It was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1965 for its association with the noted portraitist Chester Harding, whose home it was from 1826 to 1830.

The four-story town house was built in the Federal architectural style as a private home by real estate developer Thomas Fletcher in 1808, at a time when Park Street and Beacon Street were lined by run-down public buildings.

[2] According to the Lawyers Pictorial Register, published by the Boston Bar Association in 1981, in the middle of the 19th century, the building was bought by Dr. Henry C. Angell, an art collector.

In January, 1962, the Boston Bar Association bought the house and moved its headquarters there from 35 Court Street.

As commemorated on a plaque hanging on the left-hand side of the building, the Chester Harding House was declared a U.S. National Historic Landmark in 1965.