Home Buying

For $799k, a Dorchester carriage house with a stone fireplace. See inside.

The home comes with two bedrooms, two full baths, a deck, and two deeded parking spots.

Unit 2 at 4 Melville Ave. in Dorchester was constructed in the Queen Anne style. Media By Domino

October 3, 2024

2 minutes to read

There is no animal maintenance required to hang your hat at 4 Melville Ave., Unit 2, the former carriage house at the Merrihew estate.

Located in the Melville Park neighborhood of Dorchester, the aqua-and-teal Queen Anne-style carriage house, built in the late 1800s, is tucked behind the main property. Boasting historic charm fused with modern amenities, the detached condo measures 1,250 square feet and is listed for $799,000.

Take the cobblestone driveway past hydrangea trees and the main house to get to Unit 2. The circular drive has two parking spaces deeded to this unit. There are two ways to enter from the front: the front door or the single garage door, which opens into a workshop space (742 square feet).

“The current floor plan offers a lot of flexibility,” said Leslie MacKinnon of MacKinnon and Co. at Compass, who has the Dorchester listing. “That flex space is a great opportunity for somebody who works at home and is creative or sees clients privately.”

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Assessed as a two-bed, two-bath condo, the home is currently set up as a one-bedroom. Step through the front door to a 475-square-foot open space that could be converted into the second bedroom. Currently functioning as an office/den, it features a full bathroom and has barn doors the open to the yard.

To the right is the beautiful staircase. Some of the posts feature the original rings for tying up horses. Continue up to the main living space, a combined kitchen, living, and dining area that measures more than 500 square feet. It features wide-plank hardwood floors and vaulted ceilings under a horse-topped cupola.

Two red doors through which hay was hauled up to the loft, look out onto this Dorchester neighborhood. On the floor, you’ll see the original openings where hay was dropped through to the lower level for the animals. (They are sealed.) The gas fireplace is clad in river stone.

The dine-in kitchen features granite countertops, counter seating, and stainless steel appliances.

The hardwood flooring that runs throughout this level is original to the home.

A single door opens out to a roughly 300-square-foot deck with a metal spiral staircase to the ground.

Back inside, take the wooden stairs to the main bedroom, measuring 186 square feet. It features a double bifold-door closet, vaulted ceilings, and two windows. Next door is a full bathroom with a dual vanity, tile flooring, and a tub/shower combination.

There’s also an unfinished basement that measures about 1,000 square feet and has a poured concrete floor, two sump pumps, and a high-efficiency boiler system for baseboard gas heat. It’s weather-sealed and home to the washer and dryer. The home also has three mini-splits for heating and cooling.

The homeowners association fee is $377 a month.

With outdoor grassy space that’s deeded specifically to the carriage house, the home is a peaceful oasis.

“It’s really serene and kind of quiet back there,” MacKinnon said. “It’s really appealing to a lot of buyers who are looking for something that’s not cookie cutter, that aren’t looking for your traditional condo in that price range.”

The Dorchester home is less than a half mile from Shawmut Station on the Red Line.

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