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Back Bay’s ‘ugly duckling’ is getting a makeover
Developers are transforming a Commonwealth Avenue apartment building into a luxury single-family home overlooking the Alexander Hamilton monument.
A mid-century apartment building that has long looked out of place among Back Bay’s historic rowhouses is about to disappear, or at least in its current form.
Developers are gutting the 11-unit building at 18 Commonwealth Ave. and rebuilding it as a luxury single-family residence, restoring the property to match the surrounding brownstones.
It was “the ugly duckling of the neighborhood,” says Joshua Stephens, vice president at Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Warren Residential and the Realtor representing the property.
According to Boston assessors, the developers, Lourenco Carminati and Eagle Hill Capital, bought the building in September 2024 for $7.85 million.
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Boston Modern Design and Amber Wilhelmina Design & Interiors are designing the home, while Stephens and Tracy Campion, founder of Campion and Company, will help list the property for sale.
Spanning about 8,100 square feet, the five-bedroom residence will be across five elevator-served floors. Each bedroom will have its own private en-suite bath, with two additional half baths for guests.
The house will feature marble finishes, a smart-home alarm, sprinkler systems, and most notably for the neighborhood, a two-car garage with two additional off-street parking spaces.
The residence will also feature a private rooftop terrace with a full outdoor kitchen and sweeping skyline views.
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Plus, it’s situated amongst the most iconic townhomes in the country, overlooking the Alexander Hamilton statue.
“It’s a nice house in an amazing location, on one of the most prominent boulevards in the country, overlooking a statue that was put there in the 1860s, with all the modern amenities that you would ask for,” Stephens said.
Unique History:
In 2024, the Back Bay Architectural Commission approved plans to restore the property’s front facade to its original design. City records show the five-story stone rowhouse was built in 1864 as a single-family residence for Lydia Gray Ward.
According to Tom High, who runs Back Bay Houses, a detailed genealogy of the neighborhood’s homes, Ward built the townhouse for her daughter and son-in-law, Mary Gray Dorr and merchant Charles Hazen Dorr, while she lived next door at 20 Commonwealth Ave.
The home remained a townhouse for decades before major changes in the mid-20th century. In the 1940s, a permit application called for exterior alterations, including larger windows, which is around the time the building was converted into a lodging house.
A building permit filed in March 1952 was later approved for additional interior renovations, converting the building from a lodging house into 11 apartments.
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It’s not the first time developers have tried to reverse course. Over the years, there have been several projects to roll back the modernization of some of the townhomes in Back Bay that occurred between the 1930s and 1950s, High wrote.
A few of the projects include 196 Beacon St., 45-47 Commonwealth Ave., and 142 Beacon St.
Challenges:
The developers became aware of the 18 Commonwealth Ave. building because it had been on the market for a long time, Stephens said.
The outdated apartment building posed unique challenges. It was home to some long-term tenants and had extensive deferred maintenance.
“It needed a significant overhaul,” he said.
Plus, any changes would have to go through the Back Bay Architectural Commission, which can be particular about what is allowed.
Over about two years, the developers rebuilt the home from the ground up, reframing the interior and redoing the exterior. They installed helical piles in the ground to help shore up the foundation, which sits under water in what used to be a swamp.
“When you’re spending millions of dollars on a renovation, they want to make sure that it’s not going anywhere and it’s here for the next 100 years,” said Stephens.
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He added, “I think that’s what Back Bay was originally built for — longevity and prominence. That’s what’s important to these developers.”
The only thing original, Stephens said, was the rear wall. Unfortunately, due to the prior renovations, there wasn’t much to save that was historical.
Next steps:
The realtors plan to put the townhouse on the market around May. The interior is getting wrapped up, and workers are finishing the front facade. There were some setbacks due to the weather this winter.
Stephens expects the home to be priced competitively for the area, in the $20 million to $24 million range.
“The best part about this property is that it’s going to boost every neighboring home’s property value,” Stephens said.
He continued, “We know that the architectural committee is really excited, and Back Bay neighbors are also very excited, and we’re excited to see it completed.”
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