217 Beacon Street

217-219 Beacon Street

217 Beacon Street was built ca. 1866 for merchant, cotton manufacturer, and real estate developer Charles W. Freeland, probably for speculative sale, one of five contiguous houses (211-213-215-217-219 Beacon) designed as a symmetrical composition, with 211-213 Beacon and 217-219 Beacon having full bays, and 215 Beacon, in the center, having no bays. Two additional contiguous houses, 205-209 Beacon, were built for him in 1874.

By 1871, 217 Beacon was the home of wool merchant William Hilton and his wife, Esther Althine (Ward) Hilton.  They had lived at 89 Pinckney in 1870.  He is shown as the owner of 217 Beacon on the 1874 Hopkins map and on the 1883 Bromley map.

They continued to live there in 1883, but had purchased and moved to 17 Commonwealth Avenue by 1884.

By 1884, 217 Beacon was the home of Charles Davis, Jr., and his wife, Agnes Maria (Claflin) Davis.  Charles Davis was treasurer of the Atlantic Dyewood Company.

Agnes Davis died in March of 1885.  Her estate is shown as the owner of 217 Beacon on the 1888 Bromley map.

Charles Davis continued to live at 217 Beacon in 1888, but had moved to 28 Blagdon by 1889.  Agnes Davis's Heirs continued to be shown as the owners of 217 Beacon on the 1908, 1917, and 1928 Bromley maps.

By 1889, it was the home of William Croad Lovering, a cotton manufacturer in Taunton.

He was elected to Congress in 1896, but continued to maintain his Boston residence at 217 Beacon until the latter part of 1897, when he moved to 357 Beacon, where he spent the 1897-1898 winter season.

By 1898, 217 Beacon was the home of dry goods merchant Wolcott Howe Johnson and his wife, Fanny (Betts) Johnson.  They had lived at 302 Berkeley Street in 1897.  They continued to live at 217 Beacon in 1899.

By 1900, 217 Beacon was the home of dry goods merchant Francis Wright Fabyan and his wife, Edith (Westcott) Fabyan.  In 1899, they had lived at 232 Beacon, and by 1901 they had moved to 222 Beacon.

217 Beacon was not listed in the 1901 and 1902 Blue Books.

By 1903, it was the home of Charles Albert Read, Jr., and his wife, Ellen Arvilla (Hatfield) Read.  They had lived at 131 Marlborough Street in 1901.  Living with them at 217 Beacon was Ellen Read's niece, Adelena Hatfield.  Their principal residence was in Manchester.

By 1904, 217 Beacon was the home of Olivia (Dodd) Bigelow, the widow of jeweler and bank president Abraham Orlando Bigelow, and Helen Olivia Bigelow, their daughter.  They continued to live there until Olivia Bigelow's death in December of 1905.

The house was not listed in the 1907 Blue Book.

By 1908, it was the home of  Dr. Lincoln Davis, a physician and surgeon, and his wife Katharine Bradlee (Crowninshield) Davis.  In 1907, they had lived at 315 Marlborough Street.

They continued to live at 217 Beacon until about 1922, when they purchased and moved to 279 Beacon.

By 1923, 217 Beacon was the home of Ellery Sedgwick James and his wife, Louise Russel (Hoadley) James.  They continued to live there in 1925.

Ellery James was the Boston resident partner for the private banking firm of Brown Brothers & Company.

By 1927, it was the home of former US diplomat Francis Munroe Endicott and his sister, Mrs. Florence Elizabeth (Endicott) Davis Haven.  She was the widow of Chester Hasbrouck Davis, a wholesale boot dealer, and of Franklin Haven, Jr., a banker.  The Endicotts also maintained a summer residence in Beverly Farms.

Florence Haven died in 1933.  Francis Endicott continued to live there until his death in July of 1935.

The house was not listed in the 1936 and 1937 Blue Books, and was shown as vacant in the 1936-1939 City Directories.  Dorothy A. Palmer is shown as the owner on the 1938 Bromley map.  She also is shown as the owner of 219 Beacon, next door.

By 1943, 217 Beacon was owned by John Dever and/or Adelaide Monet.  Adelaide Monet also owned 219 Beacon.  Both properties were operated as lodging houses.