41 Commonwealth Avenue
41 Commonwealth Avenue 41 Commonwealth Avenue was built ca. 1869, one of four contiguous houses (41-43-45-47 Commonwealth) built at the same time, and one of nine contiguous houses (31-33-35-37-39-41-43-45-47 Commonwealth) built in the same design between 1864 and 1873 (a tenth house, 29 Commonwealth, also built in 1864 but razed in 1894, may also have been of the same style). 41-43-45-47 Commonwealth were built for lumber merchant, real estate investor, and banker Elijah Chesley Drew and his wife, Hannah (Haines) Drew. (Bainbridge Bunting’s Houses of Boston’s Back Bay indicates that 41-43-45-47 Commonwealth were built for Elizabeth Drew; this probably is a misreading of Elijah Drew's name). Elijah and Hannah Drew made 41 Commonwealth their home, and sold the other three houses. In 1870, they had lived at the Commonwealth Hotel in the South End, which he owned. His brother, attorney Ira Towle Drew, also was listed in the 1872 City Directory at 41 Commonwealth but by 1875 was living at the Commonwealth Hotel. Elijah Drew continued to live at 41 Commonwealth until his death in January of 1877. Hannah Drew moved soon thereafter. By 1879, it was the home of silk and millinery dealer William Henshaw Horton and his wife Augusta (Kimball) Horton. In 1875, they had lived at 30 Hancock Street. He is shown as the owner of 41 Commonwealth on the 1883 and 1888 Bromley maps. The Hortons continued to live there in 1894, but had moved to the Hotel Vendôme by 1895. By 1895, 41 Commonwealth was the home of Sylvanus F. Van Choate and his wife, Georgie (Morse) Van Choate. Sylvanus Van Choate was an inventor of various electrical and telegraphic equipment, including light bulbs, insulators, switches, and submarine repeaters for underwater cable transmission. In 1891, he founded the Van Choate Electric Company with a capitalization of $6 million, for the purpose of manufacturing electric light and electrical appliances. The firm went bankrupt in 1900, having never produced any products. The Choates continued to live at 41 Commonwealth in late 1899, but probably moved at about the time of his firm's bankruptcy in 1900. By 1900, 41 Commonwealth was owned by Charles C. Bucknam. In October of 1900, 41 Commonwealth was purchased by Charles and Gertrude King as their home. In 1900, they had lived at 441 Beacon Street. Charles and Gertrude King had come to Boston in about 1872 from England. He was a brewer and owned the Continental Brewing Company. In August of 1900, Continental and nine other companies merged to become the Massachusetts Breweries Company. Charles King is shown as the owner of 41 Commonwealth on the 1908, 1917, and 1928 Bromley maps. They continued to live there in 1937, and probably later; he continued to be shown as the owner on the 1938 Bromley map. The property subsequently changed hands and, by 1977, had been converted into nine apartments. In December of 1986, it was purchased by Puritan Properties, Inc., and in January of 1987, they converted the house into nine condominiums. |
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