Beyond an unassuming exterior, a treasure of woodwork that represents a lost art

17 Seagull Road, Quincy
Price: $849,900
Style: Bungalow
Built: 1923
Square feet: 3,114
Rooms: 9
Bedrooms: 3
Baths: 2
Sewer: Public

QUINCY -- Like an unadorned jewelry box that offers no hint of the treasures within, this squat bungalow presents a beguilingly simple exterior.

But take a peek inside and prepare to be dazzled. The stained glass windows, the fireplaces, even the radiator covers -- mahogany and marble -- are striking, but it's the woodwork that is incomparable. Intricately carved corbels reminiscent of a ship's figurehead and hand-carved wainscot panels embellish several rooms.

"It's pretty spectacular," said Tiffany Kelly, sales coordinator for The Quantum Group/Daisher-Chiles Cos. , which renovated and is selling the house. Neighbors told her that the original owner, a financier, salvaged woodwork from banks as they failed in the 1920s.

A den features the most impressive woodwork, including matching female figures with lamps atop their heads, young boys carved into either side of the massive fireplace, hunting scenes with a wolf's head, boar's head, fish and fowl, and a series of motifs such as musical instruments and a cornucopia encircling the room. According to an appraiser, even if money were no object, the woodwork likely could not be replicated today because few craftsmen have that level of skill, Kelly said.

Beyond the foyer lies the living room, with one of the home's six fireplaces -- this one front-to-back, with a pewter stove on the other side in the dining room. Built-in bookcases and more impressive millwork grace the two passageways on either side of the fireplace.

The ceilings here are soaring, and there's a sort of widow's walk on the second story, overlooking the rooms below. Several original light fixtures remain in place, while others -- many gorgeous -- were replaced, but are in the basement. There are the quirks of an older house, including small closets and oddly shaped rooms.

Located in the Adams Shore neighborhood, the house enjoys a serene view of Quincy Bay. Looking out from the front door -- and from bedrooms at the front -- marsh grass sways in the foreground, while the ocean beckons beyond.

VANESSA PARKS