Boston chateau-like mansion is for sale for $12.5 million
An expansive “chateauesque-style” Back Bay mansion at 448 Beacon St., at the corner of Hereford Street, is on the market for $12.5 million.
Completed in 1889 during the city’s Gilded Age, it initially encompassed 20,000 square feet and was one of the largest homes in the city at the time.
Subsequently, a two-story addition was built at the back of the house, reserving the panoramic views of the Charles River for the upper floors.
According to Bainbridge Bunting’s “Houses of Boston’s Back Bay, An Architectural History, 1840-1917,” it is one of 16 such grand houses built between 1880 and 1890.
Others included the Oliver Ames Mansion at the corner of Commonwealth and Massachusetts avenues and the Burrage Mansion at the corner of Commonwealth Avenue and Hereford Street.
Tracy Campion of Campion and Company Real Estate is marketing the 27,765-square-foot property at 448 Beacon “as is.” It is assessed at $3,558,200.
“This building is ideal for conversion into several beautiful duplexes,” said Campion. “Developers could return this structure to its former glory as the ultimate in city living.”
The architectural firm of Andrews and Jaques designed the five-story building of reddish sandstone and buff-colored brick for Robert Chamblett Hooper, whose family made its fortune in shipping and in the sugar trade.
It has a distinctive turret at the southeast corner of the building, a steep roof and many French Gothic gabled dormers facing Beacon, Hereford and Back streets. Altogether there are more than 70 windows on the three exposures.
The wide arched entryway hints at the Romanesque style of H.H. Richardson, who is noted for his iconic design of Trinity Church in Copley Square.
(Both Robert Day Andrews and Herbert Jaques worked in Richardson’s office before opening their own practice.)
The elaborate hand-carved ornamentation on the facade comprises many designs, including scallops, rosettes and Celtic knots.
The most elaborately furnished room features a hand-carved marble fireplace and mirror.
Carved lion’s heads top the rain downspouts, and the main chimney, visible at the back, features both red and yellow brick in a geometric pattern.
room is more formal and is reserved as an executive suite. It is paneled with quarter-sawn oak and has a large brick fireplace.
Rooms on the second floor have retained the most elaborate details. This would have been considered the piano nobile, where guests were entertained. The 14-foot high ceiling, painted a pale yellow, is rimmed with deep, ornate molding, and the walls hav
This manor house has seen many uses during the past 121 years. It was the site of a restaurant and offices and was home to the now defunct Chandler School for Women. Since 1974 it has been the headquarters of the Church of Scientology of Boston.
However, many of the elaborate details of this castle-like home were preserved or are hidden by false walls and dropped ceilings. Some rooms have been subdivided for classrooms.
The second floor music room boasts elegantly carved oak breastwork surrounding a marble fireplace. The inset is cast iron.
At the front of the building is a huge reception hall with a grand fireplace and a wide bay window. Above the mantel is a mural of a fox-and-hounds hunt, probably created when a restaurant by that name was located here.
Crown molding around the room features dentil molding, a band of egg-and-dart trim and another band of acanthus leaves.
The sweeping staircase in the reception hall was removed some time ago, said Campion. Toward the back of the building are two other staircases and an elevator.
On either side of the reception hall at the front of the building are two spacious rooms, each with a fireplace.
The corner room today is used as a meeting room and is functional; the other e molding above the wainscot with raised floral designs.
A rosette and Celtic knot are part of the detailed craftsmanship of the arched entry.
The fireplace in this room has a hand-carved black marble mantelpiece and a white marble surround. The overmantel is a mirror that extends to the ceiling and is accented with garlands.
The flooring is the original oak parquet.
At the far end of the room are pocket doors that open into another generously sized room.
On either side of the doors and above the doorway are period painted works of art.
The upper floors have been carved up into offices, but that does not detract from the unobstructed river views that include the MIT campus, the Longfellow Bridge and the Leonard Zakim Bunker Hill Bridge in the distance.
On either side of the fireplace is a lovely sconce.
On the second and fourth floors are terraces, perfect locations to watch the Fourth of July fireworks display.
“This is a unique opportunity for a developer to purchase the building and to work with individuals to create their own space,” said Campion.
“There is a lot of square footage that a discerning buyer looks for,” she said. The building is 55 feet wide, which would allow for an expansive floor plate.
“A lot of buildings in the Back Bay are narrow, forcing developers to build units with several floors.
The extra width, the tall ceilings and the oversized windows offering mesmerizing views” make this property really special. “Rarely does a building come on the market that would have 14 parking spaces,” she said.
The addition might be eligible for conversion to a multi-car garage on Back Street, she said.
Graham Parker, an executive director of the Church of Scientology, said the proceeds of the sale would be used to renovate the old Alexandra Hotel and two adjacent parcels it purchased in the South End two years ago at the corner of Washington Street and Massachusetts Avenue.
The exterior features many intricate details, as evidenced in the cornice of scallops and the decorations around the window of the dormer.
The new location, along with a bookstore and first-floor café, will bring more visibility and foot traffic, he said. The hotel, built in 1875, had fallen into disrepair and was an eyesore.
Written bids must be submitted by 5 p.m. Friday, March 26, to the church’s attorney, Marc LaCasse of the McCormack Firm LLC, One International Place, Boston, MA 02110. His e-mail address is mlacasse@mccormackfirm.com and phone is 617-951-2929.
The bids must include the name and address of the prospective buyer, including all principals; the cash purchase price, and a financial statement detailing the buyer’s ability to complete the sale.
In addition, the church would require a lease back of the property for up to 24 months following the sale. Bids should include a proposal for the leaseback provision.
Any submitted offer shall expire in not less than 10 days from the date the seller receives the offer.
For more information or for a showing, call Tracy Campion at 617-236-0711 or send an e-mail to tcampion@campionre.com.
DETAILS
Address: 448 Beacon St., Back Bay
Size: 27,765 square feet
Lot: 8,250 square feet
Age: 1889
Taxes: Tax-exempt; assessed at $3,558,200
Close by: Shops, restaurants and galleries on Newbury and Boylston streets, at Prudential Center and Copley Place; Boston Architectural College; MBTA Green Line at Hynes Auditorium and Orange Line, Commuter Rail and Amtrak at Back Bay Station; easy access to Massachusetts Avenue, Storrow Drive and Route 90.
Contact: Tracy Campion, Campion and Company Real Estate, 172 Newbury St., Boston, MA 02116. Phone: 617-236-0711.
Website: www.campionre.com
This property may be seen by appointment.
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This 27,765-square-foot mansion at 448 Beacon St. in the Back Bay is on the market for $12.5 million. Bids must be submitted by March 26.
COURTESY PHOTO / CAMPION AND COMPANY REAL ESTATE
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The most elaborately furnished room features a hand-carved marble fireplace and mirror.
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The second floor music room boasts elegantly carved oak breastwork surrounding a marble fireplace. The inset is cast iron.
COURTESY PHOTOS / CAMPION AND COMPANY REAL ESTATE
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The exterior features many intricate details, as evidenced in the cornice of scallops and the decorations around the window of the dormer.
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On either side of the fireplace is a lovely sconce.
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A rosette and Celtic knot are part of the detailed craftsmanship of the arched entry.
