29 Marlborough Street

29 Marlborough Street

29 Marlborough Street was built ca. 1870.  It appears to have been one of three contiguous houses built in the same style (29-31-33 Marlborough).  The similarity in style of these houses has been largely obliterated by the lowering of the front entrance of 33 Marlborough in 1916 and the significant remodeling of 31 Marlborough in 1937.

29 Marlborough was built as the home of Mrs. Charlotte Abigail (Howe) Johnson, the widow of Samuel Johnson.  She is shown as the owner on the 1874 Hopkins map and on the 1883 and 1888 Bromley maps.  She continued to live at 29 Marlborough until her death in April of 1888.

By 1890, it was the home of Miss Hannah Ring.  She continued to live there in 1894.

The house was not listed in the 1895 Blue Book.

By 1897, 29 Marlborough had been converted into a lodging house.

From about 1898, it was operated by Louis and Susan Clapp, who lived there with their children and, by the time of the 1900 US Census, had nine boarders.  The Clapps continued to live there until about 1902.

By 1905, it was operated by Mrs. Mae (Myrtie) M. Green, the widow of John H. Green.  She lived there with her daughter, Maytie.  The continued to live there and manage the lodging house in 1930, and probably later.

Samuel S. Shaw is shown as the owner on the 1908 Bromley map, and James W. Austin is shown as the owner on the 1917 map.

One of the earliest lodgers at 29 Marlborough was Dr. John Dane, an orthopedic surgeon, who lived and maintained his medical office at 29 Marlborough from about 1897.  He continued to live there until his marriage in August of 1909 to Eunice Cooksey.  By 1910, they were living at 451 Marlborough.  He continued to maintain his medical office at 29 Marlborough and by 1928 had purchased the house.  He is shown as the owner on the 1928 Bromley map, and he and his wife are shown as the owners on the 1938 Bromley map.

By 1940, 29 Marlborough was owned by Mabel C. Adams.  In October of 1940, she filed to convert the house from a single-family dwelling into a lodging house, legalizing the status that had existed since before the turn of the century.  She abandoned the permit because the house lacked sufficient means of egress, and refiled in June of 1942, indicating that the fourth floor fire balcony on the rear of the building would be extended to the right rear room.

29 Marlborough subsequently changed hands several times.  It remained a lodging house for a number of years, but at some time during the next fifty years was converted into seven apartments.

In 1989, 29 Marlborough was owned by Christine M. Malcolm.  She died in 1989, and the property was inherited by Janice A. Nelson.  In September of 1992, she filed to legalize the occupancy as seven apartments, indicating that as the existing condition at that time.