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Back Bay brownstone built for governor sells for $14.5m. See inside.

The property, built in 1879, housed eight apartment units, but the new owners intend to convert it back into a single-family home.

-Kerry Howell Kerry Howell

July 26, 2023

1 minute to read

For the first time in 53 years, the property at 173 Commonwealth Ave. in Back Bay has a new owner.

Crystal M. Roach and Michael Sherman of The Roach & Sherman Team at Compass executed the sale of the luxury property for $14.5 million.

“It’s south-facing on Commonwealth Ave. between Dartmouth and Exeter. The building has a grand ballroom on the second floor that has floor-to-ceiling black walnut wood likely imported from Europe. It’s absolutely gorgeous,” Crystal Roach and Michael Sherman of Compass said via email.

The Back Bay brownstone was built as a single-family home in 1879 for former Massachusetts Governor Roger Wolcott, who served from 1896 to 1900. J. Harleston Parker redesigned the home in 1917. In 1944, the property was transformed into an eight-unit apartment building. It remained this way until the recent sale.

The new owners intend to renovate the home and convert it into a single-family home, Sam Fier, a marketing adviser for Compass, said.

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The home has six floors and a headhouse with a bathroom. Currently, the home houses a basement studio apartment; a two-bedroom, 2.5- bathroom owners suite; and six one-bedroom, one-bathroom apartments.

The Gilded Age details have been preserved, including ornate wood molding, Italian-crafted marble fireplaces, elaborately carved entry doors, restored single-pane purple windows, and ornate locksets.

“The owner meticulously cared for and maintained [the home] over the last 53 years. When improving upon anything, he took into consideration all historic aspects and only replaced with a similar, more modern version,” Roach and Sherman said.

The Back Bay property comes with three parking spaces, as well as a roof deck with panoramic views.