25 Exeter Street

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25 Exeter Street was designed by Peabody and Stearns, architects, and built in 1882 by H. McLauglin and McNeil Brothers, builders, for Nathan Matthews.  He is shown as the owner on the original building permit application, dated May 29, 1882.

The house is not shown on the 1883 Bromley map, nor is it listed in the 1884 Blue Book.

Nathan Matthews was a real estate investor, formerly the president of the Winnisimmet Company, which developed large areas of Chelsea, and (between 1860 and 1870) the president of the Boston Water Power Company, which developed portions of the Back Bay.  He and his wife, Albertine (Southworth) Matthews, lived at 145 Beacon Street; it does not appear that they ever lived at 25 Exeter.

By 1885, 25 Exeter was the home of William and Margaret (Chapin) Bliss.  They had lived in Springfield in 1880.  Margaret Bliss is shown as the owner of 25 Exeter on the 1888 Bromley map.

William Bliss was president of the Boston and Albany Railroad.

Margaret Bliss probably died between 1893 and 1896.  William Bliss continued to live at 25 Exeter.  By 1904, he was joined by his son-in-law and daughter, Hamilton and Elizabeth (Bliss) Perkins and their daughter, Margaret Bliss Perkins.

William Bliss died in December of 1907 and the Perkins moved soon thereafter.

By 1909, 25 Exeter was the home of paper manufacturer Charles Ellis Mason and his wife, Elizabeth (Andrew) Mason.  In 1908, they had lived at 8 Gloucester.

The Masons lived elsewhere for the next several years and appear to have leased the house to others.

By 1910, it was the home of Mr. and Mrs. Chester W. Lascelle.

By 1911 it was the home of ornithologist John Eliot Thayer and his wife, Evelyn Duncan (Forbes) Thayer.  They had lived at 251 Commonwealth Avenue in 1910. They continued to live at 25 Exeter in 1913, but had moved to 301 Berkeley Street by late 1914.

By 1915, 25 Exeter was once again the home of Mr. and Mrs. Mason.  Elizabeth Mason is shown as the owner on the 1917 and 1928 Bromley maps.

The Masons also maintained a summer home in Hingham on Martins Lane (probably the Andrew family home, inasmuch as Elizabeth Andrew and her sister, Cornelia, had lived there with their aunt, Edith Andrew, at the time of the 1900 US Census).

The Masons continued to live at 25 Exeter until about 1936, when they moved to 61 Marlborough Street.

By 1936, 25 Exeter was owned by real estate broker John Hamilton Morse and his wife Alice (Willard) Morse.  Alice W. Mason (an incorrect reference to Alice W. Morse) is shown as the owner on the 1938 Bromley map.

The Morses appear to have attempted to use the property in a series of ways. 

In April of 1936, Alice Morse filed a permit application to convert it from a single-family dwelling into ten apartments and, although the use was granted by the Board of Appeal, the permit was abandoned.  In April of 1940, the John Morse filed to convert it from a single-family dwelling into a single-family dwelling and restaurant.  Again, their proposal was approved by the Board of Appeal, but appears never have been realized. 

The house was shown as vacant in the City Directories from 1937 through 1945.

In January of 1945, John Morse petitioned to convert the house from a single-family dwelling into medical offices.  This was implemented, and the building remained zoned as offices and two apartments in the early 1970s.

By 1972, 25 Exeter was owned by Rising Sun Christianity, Inc.  Rising Sun Christianity was controlled by Ann Wigmore, who taught classes in the holistic medicinal value of foods such as sprouts and wheat grass juice (she also maintained a facility in Puerto Rico).  She converted the property into a church, holistic school, and ten lodging units.

In June of 1982, Rising Sun Christianity also acquired 196 Commonwealth Avenue, and in October of that year changed its name to the Hippocrates Health Institute, Inc.  It continued to be located at both 25 Exeter and 196 Commonwealth until 1986, when it consolidated its activities at 196 Commonwealth and sold 25 Exeter.

25 Exeter subsequently was converted back into offices and two apartments (located on the fourth floor) and, after changing hands several times, in 1991 was acquired by Gerald and Ann Zaltman, who made it into three apartments.

In June of 1997, the Zaltmans converted 25 Exeter into three condominiums.  Over the next ten years, the three condominiums were acquired by the same owner, who also owned the single-family home at 196 Commonwealth Avenue.