26 Commonwealth Avenue

20-36 Commonwealth Avenue

26 Commonwealth Avenue was designed by Gridley Bryant and Arthur Gilman, architects, and built ca. 1861, one of nine contiguous houses (20-22-24-26-28-30-32-34-36 Commonwealth).  In his Houses of Boston’s Back Bay, Bainbridge Bunting calls the group “one of the most imposing compositions in the whole district.”

26 Commonwealth was built as the home of Henry Saltonstall and his wife, Georgiana Crowninshield (Silsbee) Saltonstall.  He is shown as the owner, as a trustee, on the 1874 Hopkins map and the 1883 and 1888 Bromley maps.

Henry Saltonstall was treasurer the Chicopee Manufacturing Company, operators of textile mills.  By 1885, he was treasurer of the Pacific Mills.

Francis Henry Appleton, Georgiana Saltonstall's son by her first marriage (to Francis H. Appleton), lived with them until his marriage in June of 1874 to Fanny Rollins Tappan.  After their marriage, they moved to 167 Beacon Street.

Henry Saltonstall died in December of 1894, and Georgiana Saltonstall continued to live at 26 Commonwealth until her death in January of 1901.

By 1902, 26 Commonwealth was the home of attorney Roger Faxon Sturgis and his wife Mildred (Frazer) Sturgis.  He is shown as the owner on the 1908 Bromley map.

Roger Sturgis died in 1918, and Mildred Sturgis continued to live at 26 Commonwealth with her adult daughters, Susan and Anita. Mildred Sturgis is shown as the owner on the 1917 and 1928 Bromley maps.

Mildred Sturgis and the Misses Sturgis continued to live at 26 Commonwealth in 1933.

The house was not listed in the 1934-1937 Blue Books.

By 1934, 26 Commonwealth was owned by S. Clifford Speed.  He also appears to have owned 24 Commonwealth, possibly owning both houses with Mary F. McGill, whose name appears as the owner on several of the permits relating to both houses.  On the 1938 Bromley map, S. Clifford Speed is shown as the owner of 26 Commonwealth, and George B. Rittenberg et al, trustees, are shown as the owners of 24 Commonwealth.

24 and 26 Commonwealth were converted into lodging houses in the mid-1930s, and remained as such for the next fifty years.

By 1963, Edward Swartz had acquired 22, 24, and 26 Commonwealth.  He operated all three properties as lodging houses 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.