Fall House Hunt

For $3.1m, a Jamaica Plain home restored to its former glory

Condo unit comes with three bedrooms, four full baths, pocket doors, six fireplaces, and elaborate woodwork.

By Caroline Bunnell

September 26, 2023

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This Jamaica Plain house modeled after John Hancock’s Beacon Hill home has been fully restored and converted into two condo units. 

The Steven Cohen Team at Keller Williams has listed 23 Eliot St., Unit 1, for $3,100,000. 

“The scale, volume, architectural detail, and street presence are among the outstanding features that differentiate this property,” Patti Lautner, chief operating officer of the team, said of the restored 1898 Colonial Revival mansion.

The 4,396-square-foot unit comes with three bedrooms and four full bathrooms. Its entrance is a grand portico.

“Archways connecting all major rooms close off with period pocket doors for privacy,” according to the listing. The pocket doors are original, as is the elaborate wainscoting found throughout the home.

The kitchen features an island that seats at least four and has a sink. Six pendant lights cast a warm glow on its marble counter, but the kitchen also has recessed lighting. A dark herringbone backsplash is a beautiful counterpoint to the white Shaker-style cabinets. The appliances are high-end.

The space is open to seating and dining areas set before a fireplace. The home has four wood-burning and two gas fireplaces. The unit also comes with a dining room for formal get-togethers.

A full bath completes this level.

A staircase with elaborate woodwork ascends to the unit’s upper level, which holds the primary suite, as well as three additional bedrooms. The suite offers a walk-in closet with custom cabinetry and a bath that boasts a double vanity, a tub, a shower, and board-and-batten wainscoting. One of the secondary bedrooms comes with access to a deck.

The lower floor offers an additional living space and bathroom, as well as a media room. 

The home underwent extensive renovations in 2015, including conversion into condo units. The attached units have separate parking areas, outdoor spaces, and entrances. Only Unit 1 is for sale.

Renovations included a new roof and plumbing, updated heating and cooling, and the addition of a washer and dryer. Energy Star-rated wood/aluminum-clad windows and improved insulation increased the energy efficiency of the home. The renovations also included soundproofing.

Despite these updates, many of the original details remain the same. 

“The original detail, flooring, wainscoting, and moldings were restored, as were some beautiful leaded-glass accent windows,” Lautner said. 

The flooring in this Jamaica Plain home is the original fir and quartersawn oak. In recent years following the major renovation, new kitchen cabinets have been installed, as well as the addition of heated flooring in the primary suite bathroom and in a first-floor room.

The yard comes with a shed and irrigation system. Other landscaping improvements included sodding and front planters.