2 Marlborough Street

2 Marlborough Street

2 Marlborough Street was built ca. 1871 as the home of William Bordman Richards and his wife, Cornelia Wells (Walter) Richards.  In 1870, they had lived at the Hotel Hamilton at 260 Clarendon Street (demolished).

William Richards was a metals dealer.  Prior to their marriage, Cornelia Walter had served for about five years as the editor of the Boston Transcript (founded by her brother, Lynde Minshull Walter, who served as its first editor; she assumed the role of editor after his death in 1842).

William Richards died in June of 1877.  Cornelia Richards continued to live at 2 Marlborough with their son, William Reuben Richards, a lawyer, and daughter, Eliza Bordman Richards.  Cornelia Richards is shown as the owner on the 1883 and 1888 Bromley maps.

Cornelia Richards died in January of 1898.  William R. Richards continued to live at 2 Marlborough until his marriage in June of 1908 to Grace Ellingwood Butler.

2 Marlborough was not listed in the 1910-1911, 1913, and 1915 Blue Books.

By 1917, it was the home of James Taylor Wetherald and his wife Eliza (Phelps) Wetherald.  Eliza Wetherald is shown as the owner on the 1917 Bromley map.

James Wetherald operated an advertising agency and, in 1925, was treasurer of the Comfort Powder Company on Newbury Street (his son, Royal Wetherald, was president of the firm).

The Wetheralds continued to live at 2 Marlborough in 1925.

By 1922, 2 Marlborough also was the home of Dr. George Arthur Waterman, a physician and instructor in neurology at Harvard, and his wife, Claire Norton (Fowler) Waterman. They also maintained a summer residence in Brooklin, Maine.  They continued to live at 2 Marlborough in 1927, but had moved to 250 Beacon Street by 1928.

By 1928, 2 Marlborough was owned by The Atlantic Monthly Company, whose offices were located next door, at 8-9 Arlington Street. The magazine briefly used at least a portion of the house for the The Gladys Coffee Shoppe, a use not permitted in the residential district.  They were cited in January of 1928 following complaints by several neighbors and presumably discontinued the coffee shop soon thereafter.

The Atlantic Monthly appears to have leased the house to a series of residents, most (if not all) of whom accepted lodgers.

Residents listed in the Blue Books included: in 1928, Mrs. Florence (Guay) Shambow, the widow of shuttle manufacturer Christopher J. Shambow, and her son, Wallace A. Shambow; in 1929 and 1930, Madame Tenney (or Tenny).  She continued to live there in 1930; in 1931, Mrs. Rachel H. Glover; in 1934, Mrs. Susan Taylor Jones (who also was listed 121 Beacon Street, probably her principal residence); and in 1935-1937, Mr. and Mrs. Alfred H. Crump.

The Atlantic Monthly Company continued to be shown as the owner on the 1938 Bromley map.

By 1944, 2 Marlborough was owned by S. Clifford Speed, who operated it as a lodging house.  By 1946, he also owned 4 Marlborough and in August of 1946, he installed fire balconies between the two houses.

By 1967, 2 Marlborough was owned by Mildred M. Baird.  She also owned 4 Marlborough (with Louise Day Hicks).  She operated lodging houses at both 2 and 4 Marlborough until about 1975, and possibly somewhat later.

Mildred Baird probably died in the late 1970s.  2 Marlborough subsequently was purchased by Dr. M. Robert Gardner, his wife, Elizabeth, and Lee S. Halprin.