The block of E. Broadway between G and H streets spans one of the higher elevations on the street and, therefore, was more desirable for development. In 1868 Henry Souther hired Bryant and Rogers, one of the leading Boston firms, to design a freestanding mansard dwelling (546 E. Broadway) that is as elegant as what was being built in the Back Bay. Souther, owner of a local brewery, may not have felt welcome in Boston's most prestigious neighborhood, but he hired architects who, in association with Arthur Gilman, had designed several of the most important early Back Bay houses. This appears in the rich classical detailing of his house, influenced
When the Souther House was built, it faced the Perkins Institute for the Blind on the opposite side of the street. That building was demolished when the Perkins Institute relocated to Watertown. On its site rose the South Boston Municipal Building (1913). James E. McLaughlin designed this community center in the style of an Italian Renaissance palazzo. In addition to a courthouse, the building contained an assembly hall, a library reading room, and public baths for men and women.