A getaway to one of the country’s most historic neighborhoods has been transformed into a single-family townhouse that stays true to its 19th-century architectural origins.
Home row at 18 Commonwealth Ave. in Back Bay, built in 1864, was converted to a lodge sometime in the 1940s, destroying the original facade that had once been connected to the historic road.
The place was “destroyed in the 1940s,” Joshua Stephensvice president at Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Warren Residential, tells Realtor.com®.
He, once Tracy Campion of Campion and Company, will represent the home when it hits the market with an estimated price of $20 million to $25 million this spring.
“It was the only building on Commonwealth Avenue that looked like it was from that time—I don’t even know what time you would call it,” he said. “It was not like the others [the avenue] and it stuck to the first place on Commonwealth Avenue, the most expensive place in Boston.”
Photos of the old dormitory—which had been converted into an 11-unit rental building—show a bare brick front wall with large, modern windows that didn’t look like beautiful brownstones on either side.
According to Boston.com, the building’s exterior was remodeled in the 1940s. Then the interior was burned down to be converted into a rental property in 1952.
“That would never be allowed today,” Stephens said of the transformation that turned one of Boston’s townhouses into a zero-character facade.
“Local and historic building commissions are really trying to preserve the history of neighborhoods,” he said. “We need more houses, but at the same time we don’t need everything to be a big square box.”
The new row house is built in such a way that even the most observant eye cannot distinguish it from the early 19th century houses on either side.
“It’s bringing it back to almost the same condition it looked like when it was built,” said Stephens. “We want to bring it back to its original vision.”
Re-creating a historic townhome
Developers Lourenco Carminati and Eagle Hill Capital, who have a history of buying and renovating brownstones in the area, purchased the property in September 2024 for $7.85 million. Stephens says 18 Commonwealth Ave.
“This is a feather in their cap,” he said. “They wanted to take something that we knew was going to be difficult, but it was going to be great, and someone was going to take it as a legacy for future generations.”
He notes that the developers considered turning the building into a few luxury condominiums—which would have made them more money—but preferred the challenge and personal satisfaction of turning back the clock to the building’s single-family home origins.
“Lorenzo is a master builder,” he says. “He’s there when it’s 100 degrees or below zero with a hammer and nails. He likes to get his hands dirty.”
According to city records, this residence was built in 1864 as a single-family home for the daughter and son-in-law of a prominent merchant class family, Wards.
At that time, the home was seamless among the houses on the street, overlooking a private park and a statue of Alexander HamiltonFounding Father and first US Secretary of the Treasury.
Although the new construction now fits the line perfectly, there is a slight change: There are three small windows high above the large port window instead of the original two.
Modern luxury with a nod to history
The interior was designed by Boston Modern Design and Amber Wilhelmina Design & Interiors. It pays homage to its 19th century architecture but offers all the luxury amenities expected in the $20 million price range.
The property may even set a sales record for a single-family home in Boston.
In February, a restored 1825 townhouse with six bedrooms and 7.5 baths at 46 Chestnut St. in Beacon Hill sold in short order for $22 million, setting a record for a single-family home in the city, according to Boston.com.
Then in 2023, another row house in Beacon Hill sold for $28.25 million, according to Boston Magazine. Maybe that another set a record.
And according to Stephens, the home across the street from 18 Commonwealth Ave. That deal was silent, and no final number has been revealed.
Welcome to 18 Commonwealth Ave.
The 8,100-square-foot residence will have five bedrooms, each with an en suite bathroom; a two-car garage and two off-street parking spaces; an elevator; an au pair garden-level suite with a kitchenette; and a private roof deck with an outdoor kitchen. The residence will be equipped with smart home technology and a sprinkler system.
While the marble finish, crown molding, and custom millwork will speak to the home’s historic architecture, Stephens says there were no photos of the actual interior architecture to work with.
“I wish we could have them, but back in the late 1800s, there were very few floating cameras,” he said with a laugh.
Another major benefit of new construction is new pilings. Developers excavated the original pilings—which were installed because Back Bay was built on what used to be the largest round of Massachusetts Bay—and replaced them.
“The pilings were in really good shape,” Stephens said. “But when [the developers] they spend this kind of money to renovate, and someone is going to invest the kind of money to buy it, why not spend another few thousand dollars to make sure this place is built for the next century? Why don’t you give this guarantee to the buyer?”
Stephens says the homeowners of the future will be those looking for a legacy home, the crown jewel in their property portfolio.
“This is not just a fancy place,” he said. “This is the renovation of an iconic Back Bay home on the first floor of one of the country’s most historic streets. This is an opportunity and a legacy home.”
He added that the buyer might be an admirer of Alexander Hamilton.
“If you are a shopper [the home]imagine walking outside and saying hello to Hamilton across the street, “It would be a nice reminder of all you’ve done.”
