82 Commonwealth Avenue

82 Commonwealth Avenue

82 Commonwealth Avenue was built ca. 1872.  In his Houses of Boston’s Back Bay, Bainbridge Bunting indicates that both 82 and 86 Commonwealth were designed by Theophilus P. Briggs.  He is listed in the 1870 and 1872 City Directories as a carpenter and probably was a housewright rather than a fully-qualified architect.

82 Commonwealth was built as the home of Edward Page and his wife, Elizabeth D. (Adams) Page.  Edward Page was an importer and dealer in iron, steel, and rails.  He is shown as the owner of 82 Commonwealth on the 1874 Hopkins map, and Elizabeth D. Page is shown as the owner on the 1883 and 1888 Bromley maps.

In 1888, the Pages were living elsewhere temporarily, and it was the home of George Robert Barrett and his wife, Elizabeth M. (Lawrence) Barr Barrett. 

By 1889, the Barretts had moved to 14 Arlington Street (demolished) and 82 Commonwealth was once again the Pages' home.  They continued to live there in 1892.  By the mid-1890s, they were living in Weston, where Elizabeth Page died in 1902.  On March 31, 1904, their unmarried daughter, Mabel, was murdered; the trial and conviction of Charles L. Tucker for her murder was widely publicized.

By 1893, 82 Commonwealth was the home of architect Arthur Rotch and his wife, Lisette de Wolf (Colt) Rotch.  They had been married in November of 1892, and 82 Commonwealth probably was their first home together.  Prior to their marriage, Arthur Rotch had lived with his mother at 3 Commonwealth.  Arthur and Lisette Rotch had moved to 234 Beacon Street by 1894.

By 1894, 82 Commonwealth  was the home of Mrs. F. L. Morton.

The house was not listed in the 1895 Blue Book.

By 1897, 82 Commonwealth was the home of cereal manufacturer Henry (Harry) Staples Potter and his wife, Sybil (Gilman) Potter, the former wife of attorney Andreas Blume.

Living with the Potters were his children by his first marriage – Harry S. Potter, Jr., Dr. Alexander Carleton Potter, and Grace Potter – and Sybil Potter's son by her first marriage, Howard Blume (who took the name Howard Potter).  Harry Potter, Jr., married in 1898 to Grace Bradley, and they continued to live with his parents at 82 Commonwealth until about 1900.  Grace Potter married in 1901 to Richard Dresser Small and moved elsewhere.  And Alexander Potter continued to live with his parents until about 1909 (he maintained his medical office at The Abbotsford at 184-188 Commonwealth).

In 1911 or 1912, the Potters were joined at 82 Commonwealth by Sybil Potter’s niece, Sibyl (MacKenzie) Snyder, the widow of Kansas City banker and businessman Robert Snyder.  She had lived with her step-son in Kansas City at the time of the 1910 US Census.

Harry Staples Potter died in June of 1919.  Sybil Potter continued to live at 82 Commonwealth with her son, Howard (Blume) Potter, and her niece, Sibyl Snyder, until about 1922.  By 1925, Mrs. Potter had moved to 11 Gloucester Street.

82 Commonwealth was not listed in the 1923-1924 Blue Books.

By 1925, 82 Commonwealth had been converted into medical offices and one (and possibly more) apartment.  By 1928, and probably before, it was owned by Dr. Allen Greenwood, an ophthalmologist, who lived in Wellesley.

From about 1931 through 1933, 82 Commonwealth was the home of Miss Elizabeth Morris Wood, who presumably leased from Dr. Greenwood.  By 1934, she had moved to an apartment at 255 Berkeley Street.  82 Commonwealth was not listed in the 1934-1937 Blue Books.

By 1935, and probably several years earlier, Dr. Greenwood also had acquired 84 Commonwealth.

In January of 1935, he cut a door between 82 and 84 Commonwealth on the first floor, and in March of 1936, he cut additional doors through on the second and third floors.  Both houses remained occupied as medical offices and apartments.

Allen Greenwood is shown as the owner of 82 Commonwealth on the 1938 Bromley map, and his wife, Marion E. Greenwood, is shown as the owner of 84 Commonwealth.

82 Commonwealth subsequently was converted into apartments.  By 1947, it was no longer owned in conjunction with 84 Commonwealth (and the connecting doors presumably were eliminated).

Sometime between 1942 and 1971, a two-story addition was constructed, increasing the number of apartments to fourteen.

By 1971, 82 Commonwealth was owned by Nicholas Haddad, who continued to operate it as an apartment building.  He continued to own it in 1978.