Another fine example of the French Second Empire this house dates to 1873. It has the three-part plan on the façade, the mansard roof (with a cupola) and lovely decorative details. It also had a large setback and long drive with a fine prospect out across the Stony Brook valley.
Note the fantastic Roxbury Puddingstone retaining wall. Roxbury Puddingstone is the local stone. Blocks from this wall were likely quarried onsite since you had to dig it out in order to create the house’s foundation. It is a conglomerate stone which was said to resemble an old-fashioned pudding (the small pebbles embedded within it are like the dried fruit).
From this vantage point you get a good view of the Stony Brook valley. There is the slope down and you see the slope back up on the other side in the distance. Depending on the time of year you might be able to pick out the old Franklin Brewery building in the distance. Stony Brook fed many industries (breweries, tanneries, factories) and was central to the economy of Jamaica Plain [we have a tour of that area too]. You may also be able to see some of the housing for the workers in those industries across the valley (three deckers). One of the interesting things about Jamaica Plain is the close proximity in which people have always lived – the factory owners here on Sumner Hill, overlooking the factories and workers' housing in the Stony Brook area.