High atop Sumner Hill in Jamaica Plain at the end of Greenough Street, overlooking Stony Brook Valley, is the Sumner Hill House, a grand residential complex that was a school for more than 80 years.
Today the building houses 75 apartments and is undergoing a condo conversion.
Twenty-two market-rate homes are available, and Michael Dorion and Juan Murray of Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage are selling them.
Current residents have purchased 33 of the units, many of them their own apartments, and another 20 units will be offered for sale to first-time buyers through a lottery by the Jamaica Plain Housing Trust.
Sumner Hill is a delightful neighborhood of narrow, tree-lined streets and Victorian homes. It was declared a National Historic District in 1987.
The building is historic in its own right. Before becoming a residential complex, the red brick Tudor-like structure at 76 Elm St. was Jamaica Plain High School until the city declared it surplus in 1980. It was previously known as the West Roxbury High School.
One section of the building was constructed in 1901, designed as an addition to an 1868 schoolhouse. Three floors face Elm Street, but in the back, where the land drops dramatically to John A. Andrew Street, the building has five floors.
In 1925, another segment was added. It was one of the first fireproof schools with its steel-beamed floors and terra cotta arches and partitions.
The architectural firm was Andrews, Jacques & Rantoul, a prominent national design firm that worked mostly in Denver. Today the firm’s architectural drawings adorn the first-floor walls of the first-floor lobby.
Just inside the arched Indiana limestone entrance is a wonderful unsigned mural of Jamaica Pond and the distinctive boathouse.
A wide metal staircase, reminiscent of its school days, leads up to the second floor, where two model condominiums have been built out and staged.
Dorion said that both condos feature the upgraded finishes that are available – natural or caramelized solid bamboo flooring, espresso CaesarStone or black granite counters and stainless steel General Electric Profile series appliances, which include an electric range, microwave, refrigerator and dishwasher.
Standard finishes are engineered bamboo flooring in either a toast or a natural color; another flooring upgrade is called Formica Quintessa, an interlocking material that comes in light Valhalla birch or dark Dalarna birch.
Stained butcher block or granite- or slate-colored Formica is the standard for the kitchen counters, and the stainless steel appliances are a different family of General Electric appliances.
Unit 214 is a two-bedroom condo with one bath and 895 square feet of living space. It is listed at $345,000.
It features a 10.5-foot ceiling and two tall windows with deep sills in the living room, which is open to a dining area.
To the right of the door, opposite the dining space, is a compact galley kitchen with General Electric Profile stainless steel appliances, including an electric range. The Ikea cabinets are Tidaholm, which have an oak finish. The espresso CaesarStone compliments the cabinetry.
A hallway behind the kitchen leads to the two bedrooms, both of which have large windows. Opposite them is the ceramic-tiled bath with a combination tub/shower and new vanity with a large rectangular washbowl. Above it is a fancy mirror.
Unit 211 is a one-bedroom condo and is well organized to maximize its space. It is listed at $289,900. The entry door opens into a short hall with a closet. Straight ahead is the kitchen.
Originally, it too was galley like, but the removal of the old cabinets – replaced with glossy red, easy-glide Ikea cabinetry – and the creation of a pass-through to the open dining/living area make this 640-square-foot condo seem large.
The counters are black granite, and the pass-through has a gently curved granite shelf that could be used as a breakfast bar.
The red cabinets are called Akurum Abstrak; another upgrade is simply Akurum, which is white high gloss.
The bedroom in Unit 211 is spacious, and just outside it is a full bath, which has a medicine cabinet above the vanity.
Both condos have recessed lighting, which also is an option for a nominal fee. The standard lighting is delicate track lighting in the entry halls.
The third floor has even greater ceiling height at 13 feet, and in the third floor corridor is a two-story atrium, topped by a large skylight.
The top floor, which has just four units, has high ceilings that incorporate the rooflines to offer interesting angles. Two are available in the mid-$400s.
Most of the condos are one- or two-bedroom homes, and a few are duplexes at the back of the building, incorporating the ground and terrace levels.
The base price for a one-bedroom is $239,900. A two-bedroom base price is $339,900, while a three-bedroom unit – only one is available – is $469,900. Higher prices reflect size and building location of the specific condo.
The building conversion will include new central air conditioning and a gas-fired hot water system. Each unit will have individual climate controls.
In addition, each unit will be provided with a parking sticker for the 55 on-site spaces on the property. Not all residents will have a car, said Dorion.
Because the condo conversion is just getting under way, buyers can select their finishes in the kitchens and baths and choose their paint colors for the kitchens, living/dining areas and bedrooms. These condos have gorgeous city views too.
DETAILS
Address: Sumner Hill House, 76 Elm St., Jamaica Plain
One-bedroom units, starting at $239,900
Two-bedroom unit, starting at $339,900
Three-bedroom unit, $469,900
Age: 1901; 1925; 1986; 2009
Taxes and condo fees: To be determined
Features of building: Beautiful, renovated former schoolhouse now converted from apartments to condos, with spacious lobby and landscaped grounds; large off-street parking area; new heat and air conditioning system with individual controls; professionally managed.
Features of units: High ceilings and tall windows; new flooring, kitchens, lighting and new paint, with many choices of upgrades; opportunity to gut-rehab baths.
Close by: Historic Loring-Greenough House and Soldier’s Monument; Centre Street shops; Olmsted’s Emerald Necklace, including Jamaica Pond; Arnold Arboretum, Southwest Corridor Park; Jamaica Plain Branch Library; easy access to MBTA Orange Line at Green Street Station, Route 203.
Contact: Michael Dorion or Juan Murray, Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage, 713 Centre St., Jamaica Plain, MA 02130. Phones: 617-522-4600 (office) or 617-470-4930 (Dorion cell) or 1-877-490-8688. Web sites: www.SumnerHillCondominiums.com or www.NewEnglandMove.com.
An open house will be held at this property Sunday, May 31, from noon to 3 p.m.
