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Home of the Week: House on the Charles River listed for $1.5M in Waltham
The water can be accessed via a private dock for kayaking and fishing or simply siting in a chair to contemplate.
$1.490 million
Style Italianate Victorian
Year built 1850
Square feet 2,860
Bedrooms 6
Baths 2 full 1 half
Sewer/Water Public
Taxes $5,624 (2025)
Move here and your most important neighbor dates back to the ice age — give or take a few thousand years.
This Italianate style home sits on an 16,200-square-foot lot that backs up to the Charles River, which was formed from glaciers ages ago. Today, it can be accessed from the house at 85 Crescent St. in Waltham via a private dock for kayaking and fishing or simply sitting in a chair to contemplate.
Entering via the front door, the 15-foot-long foyer hosts a curved stairway anchored by an elegant and solid newel post that is believed original to the home, which was built around 1850 for Robert Murray, a landscape gardener, according to the National Register of Historic Places and the listing agent.
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To the right is the 210-square-foot den with a six-over-six window on the front exterior wall that is nearly floor to ceiling. On the second exterior wall, there is a smaller double-hung window, also six-by-six in design. A modern fan/light combination hangs from a plaster medallion in the center of the ceiling and there is broad crown molding. The room has a nonfunctioning fireplace with a marble mantle along with shelving.
In the furthest corner of the den is a half bath with ceramic tile flooring, a single vanity with glass bowl for the sink, and an octagonal window for natural light.
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Returning to foyer and moving past the stairway leads to the 225-square-foot living room, a mirror image of the den — the windows, the fan with the light, and the crown molding are similar. There is an updated wood-burning fireplace in this room.
From the living room and moving toward the rear of the house is the formal dining room. This 168-square-foot space qualifies for being described as “sun-splashed” due to a pair of double-hung windows in the rear wall. But the more potent solar source is the sliders with the appearance of French doors that open to an exterior deck. A light fixture hangs from the center of the ceiling, and there is thin crown molding.
A granite-topped pass-through connects the dining room to the kitchen. Entering from the dining room, the space flows past two cabinets with clear glass doors on the right hand side. The updated cook’s area is galley style with a long granite counter with the gas stove embedded in. The sink is located underneath the pass-through and next to a double-hung window. The lower level of cabinets are white; the upper have a natural finish. Appliances are stainless steel.
In the kitchen, a door opens to a rear stairwell to the upper floors.
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The family room should not be considered by its own attractions, but by how it is connected to the large rear deck that provides views of the Charles framed by mature broadleaf trees. The family room is 176 square feet, and has a double-hung window on the right hand side, custom shelving, and a central light fixture. A clear glass slider flanked by two panes of clear glass is topped by a rectangular transom window opening to the deck.
Access to the second floor — and the primary suite — is available by either stairwell. But using the front stairway leads to a windowed hallway. The primary suite is at the opposite end of the hallway.
The primary suite is on the left and features an 169-square-foot bedroom with a double-hung window on each wall, thin crown molding, and a fan with a light as the primary light source. There are two closets, one of which has built-in shelving.
The primary bath is updated and it features a double vanity with a white porcelain sink top on a wooden base. Flooring is square, white ceramic tile. The shower, which requires a curtain, is on the right and has two showerheads facing each other. Backsplash is white subway tile with a decorative line.
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The three secondary bedrooms range in size from 195 square feet to 112 square feet; the largest has two double-hung windows, the others have a single window each. The full secondary bath has a single sink on a white vanity, a double-hung window and white ceramic tile flooring. There is a full shower/bath combination framed by square blue tile.
The third floor is an updated attic. It contains two bedrooms connected by a 33-foot-long loft room that is carpeted and has its own skylight. The two bedrooms each with a double-hung window are also carpeted. Ceiling heights are created by the external roof line, resulting in angled and lowered clearance in some areas.
The basement has a workshop and has walk-out access to the rear yard. A ductless heating and air conditioning system was installed in 2022. The lot is fenced and includes a shed.
Hans Brings of Coldwell Banker Realty in Waltham has the listing.
More Homes of the Week
John R. Ellement can be reached at [email protected]. Follow him @JREbosglobe. Send listings to [email protected]. Please note: We do not feature unfurnished homes unless they are new-builds or gut renovations and will not respond to submissions we won’t pursue. Subscribe to our newsletter at Boston.com/address-newsletter.
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