Back Bay penthouse has a roof deck
The architecture of the Back Bay reflects a wide variety of styles constructed during the reign of Queen Victoria from 1837 to 1901, so a trip down a street that runs east to west from the Public Garden is a lesson in the history of Victorian architecture.
The owners and architects had the desire and the means to select the latest in fashion and built elegant homes.
Mark Strickland of Keller Williams Realty has listed a wonderful condominium at 258 Marlborough St. between Exeter and Fairfield, for $965,000.
It is the penthouse unit with two bedrooms, a formal living room, a library/dining room, a gourmet granite kitchen, and a large roof deck.
On April 14, 1887, the city received an application for a permit to build a house at 258 Marlborough St. for owner Silas Merrill. The permit was granted on April 23, 1887.
The house was constructed in the Romanesque Revival style and, according to the Back Bay Architectural Commission, was possibly designed by architect Samuel D. Kelley, who built many homes.
The house remained a one-family home until the 1960s when it was converted into 13 apartments.
Then on Oct. 16, 1979, occupancy was changed from 13 to nine apartments, with two on each of the upper floors and one on the garden level.
The first floor of the exterior of the building is faced in granite with brick on the upper floors.
The penthouse at 258 Marlborough St. in the Back Bay was created by combining two units. It is on the market for $965,000.
The front door is set in a grand granite arch with a fanlight and clear glass sidelights. The arch is repeated above the entrance with a wide arched window.
The location of the home is excellent, so much so that an owner who bought one penthouse in 1987 combined another penthouse unit to expand the living space. About 10 years ago, these units were renovated.
The double penthouse is now on the market. The entry to the unit is near its center. A spacious foyer lit by both a skylight and recessed lighting is open to the large living room.
The living room is light and bright with one window facing south and another facing southeast.
When the street was laid out, a broad alley was built behind Marlborough Street to give merchants an unobtrusive way to make deliveries to the homes. That broad alley today allows abundant light to spill into the unit.
A beautiful decorative fireplace with a carved wooden mantelpiece occupies the southwest corner of the living room.
Hardwood floors that flow throughout the home gleam in the sunlight. The southwest corner of the room has a beautiful decorative fireplace with a carved wooden mantelpiece. An attractive spiral staircase is between the living room and the foyer.
An alcove on the east side of the foyer across from the staircase has a door to a bedroom and another to a full bath. The bedroom has both a south-facing window and a skylight.
Crown molding rims the ceiling. The bath has walls of white tiles and a pretty tile floor of white and navy blue.
Another full bath is off the foyer. It too has white tile walls and a blue and white tile floor. A door in the bathroom opens to a large laundry room with Asko appliances.
A hallway leads from the foyer past the kitchen on the west and a walk-in closet on the east and ends at the library/dining room.
The recently renovated kitchen boasts ample storage in the spacious cabinets and drawers. The cabinets echo the color of the hardwood floors. Some of the wall cabinet doors are paned in glass, giving a sense of openness.
The recently renovated kitchen boasts ample storage and workspace with custom cabinetry, granite counters and black appliances.
A pass-through window opens to the dining/library, allowing an exchange of food and conversation between the rooms.
Mottled granite in colors that enhance the black appliances and the white tile backsplash tops the counters and the pass-through sill. Recessed ceiling lighting and under-counter lighting make working in any area a joy.
Built-in bookshelves and cabinets line the library wall between the fireplace and the front windows. The two windows give beautiful views of the charming brownstones of Marlborough Street.
A lovely carved wooden mantelpiece like that in the living room surrounds the working wood-burning fireplace. Crown molding and hardwood floors complete the room.
The second bedroom is off the library. Its window overlooks Marlborough Street, and its ceiling is rimmed with crown molding.
The room’s large walk-in closet is tall enough to hold a ball gown.
A large roof deck, recently rebuilt, can be accessed via a spiral staircase.
The roof deck is outside of the head house at the top of the spiral staircase. To the south the view of the Back Bay skyline is bracketed by the Prudential Tower on the west and the mirrored John Hancock Tower on the east.
The deck also provides a wonderful viewing spot for the fireworks on the Charles River on the Fourth of July. There is lighting and water on the roof.
In 2005 the roof was replaced with a foot of insulation and a Carlisle Membrane commercial rubber roof with a life expectancy of 25 years. The deck was then rebuilt. A second head house on the roof provides even more storage space.
The home has two zones of baseboard heat. Central air conditioning was added in 2006. A one-year warranty comes with the home.
DETAILS
Address: 258 Marlborough Street, Unit 4, Back Bay
BR/BA: Two bedrooms, two bath
Size: 1,420 +/- square feet
Age: 1887; 1960s; 1979; 2000; 2005
Price: $965,000
Taxes: $10,048 (with residential exemption)
Condo fee: $492/month (includes heat and hot water)
Features of the building: Romanesque Revival style home converted to condominiums; basement with laundry room with free washing and drying and bicycle storage; new roof installed in 2005 and new gas water heater added in 2009; shrub hedge around front garden was removed for spring installation of a cast iron fence and new landscaping; no dogs allowed, but cats are welcome.
Features of the unit: Two combined penthouses units renovated in 2000 include gourmet kitchen with granite countertops; two parlors, one used as a living room and the other as a library/dining room; private roof deck with room for expansion; rooftop head house used for storage; two zones of baseboard heat; air conditioning added in 2006; in-unit laundry.
Close by: Commonwealth Avenue Mall; Newbury Street shops and restaurants; Boston Public Library; MBTA Green Line at Copley station; easy access to Storrow Drive, Routes 90 and 93.
Contact: Mark Strickland, Keller Williams Realty, 607 Boylston St., Fifth Floor, Boston, MA 02116. Phones: 617-542-0012 (office) or 617-816-1533 (cell).
Web sites: www.TopBostonRealEstate.com or www.258MarlboroughPenthouse.com
There will be an open house at this property Sunday, Feb. 21, from 1 to 3 p.m.
