Home of the Week: History preserved in former Roslindale mansion
Year built
1900
Square feet
3,835
Bedrooms
5
Baths
2 full, 1 half
Sewer/Water
Public
Taxes
$12,836 (2025; does not include residential exemption)
Settle in. There's a lot to unpack about this Queen Anne Victorian, the only Roslindale home designated by Boston's
Originally built around 1900 for newspaper executive Albert Fox and his opera-singer daughter,
The home is surrounded by porches.
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By 1943, the Fox family had moved on, and a developer actually cut the house in half, installing the severed portion nearby. A series of owners and tenants occupied the original home until 2016, when
Legally, the biopharma executives purchased the house, but in reality they treated it like a family member. They spent nine years restoring and preserving it, leading to the landmark selection by the city this year. Shutes also researched the home's history and
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From the sidewalk, a small white gate opens to a gravel driveway, with at least six parking spaces, that cuts through the front lawn, passing peach, pear, apple, and cherry trees before ending on the right of the home. A wide stairwell leads to the massive wrap-around porch, offering more than one spot just to be still.
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Those entering the home will be greeted by an original red brick fireplace.
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The doorway opens to an antechamber and a mahogany-paneled foyer, anchored by an original red brick fireplace with the Scottish proverb 'East, West, Hame's [Home's] Best.' There is also a coffered ceiling of dark wood beams and an antique brass and etched-glass chandelier. This area and the grand stairwell on the right are protected by the landmark status.
Emerging on the left, past working pocket doors, is the entry to the double parlor, which starts with a 275-square-foot living room that has a three-window bump-out at the front of the home. There is thin crown molding and oak flooring.
The front living room retains its period charm.
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Heading deeper into the home and through a second set of pocket doors connects to what was once the music room but is now an exquisite formal dining room. It's 303 square feet, and it contains a built-in China cabinet in one corner, a tiled fireplace in another, and a columned nook with a lyre-themed stained-glass window.
The dining room has space for a large table.
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The 292-square-foot kitchen is next. It's fully updated and includes a tile backsplash in a herringbone style, personally installed by a craftsman from Viglietta's Italian hometown. The cabinets are white, the countertop on the island and counter is black Corian quartz, and the appliances — including the gas stove — are stainless steel. A slider connects to the porch in the front of the house. Tied to the kitchen is a 178-square-foot family room with a slider to the rear yard of the 17,384-square-foot lot.
The kitchen is the most modern space in the house.
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The grand staircase leads to a home office on the mezzanine level before completing the ascension to the second floor, where a two-room suite awaits.
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The second-floor bedroom has hardwood floors and a three-window bump-out.
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It's a mix of old and new: The 431-square-foot bedroom has hardwood floors, a three-window bump-out, and a single window on the other exterior wall. The closet has white bifold doors. The 'new' is a 302-square-foot conservatory with two walls of windows and a large skylight built by the current owners with the help of Viglietta's father. A built-in wet bar, made by the elder Viglietta, incorporates an antique porcelain sink. The flooring is patterned cement.
A few steps away is the updated 151-square-foot bathroom, which has a repurposed dresser for the vanity inset with a single sink. It's shower-only but without a door and has black subway tile for the backsplash and marble tile flooring. It was built using the
The second bedroom on this floor is 219 square feet and has three windows. The flooring is hardwood, and there's a built-in armoire and a closet.
Heading to the third and final floor, there is yet another home office on a mezzanine level.
The 431-square-foot third floor primary bedroom has walls dramatically shaped by the home's roofline.
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On the top floor, there is a 431-square-foot primary bedroom with walls dramatically shaped by the home's roofline. There are windows on all three exterior walls, plus a ceiling fan. A door connects to both the final bedroom (138 square feet) and the shared full bath.
The bath is shower-only, with a white subway tile backsplash. The single vanity is a repurposed dresser with a sink placed on top.
The laundry is located in the unfinished basement, which has a workbench and loads of storage space. The original foundation is granite boulders. The home is heated by gas-fed forced hot water that adjusts in six zones.
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John R. Ellement can be reached at
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The rear patio has space to entertain.
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The front porch is a good place to watch the world go by.
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