Background
William G. Preston was born in 1844 in Boston, New York, United States.
William G. Preston was born in 1844 in Boston, New York, United States.
He was educated in Boston and a graduate of Harvard College, he received an early training in his father's office (Jonathan Preston), later studied in Paris at the Ecole des Beaux Arts.
Shortly before the start of the Civil War Mr. Preston began practice in association with his father, working on plans for a number of public buildings that were not erected until after the end of the War. The most important of these in Boston were the State Charitable Mechanics' Association Building; the New England Museum of Natural History, c.1863; and the Rogers Building of the old M.I.T. group on Boylston Street, designed in the Classic style The latter, built about 1867 stood until 1939 when it was demolished.
Following Jonathan Prestons retirement to private life, his son carried on work alone through the following years engaged in planning both public and private buildings. Noted examples of his work in Boston include the Exhibition (later knowm as Mechanics' Hall) on Huntington Avenue, dating from 1888; Cadet Armory on Columbus Avenue, Boston University School
Law, Ashburton Place, and the old seven-story Mason Building at No 70 Kilby Street which was razed about 1935 and a modern office building erected on its site. Mr Preston was also architect of the Lyman School for Boys at Westboro; National Bank and Savings Building in Newton, buildings at the State School for the Feeble Minded and the State Industrial School for Girls, at Lancaster, Mass., also a number of residences in suburban towns in the state, at Narragansett Pier, and other locations in New England.