22 Commonwealth Avenue
|
22 Commonwealth was designed by Gridley Bryant and Arthur Gilman, architects, and built ca. 1861. In his Houses of Boston’s Back Bay, Bainbridge Bunting indicates that the contract plans and building specifications for the house were dated July 1, 1860, and called for completion of the house by August 1, 1861, for a contract price of $13,400. It is one of nine contiguous houses (20-22-24-26-28-30-32-34-36 Commonwealth) which Bunting calls the group “one of the most imposing compositions in the whole district.” 22 Commonwealth was built as the home of dry goods importer and merchant Edward Motley and his wife Ellen (Rodman) Motley. They previously had lived at 18 Boylston Place. He is shown as the owner of 22 Commonwealth on the 1874 Hopkins map and the 1883 Bromley map, and Ellen R. Motley is shown as the owner on the 1888 Bromley map. Edward Motley died in January of 1894. Ellen Motley continued to live at 22 Commonwealth until her death in April of 1898. By 1899, it had become the home the Motleys' son, Thomas Motley, a dry goods merchant, and his wife Eleanor (Warren) Motley. They had lived at 87 Marlborough Street in 1894. Eleanor W. Motley is shown as the owner of 22 Commonwealth on the 1908, 1917, and 1928 Bromley maps. They also maintained a summer home in Nahant. Thomas Motley died in December of 1909. Eleanor Motley continued to live at 22 Commonwealth until 1937, and continued to be shown as the owner on the 1938 Bromley map. Her son, Warren, lived with her in 1937, and probably later. By 1963, Edward Swartz had acquired 22 Commonwealth. In January of 1963, he converted the property from a single-family dwelling into a lodging house. He also owned 24 and 26 Commonwealth, which already were lodging houses. He continued to own all three properties until his death. In December of 1983, Mary Elizabeth Brady, trustee of the Roebuck Trust, purchased 22-24-26 Commonwealth from Edward Swartz's Estate, and in April of 1984, James J. Devaney of Worcester purchased the properties from Mary Elizabeth Brady. In January of 1985, he combined the three properties into a single property and to converted them into eight apartments. In February of 1985, Patrick Ahearn, trustee of the Commonwealth Properties Realty Trust, purchased 22-24-26 Commonwealth from James Devaney and converted the eight apartments into condominiums. Patrick Ahearn had been James Devaney's architect for remodeling the houses into apartments. |
||||
|
