Elegance, history, luxury showing in every square foot of this house. There are five fireplaces - two with antique delft tile surrounds. A 6th fireplace was closed off, but could be reopened, if needed. Noted architect Lois Lily Howe, designed this elegantly styled Federal Colonial Revival house in the Gold Crown Historical District in the shadow of Harvard University. Built in 1900, this home has five stories - three stories of finished living space, a full basement with high ceilings which can be finished into grand living space and an attic whose foot print replicates the foot print of the entire house and which could be converted into 1800 square feet of living space with a cathedral ceiling. The attic in this house was the first of its kind under a roof which did not need and does not have cross beams, giving enormous room for storage or a great family room. The attic came from the genius and imagination of the architect, Lois Lily Howe. There are 7 bedrooms, 4 1/2 bathrooms, office space, a chef's kitchen and more. A superb blend of architectural refinement and every modern amenity, including parking for three cars where on-street parking is very difficult. The house has high ceilings with its original weighted windows and many period details. The family currently in residence has tried to keep the house true to its roots with restoration projects instead of a grand renovation bringing it into an era where the materials used would have been inferior in quality to those existing in the house. Exquisitly carved wood moldings are showing in every room, many of which predate the house by some 100 years. They were taken from houses being dismantled at the time the female architect, from the firm of Howe, Almy and Manning - all women architects - designed and built this house. The home is ideal for large scale entertaining yet comfortable as a family dwelling. The side entrance leads to a porch and a private botanical garden hideaway with a circular stone patio "garden room". The interior house size does not include the square footage of the attic or the full basement. With the basement and attic added to the current living space, the house would convert to approximately 9,000 square feet of very comfortable living space. A five minute stroll takes you into the middle of Harvard University/Harvard Yard/Harvard Square, the Charles River and much more.
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