Department store, bank, university building proposed as landmarks

Why it matters: Landmark designation provides protection for buildings that have contributed to history or been around through major historical events, like the Great Fire of 1872.

• It's meant to protect significant architectural periods from the post-Civil War era through the mid-20th century.

The city will look at three potential landmarks:

• Gilchrist Building (431–439 Washington St.) — An 1899 Modern Gothic former department store designed by Henry Forbes Bigelow.
• Wesleyan Building (36 Bromfield St.) — An 1870 Italianate structure by Hammatt Billings that survived the Great Fire and was the Wesleyan Association's headquarters in Boston before housing the Boston University Law School.
• Boston Five Cents Savings Bank (School and Washington streets) — A property spanning two eras that combines a 1913 classical design with a 1960s modernist addition.

Of note: Any 10 registered Boston voters can petition for landmark status at Boston.gov/landmarks.

What's next: Experts will analyze each structure's historical significance before the Commission makes final decisions.