Photo courtesy of South Coast Improvement Co.

What: Hood Milk Bottle
Where: 308 Congress St., Boston
Owner: Boston Children’s Museum
Project date: August-October 2020 

The Boston Children’s Museum recently received the 2021 Mayor Thomas M. Menino Legacy Award by Preservation Massachusetts for the renovation of the historic Hood Milk Bottle in Boston’s Fort Point. 

Marion-based South Coast Improvement Co. was the general contractor for restoration of the iconic milk bottle replica at 308 Congress St. Wessling Architects of Quincy provided the architectural services for the project, which included installation of new sheathing, insulation, siding, windows, doors and utility systems. Funds for the project were donated by Hood’s owners as a gift to the Children’s Museum. 

The 40-foot-tall, 7-ton structure was built in the 1930s by Arthur Gagner to dispense homemade ice cream at a roadside stand on Route 44 in Taunton. Following its abandonment in 1967, H.P. Hood & Sons refurbished the bottle and donated it to the Boston Children’s Museum. 

They Said It: 

“Having grown up a stone’s throw from the Hood Milk bottle, I can tell you it was quite a thrill to work on this iconic structure. Add being part of an effort that receives the Legacy award, and that’s quite a bit more than icing on the cake. Much like a refreshing ice cold glass of milk, the renovation provided nourishment to all who walked through Fort Point last summer.” 

— Tom Quinlan, president, South Coast Improvement Co.