Located in the historic Coolidge Corner area of Brookline, is a distinguished three-unit century home offering an exceptional investment opportunity. Built with classic architectural details apparent in its corner-building design, the property spans three levels with 21 rooms, including formal living and dining rooms featuring natural wood floors and china cabinets. Recent renovations have modernized the oil burner, roof, electrical systems, and windows, enhancing the building’s usability while preserving its charm. Priced at $3,795,000, this remarkable property suits developers, investors, or owner-occupants seeking a prime location just off Beacon Street with ample space and potential for further improvements.
Exterior Corner View
A three-story historic brick building with a rounded corner design stands prominently at the intersection of a street. The light beige bricks with some weathering and dark trim around windows suggest an early 20th-century architectural style. Iron balconies extend from upper-floor windows, supported by stone brackets, adding both function and character. The entrance is framed by stone columns and decorative stonework around the doorway. Leafless trees and early spring foliage surround the building, enhancing its stately, vintage appearance. The clear blue sky above highlights the architectural details and the building’s solid, enduring presence.
Exterior Street View
The building is a grand historic multi-story residential structure set on a corner lot. Constructed with light-colored brick, the façade presents a mix of rectangular and rounded bay windows, adding curvature and depth to the architecture. The windows are framed with ornate stone lintels, emphasizing the classic detailing typical of early 20th-century craftsmanship. There are small balconies with wrought iron railings above two doorways, contributing to the building’s elegant street presence. Mature trees, some bare and some with early blooms, flank the sidewalks, adding an organic contrast to the stately masonry structure. The setting reflects a vintage urban neighborhood ambiance.
Exterior Corner View
A three-story brick building with a mix of natural red brick and painted white brick accented by stone trim details. Tall rectangular windows in symmetrical rows emphasize a historic architectural style. The corner view highlights a clean division between the brick colors, framed by stone quoins, giving a classic and sturdy appearance. Mature leafless trees line the street, enhancing the urban streetscape with a sense of seasonality and age. A sidewalk with well-maintained shrubbery runs alongside the building, and adjacent neighboring structures in similar brick styles create a cohesive historic neighborhood feel.
Rear Exterior and Trash Area
The back of a historic brick building reveals a utilitarian outdoor space with two levels of wooden porches supported by wooden and metal posts. The brick walls exhibit an aged texture typical of early American architecture, complemented by several arched window frames with metal grilles for security. Four trash bins, two black and two blue, all marked with white painted numbers, line the concrete and asphalt ground, reflecting everyday functional use. A weathered wooden door with faded paint stands beside the porches, while the surrounding neighborhood shows a contrast with modern residential homes visible in the background. The overall ambiance juxtaposes historic building materials with practical urban life elements.
Entry Staircase
Marble steps ascend with polished wooden paneling lining the walls and stair railing. The warm tones of the rich, dark wood contrast smoothly with the pale marble, adding a stately elegance to the entryway. A vintage cast-iron radiator sits against the wall, reinforcing the historic character. The floor features a mosaic tile border in earthy hues surrounding smaller, white tiling, adding intricate detail underfoot. Doorways with wooden trim lead into adjacent rooms with hardwood floors, maintaining a consistent, classic aesthetic that blends craftsmanship with functional charm, evoking early American architectural style.
Front Entrance Stairs
White stairs lead up to a wooden front door marked with the number 45 in brass. Mosaic tile walls flank the staircase, featuring intricate red geometric patterns and small floral motifs on a white background. The lower walls are clad in white marble, adding to the elegant historic charm. A matching mosaic tile floor forms a decorative rectangular border with a central diamond pattern in red. Above, a square pendant light with glass panels provides illumination. The overall aesthetic blends classic architectural details with warm wood tones, evoking a timeless, refined entryway.
Staircase and Skylight
A rich wooden staircase with vertical slats and square newel posts ascends alongside a wall painted in neutral tones. The wood has a warm, polished finish that contrasts beautifully with the soft cream walls. Above, a large geometric skylight framed in white dramatically floods the stairwell with natural light, creating an airy, open atmosphere. The design balances traditional craftsmanship with modern brightness. The ceiling is tall, emphasizing vertical space and openness, while minimalist smoke detectors blend unobtrusively into the ceiling. The overall aesthetic combines timeless wood detailing with clean, bright architectural elements.
Living Room with Fireplace
An airy living space characterized by its curved wall with three large bay windows, allowing ample natural light to flood the room. The walls, painted in a soft gray tone, contrast elegantly with pristine white trim and molding, adding refined architectural detail. A classic white mantel frames a simple brick fireplace, serving as a cozy focal point. The hardwood floor, with a warm medium-brown finish, adds richness and texture. An old-fashioned cast iron radiator sits by one corner, blending historical charm into this minimalist, yet inviting, room. The ceiling is smooth and white, enhancing the room’s bright, clean atmosphere.
Empty Room with Wainscoting
Polished wooden flooring stretches across the space, contrasting with the soft gray upper walls and bright white wainscoting that extends to about halfway up. The molding and trim are detailed, featuring a panel design that adds texture and historic charm. A wide doorway opens to another room displaying built-in cabinetry with drawers and cupboards painted white. The ceiling is decorated with layered crown molding and a simple, centrally placed light fixture, harmonizing with the room’s understated elegance and classic architectural elements. The overall atmosphere is clean, airy, and refined, highlighting traditional craftsmanship.
Hallway with Built-in Cabinet
Polished hardwood floors extend throughout the hallway, reflecting natural light and enhancing the warm ambiance. Walls are painted a soft neutral gray, complemented by crisp white trim and wide baseboards that emphasize the home’s classic architectural style. A built-in white cabinet with drawers and paneled doors provides practical storage, showcasing traditional craftsmanship with subtle metal knobs. Doorways, framed with clean white molding, lead into adjacent rooms with rich wood doors finished in a deep mahogany tone, adding contrast and character. The overall atmosphere is bright, orderly, and historically elegant.
Pantry Storage Area
A narrow pantry-like space with built-in shelving and cabinetry. The wooden countertop adds warmth, contrasting against the white-painted shelves and cabinets below. Small, round knobs on the cabinet doors emphasize a simple, classic design. A small window supplies natural light, enhancing the airy feel of the otherwise compact area. Flooring consists of dark-toned tiles resembling wood planks, providing durability and texture. Architectural details include a clean, minimalist trim around the shelves and window, maintaining the room’s understated elegance. The muted color scheme of white and earthy browns emphasizes functionality with subtle historical charm.
Living Room with Fireplace
Curved wall with three large double-hung windows brings abundant natural light into the room, highlighting the polished hardwood floors. A vintage cast-iron radiator sits beneath the leftmost window, emphasizing the historic character of the space. The fireplace is framed by a classic white wooden mantel with decorative paneling, paired with exposed red brick inside the firebox, creating a focal point that blends traditional charm with simplicity. Walls are painted in soft gray tones complementing white trim, baseboards, and window casings, contributing to a clean and inviting aesthetic.
Living Room Entrance
Light gray walls contrast with warm-toned hardwood floors that exhibit a natural, rich grain pattern. White baseboards and crown molding frame the room, emphasizing the classic, clean lines of this historic space. A set of dark wood-framed French doors with glass panes opens into an adjacent room, allowing for natural light to flow and enhancing the sense of openness. To the left, an open doorway with detailed white trim leads to a hallway showcasing a staircase made of darker wood, reinforcing a traditional architectural charm prevalent in early American homes.
Sunroom and Adjoining Room
Bright sunlight floods this space through a bank of large, multi-pane windows with white trim, offering a view outside to a brick exterior and a metal railing. The warm tone of the medium-dark hardwood floor contrasts beautifully against soft gray walls and crisp white baseboards and trim. A dark wooden door stands closed on one side, while a matching wood-framed glass door opens to an adjacent room with curved walls and more windows, creating an open, airy flow. The architectural wood trim around doors and windows reveals charming period details, blending historic character with a fresh, neutral palette.
Hallway and Built-in Cabinet
Polished hardwood floors extend throughout the space, reflecting warm natural light and enhancing the classic charm. A rich wooden door with a vintage brass knob stands partially ajar, contrasting the soft, light neutral-toned walls. Crown molding and thick door trim accentuate the period details, while a white built-in cabinet with drawers and cupboard doors is fitted neatly into an alcove on the right. Beyond the doorway, a glimpse of a larger room reveals built-in cabinetry with glass-fronted upper cabinets and detailed wood paneling, emphasizing an elegant, timeless craftsmanship characteristic of historic American homes.
Dining Room Details
Natural light floods the room through two large, double-hung windows framed with classic white trim. The walls are adorned with elegant white wainscoting and paneling, adding a historic charm. A vintage cast iron radiator sits beneath the windows, complementing the warm-toned polished hardwood floor. The built-in white cabinetry features glass-front upper cabinets and solid lower drawers with brass pulls, providing both display and storage space. The ceiling displays a subtle coffered design with a modern, drum-shaped chandelier providing ambient light, blending historic architecture with contemporary touches seamlessly.
Hallway and Doorways
Wood floors with warm tones extend throughout the hallway, connecting several rooms via wooden doors, some ajar. White built-in cabinetry with drawers and cup handles blends seamlessly into pale walls, enhancing the light and airy feel. An arched doorway with classic trim marks the transition from hallway to another space, adding a historic architectural charm. The trim around the doors and baseboards is wide and painted a crisp white, contrasting with the darker wood doors and floors, balancing elegance with a sense of openness and flow throughout the home.
Back Porch
A covered back porch made of wooden planks with visible rain moisture, bordered by a wooden railing with vertical balusters. The porch is framed by a red brick wall on the left, lending a historic charm to the space. The view from the porch includes a neighboring white house with classic multi-pane windows and a gabled roof. Bare trees and a wooden fence line the backyard, providing a natural backdrop. The overall setting conveys a peaceful outdoor area, ideal for enjoying fresh air while sheltered from the elements, combining rustic and suburban elements.
Basement Laundry Area
Exposed wooden beams and joists form the ceiling structure, while rustic brick and stone walls provide a historic, aged character to the basement. Concrete floors show signs of wear, consistent with an older home. Two large, black cylindrical tanks are mounted on the far wall, suggesting water heating or storage equipment. A washer and dryer stand adjacent to orange folding tables set on metal legs, adding a functional laundry zone. Black metal support columns and wooden posts reinforce the open space layout. A wooden stairway with paneled walls leads up, indicating connection to the main floor.
Basement Utility Area
Exposed aging brick and stone walls form the rough, historic structure of this basement utility area. The ceiling reveals dark wooden beams, with sections of piping and electrical conduits running along them. Central to the space are large mechanical components including a tall, cylindrical water heater and a blue Buderus heating system. Additional pipes connect these machines, tracing pathways around the room. The floor is a plain concrete slab, stained from years of use. A mounted control panel appears weathered, contributing to the vintage industrial atmosphere. The overall aesthetic pairs raw, rustic elements with functional Victorian-era equipment.
Basement Utility Area
Exposed brick and stone walls line the lower half, showcasing a rugged foundation in a dimly lit basement section. A set of four electrical meters is mounted neatly on the wall, with visible cables hanging loosely above. The ceiling reveals aged wooden beams interspersed with pipes and wiring, while a small, multi-pane window allows natural light to filter through. To one side, vertical wooden planks are fastened between beams, providing structural support or partitioning. The concrete floor shows signs of wear and patches of loose gravel, suggesting this is a functional, unfinished space primarily for utilities and storage.
Listing Agent: Howard Chang of First Boston Realty International via Zillow