Ames Mansion, 355 Commonwealth Avenue

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Neighborhood: Back Bay
Year Built: 1883
Sales Min / Max Price: Please Inquire
Exclusivity: Campion and Company
Building Address: 355 Commonwealth Avenue

Description:

Introducing the Ames Mansion at 355 Commonwealth Avenue. Rarely does a property of this caliber and architectural significance become available, making this a true once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. This magnificent building is regarded as one of the most impressive addresses in Back Bay, boasting some of the grandest rooms Boston has ever seen.

Prominently situated on the northeast corner of Commonwealth and Massachusetts Avenues, 355 Commonwealth was built in 1883 for Oliver Ames and his wife Anna Coffin Ames. Oliver Ames, a wealthy investor in railroads, banks and manufacturing companies, would become Governor of Massachusetts in 1886-1887 while living at this address. Ames commissioned notable German architect Carl Fehmer to build a Back Bay mansion that would reflect his wealth and success as an industrialist and politician. 

The Ames mansion was the first of the Boston chateaux, large houses inspired by the 16th century chateaux of the Loire Valley in France. It also took much inspiration from Richard Morris Hunt’s Vanderbilt Mansion, built on 5th Avenue in New York just a year prior to great acclaim, and from the Pierpont Morgan Mansions. The Chateauesque style is usually recognized not only by its elaborate carvings but also by its steeply pitched rooflines punctuated by tall dormers, turrets and gables. The exterior of the Ames Mansion boasts a wealth of exquisitely carved brownstone reliefs within crisp, rectangular architectural forms. 

355 Commonwealth remained in the Ames family until 1926. Over the years, it served as office and retail space for several companies including the National Casket Company, Emerson College and the Back Bay Investment Trust. The current owners purchased the property in 1995 and completed an extensive renovation with the award-winning architectural firm Grassi Design Group and renowned French artisans Ateliers Perrault and Groupe Villemain, formerly known as Atelier Quelen.  Both Ateliers Perrault and Groupe Villemain are currently working to restore damage from the April 2019 fire at the Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris.

The Ames Mansion offers approximately 24,719 square feet of interior living space, reflecting two distinctive architectural styles, those of the Gilded Age as well as Classical French architecture. It is currently configured with resplendent formal entertaining rooms, offices, two lower-level apartments, and a grand, French Chateau-inspired penthouse. The property is commercially wired throughout, integrating the latest technology into the home without detracting from the integrity of its history or design. The mansion is located on the sunny side of Commonwealth Avenue and open on three exposures, receiving boundless natural light all day long. Complete with an oversized elevator, soundproof windows, eighteen working fireplaces, and parking for ten vehicles (seven interior and three outside onsite), the Ames mansion represents the perfect opportunity for a developer, investor, or end-user.