1 Arlington Street

1, 2, and 3 Arlington Street (right to left)

1-2-3 Arlington Street were designed by architect Gridley J. F. Bryant and built ca. 1861 for clothing manufacturer and real estate investor John L. Simmons.

The houses were designed to give the appearance of one large, monumental building, designed in the French Academic style popular in Paris during the 1860s.  The middle house is set slightly further back from the street than the two surrounding houses, whose Mansard roofs project outwards slightly to frame it.  All three houses have off-center main entrances that were originally surrounded by fluted pilasters (still visible at 1 Arlington and 3 Arlington).  While not immediately obvious, the window treatments are different for each story of the buildings.  The second floor windows are heavily pedimented, with the third and fourth story windows becoming progressively less so.  The small arched dormers on the top floor were the original location of the servants’ quarters.

Originally, the first story was constructed of stone that matched the other stories.  At some time after 1984, the first story of all three buildings was refaced with an artificial stone.  In addition, the entire facade of 3 Arlington has been refaced with grey artificial stone, interrupting the visual continuity of the three structures.

In 1862, William Fletcher Weld and his wife Isabella (Walker) Weld purchased 1 Arlington from John Simmons.  William Weld was a major shipping merchant.  At one time, his firm, William F. Weld & Co., was the largest ship owner in America, sailing under the "Black Horse" flag.  He also was a major investor in railroads and real estate.

The Welds lived at 1 Arlington until his death in 1881.  Their unmarried son, George W. Weld, lived with them.  They also maintained a home in Newport.

After William F. Weld's death, Isabella and George Weld moved to 115 Commonwealth Avenue.

By 1883, 1 Arlington was the home of Leonard Richardson Cutter and his wife Mercy Fairbank (Taylor) Cutter.  In 1880, they had lived at 127 Hancock Street on Beacon Hill. 
           
Leonard Cutter was a builder and real estate investor, and served at various times as Assessor, Alderman, Member of the Boston Water Board, and Water Commissioner.  He also served as interim Mayor of Boston in 1873.
           
He is shown as the owner of 1 Arlington on the 1883 and 1888 Bromley maps.  They continued to live there until their deaths in 1894 (Mercy Cutter in January 1894 and Leonard Cutter in July 1894).

By 1897, it was the home of real estate investor Horace W. Baxter, Jr.  He continued to live there in 1905.
           
The house was not listed in the 1907-1909 Blue Books.  However, Horace W. Baxter, Jr., et al, Trustees continued to be shown as the owners on the 1908 and 1917 Bromley maps.

By 1910, 1 Arlington was the home of Mrs. Randall S. Morse and Mrs. C. E. Murray.  Mrs. Morse continued to be listed there in the 1911 Boston Blue Book, but no longer was listed there by 1913.  Mrs. Murray continued to live there in 1917, and probably later.

By 1922, 1 Arlington was occupied by the League of Catholic Women of Boston.  They continued to maintain their headquarters there until 1937, and probably later.  The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Boston is shown as the owner on the 1928 and 1938 Bromley maps.

By the 1970s, 1 Arlington was the site of the Boston School of Modern Languages. 

Emerson College subsequently occupied the building in the 1980s for office space.