South Boston loft provides a lot of space

West Second Street lies is between South Boston and the Seaport District. The block between E and F streets has the warm feel of the neighborhoods of South Boston but contains loft dwellings like those in the Seaport. 

Unit 305 at the Foundry, located at 320 West Second St., has high ceilings, creative storage and large windows which all work together to give the unit the feeling of spaciousness.

The two-bedroom, one-bath condo has a large living room and separate kitchen, which Kate Hazelton and Megan Kopman of Ballast Realty Group have listed at $449,000.

Hersey Manufacturing Company was founded in 1859. It manufactured equipment used in the production of many items such as soap, sugar, salt, and malt. It also made water meters. 

On Jan. 11, 1906, the company was given permission to erect a manufacturing building on West Second Street near E Street.

When the building was completed, the company’s letterhead stationery read:

“Hersey Manufacturing Company, Boston, Mass, New York, NY, Philadelphia, PA, Chicago, ILL, Columbus, Ohio, Atlanta, GA, San Francisco, Cal. MAIN OFFICE AND WORKS, Cor of E and Second Streets, SOUTH BOSTON, MA.” 

Built in 1906, the building was converted to condominiums in 1989.

Hersey Manufacturing was still in operation in the 1940s, but by the 1970s the building was owned by another company. In 1989 the building was renovated, turned into 51 condominiums, and renamed the Foundry.

The Foundry has a private, gated parking lot at the back of the building, a laundry room in the basement and an elevator that goes to all floors.

The residents have a social media site for those who would like to join. Recent postings include a request for anyone who would like to join a book discussion group and the question, “Who would like to host a cocktail party this month?”

There was also the following statement: “I left 2 tickets to tonight’s Red Sox game on the lobby counter. If you can put them to use, please take ’em!”

The dining area, which is open to the living room, has two tall windows and maple flooring.

Unit 305 is a corner unit with windows on the south and west, so it gets abundant light throughout the day.

Being on the third floor, the views are expansive and include the stone church on E Street, the buildings of the Back Bay (the Prudential, 111 Huntington and the old and new John Hancock towers) as well as the buildings in the Financial and the Seaport Districts.

The Boston Convention and Exhibition Center is just a block away. Hazelton says the views at night are extraordinary.

Inside the front door of the unit there is an immediate sense of airiness and light.

A double closet for coats and storage is beside the door. The entry hall opens to the 30- by 15-foot living room.

Next to the living room is a kitchen with a huge pass-through that can also serve as a breakfast bar.

The walls and ceiling are white, and the frames and sills of the approximately 8- by 4-foot windows are black, making the room feel as if it goes on and on. 

The windows, which were replaced in 2005, are triple-paned, energy efficient and nearly sound proof.

The kitchen is through a door off the living room. It gives working space for one or two people and has an open pass-through in the south wall. The European-style cabinets are white with stainless steel hardware. There are two tiers of wall cabinets in the north wall to take advantage of the high ceiling. 

The kitchen has been renovated during the last few years. The Bosch dishwasher and Bosch range were installed in 2005.

The Bosch microwave and the under-sink water filter were bought in 2009. The Insinkerator, Evolution series, was installed in 2010. The Frigidaire refrigerator/freezer was added in 2011. 

Next to the kitchen are built-in bookshelves that form a wall. A doorway opens into the second bedroom.

The pass-through above the sink is almost counter-to-ceiling and wall-to-wall, so it gives plenty of space for dining or visiting with the cooks. It also allows the natural light from the south windows to pour into the kitchen.

Built-in bookcases line the wall beside the kitchen, framing the door to the second bedroom. In the bedroom, another huge window is in the wall to the right, and a wall of closets is at the opposite side on the left.

Past the kitchen and the entry hall is the full bath. The room has slate flooring and a shower/tub combination.

The master bedroom is just past the bath. There another window lights the room and gives views of Boston. A walk-in closet provides rods for hanging clothes and, with the high ceiling, four tiers of built-in shelving. 

The present owners of the unit, an engineer and a city planner, have lived there for several years and have added some very creative, useful and unique features.

The master bedroom has lots of space, including a large walk-in closet.

They have added new wiring and ceiling-mounted lights to both bedrooms, a new ceiling fan with a winter setting to the living room, a new ceiling light in the dining area, lighting in the shower, a fan in the bath and dimmer switches in the living room, dining area and bedroom. 

Above the bathroom and entry closet they have added a storage area. In the second bedroom is a pulley system where three bicycles can be pulled to the ceiling, out of the way and almost like artwork.

And in the kitchen, a strip of blackboard paint provides a place to leave messages. New digital, programmable thermostats are in the five heating and cooling zones.

DETAILS

Address: 320 West Second St., Unit 305, South Boston

BR/BA: Two bedrooms, one bath

Size: 984 +/- square feet

Age: 1906; 1989; recent updates

Price: $449,000

Taxes: $2,870 (with residential exemption)

Condo fee: $427 per month (includes heat and hot water) and $20 per month for parking space maintenance

Features of building: Professionally managed 51-unit brick building with elevator; lobby renovated in 2007; parking lot in rear; laundry room in basement; some pets

Features of the unit: Oversized sun-soaked corner loft with beautiful light maple hardwood floors; renovated kitchen with stainless steel appliances, extra kitchen storage cabinets, unique storage in other rooms; built-in bookcases; huge windows with custom blinds and outstanding views of Boston; walk-in master bedroom closet.

Close by: Shops, restaurants and attractions of both the Seaport District and South Boston; Boston Convention and Exhibition Center; easy access to the MBTA Broadway Station Red Line, MBTA bus; Routes 90 and 93 and airport tunnel.

Contact: Kate Hazelton or Megan Kopman, Ballast Realty Group, 1200 Washington Street, Boston, MA 02118. Phones: 617-275-5811 (office), Hazelton 617-459-4571 Hazelton cell) or 617-459-4916 (Kopman cell).

Website: www.Ballastrealty.com

An open house at this property will be held Sunday, June 19, from noon to 1:30 p.m.