eben Tourjee, New England Conservatory of Music has been a preeminent institution in the field of music education not only for the City of Boston, but for the Nation and often on the international scene. Its concert hall, Jordan Hall, completed in 1903, has long been regarded as one of the world's top concert halls for its superb acoustical qualities. The institution began as a independent music school and has remained so to this day. It was patterned on the European method of teaching applied music to small groups or classes, with each student being allotted a fraction of available lesson time. Among those associated with this institution is George Whitefield Chadwick, an internationally recognized composer, who served as director from 1897 to 1933.