10-11 Arlington is located on west side of Arlington, between Marlborough and Commonwealth, with 8-9 Arlington (00 Marlborough) to the north and 1 Commonwealth (12 Arlington) to the south, across Alley 422.

10-11 Arlington were designed by architect Gridley J. F. Bryant, two of four houses (8-9-10-11 Arlington) designed at the same time.  9-10-11 Arlington were built in 1860-1861; 8 Arlington, although designed at the same time, was not built until 1869.

The four houses form a single symmetrical composition, with the two middle houses (9-10 Arlington) set slightly further back from the street than the two end houses (8 Arlington and 11 Arlington). The design complements similar pavilion-style French Academic designs at 1-2-3 Arlington and 4-5-6-7 Arlington.

The land on which 8-9-10-11 Arlington were built was purchased from the Commonwealth of Massachusetts on December 9, 1858, by Deming Jarves, Oliver Brewster, William Storer Eaton, and Dr. John Homans. Deming Jarves purchased the corner lot, with a frontage of 44.5 feet on Arlington and 85 feet on Marlborough; Oliver Brewster, William Eaton, and John Homans purchased the next three lots to the south, each with a 22.5 foot frontage and a depth of 85 feet. The four purchasers also each acquired a lot on Marlborough with a frontage of 25 feet on Marlborough running south 112 feet to the alley. Oliver Brewster acquired the lot furthest east, Deming Jarves the one next to it (where 2 Marlborough would be built), and William Eaton and John Homans the two lots west of that.

Click here for an indices to the deeds for 10 Arlington and 11 Arlington, and click here for further information about the land between the south side of Marlborough and Alley 422, from Arlington to Berkeley.

Deming Jarves was the founder and agent for the Boston & Sandwich Glass Company. He and his wife, Anna Smith (Stutson) Jarves, lived at 64 Boylston. Oliver Brewster, an insurance actuary and agent, was Deming Jarves’s son-in-law. He and Anna M. (Jarves) Brewster lived at 61 Charles, and would built their home at 9 Arlington. William Storer Eaton had been a shipping merchant in the Calcutta trade and later was a founder of the National Tube Works. He and his wife, Frederica Warren (Goddard) Eaton, lived at 17 Hancock and later 17 Louisburg Square, and in about 1882 would move to 62 Commonwealth. Dr. John Homans was a physician; he and his wife, Caroline (Walker) Homans lived at 129 Tremont and would build their home at 11 Arlington.

On May 4, 1859, William Eaton sold his lot on Arlington to John Homans, creating a lot with a 45 foot frontage on Arlington and a 85 foot frontage on the alley. On June 28, 1860, John Homans sold the northern 20 feet of his lot to Sarah (Greenleaf) Cazenove, the widow of Charles I. Cazenove, where she would build her home at 10 Arlington. John Homans retained the 25 foot lot and built his home at 11 Arlington.

On September 24, 1860, the Boston Post reported that “the foundation has just been laid for three dwelling-houses, to be owned and occupied by Dr John Homans, Mrs Cosgreve [sic], and Oliver Brewster.” The article also noted that Gridley J. F. Bryant was the architect and that Horace Jenkins was general superintendent.

On October 30, 1860, and November 10, 1860, Oliver Brewster sold Sarah Cazenove and John Homans the portions of his lot fronting on Marlborough that were located behind their lots, thereby increasing the depth of their lots from 85 feet to 110 feet. And on December 10, 1860, Oliver Brewster acquired Deming Jarvis’s corner lot, consolidated it with his land to the south and his remaining land to the west, and created two lots: a 47 foot by 110 foot lot on the corner of Arlington and Marlborough (where 8 Arlington would be built), and a 20 foot by 110 foot lot to the south (where 9 Arlington would be built). Deming Jarves continued to own the lot to the west, where 2 Marlborough would be built.

The houses at 9-10-11 Arlington were completed in 1861. An August 7, 1861, Boston Traveller article indicated that the “contractors for these houses are Mr. Horace Jenkins, who is doing the mason work, and Mr. William Carpenter, the carpentering.” Horace Jenkins and William Carpenter also were the builders of 4-5-6-7 Arlington.

The corner lot at 8 Arlington remained vacant (although the original plans included it). On January 6, 1862, Oliver Brewster entered into an agreement with Sarah Cazenove and Deming Jarves to create a four foot wide easement at the rear of 10 Arlington and along the southeast boundary of 2 Marlborough behind 11 Arlington for drainage and a passageway to the alley. It appears that this “dog-leg” easement was required because Dr. Homans declined to grant an easement over his land.

On March 11, 1863, Oliver Brewster sold the lot at 8 Arlington to John Foster. As part of the sale, it was agreed that any house built on the lot would conform with Gridley J. F. Bryant’s design, and a copy of the elevation drawn by Bryant was recorded with the deed. Also as part of the deed, the four foot easement was extended across the rear of 9 Arlington to provide access to the alley for 8 Arlington.

Deming Jarves sold the lot at 2 Marlborough on May 8, 1862, to William B. Richards.

John Homans died in April of 1868 and 11 Arlington was purchased from his estate on June 24, 1868, by Charles J. Morrill. On September 23, 1871, he sold William Richards a four foot wide strip of land across the rear of 11 Arlington, with the stipulation that no building would be constructed on it and that the owners of 11 Arlington would have the right of passage over it. William Richards subsequently entered into agreements with the owners of 8, 9, and 10 Arlington eliminating the former easement for passage over the southeast portion of his land at 2 Marlborough and granting, instead, an easement for passage the over the four foot strip at the rear of 11 Arlington (thereby creating a straight, four foot passageway behind 9-10-11 Arlington for use by all four buildings on Arlington).

10 Arlington

10 Arlington was built in 1861 as the home of Sarah (Greenleaf) Cazenove, the widow of Charles I. Cazenove.  She previously had lived at 16 Winthrop Place.  Her mother, Mary (Wiggin) Greenleaf, the widow of Samuel Greenleaf, lived with her.  Mary Greenleaf died in March of 1869 and Sarah Cazenove died in December of 1870.

On March 10, 1871, 10 Arlington was purchased from Sarah Cazenove’s estate (George Hale, trustee) by James Tuttle.

On May 3, 1871, 10 Arlington was acquired from James Tuttle by Maria Louisa (Blake) Miner, the wife of George A. Miner.  The Miners lived at 10 Arlington from that year.  They previously had lived at 27 Union Park with her parents, Josiah W. Blake and Clarissa (Simpson) Blake.  By 1872, the Blakes had joined the Miners at 10 Arlington.

George Miner was a clothing manufacturer and merchant.  Josiah Blake was treasurer of Saxonville Mills and the Roxbury Carpet Company.

Josiah Blake died in March of 1882 and Mary (Blake) Miner died in July of 1887.  George Miner and his mother-in-law, Clarissa Blake, continued to live at 10 Arlington.

George Miner remarried in March of 1893 to Laura Warren Bliss.  On March 8, 1893, several days before their marriage, he transferred 10 Arlington to her.  After their marriage, they lived at 10 Arlington.  Clarissa Blake lived with them until her death in December of 1896.

George and Laura Miner lived at 10 Arlington during the 1900-1901 winter season, but moved thereafter. By the 1907-1908 season, they were living at the Hotel Brunswick (southeast corner of Clarendon and Boylston).

By the 1901-1902 winter season, 10 Arlington had become a lodging house, leased from the Miner family by Mrs. Harriet (Bradstreet) Frost Lane, the widow of Joseph Frost and of Charles L. Lane.  Her daughter by her first marriage, Cornelia Frost, lived with her.  They previously had lived at 387 Boylston.  They continued to live and operate a lodging house at 10 Arlington in 1920, but had moved to 140 Beacon by 1921.

Among Harriet Lane’s longer-term lodgers was Otto Roth, a violinist with the Boston Symphony Orchestra, who previously had been a lodger with her at 387 Boylston.  He continued to live at 10 Arlington until about 1920, when he moved to New York City.

Also among Mrs. Lane’s lodgers was Dr. Arthur C. Jelly, a physician and nerve specialist, who maintained his office at 10 Arlington from about 1906.  He previously had maintained his office at 69 Newbury, where he continued to live until about 1912, when he moved to 18 St. James.  In about 1914, he became a lodger with Mrs. Lane at 10 Arlington.  He continued to live and maintain his office there until about 1920, when he moved his office to 144 Commonwealth and made his home in Lincoln.

On August 5, 1920, real estate dealer William H. Agry, as trustee of a trust he had established on February 1, 1912, purchased 10 Arlington from the estate of Laura W. Miner, who had died in May of 1917.

On September 1, 1920, 10 Arlington was acquired from William Agry by Isaac B. Spafford.  He converted the property into the offices of his advertising agency, Spafford Company, Inc., and of Independent Publication Inc.  Spafford Company, Inc., previously had been located at 25 Arch.

On March 3, 1927, Isaac Spafford sold 10 Arlington to Olin L. Fuller,successor trustee of the trust established by William Agry, who had died in October of 1926.

Spafford Company, Inc., continued to be located at 10 Arlington until about 1929.

On March 25, 1930, 10 Arlington was acquired from Olin Fuller, trustee, by Joseph Gardner Bradley.  He and his wife, Mabel (Warren) Bradley lived next door, at 11 Arlington.

Joseph Bradley was president of the Elk River Coal and Lumber Company, a coal mining and land company in Widen, West Virginia.

10 Arlington was shown as vacant in the 1935-1947 City Directories.  By 1949, it was the location of the French Library and the offices of various charitable organizations and businesses.

The French Library remained at 10 Arlington until 1961 when it moved to 53 Marlborough.

11 Arlington

11 Arlington was built in 1861 as the home of Dr. John Homans, a physician, and his wife, Caroline (Walker) Homans.  They previously had lived at 129 Tremont.  Their unmarried sons, George H. Homans, a real estate dealer, and John Homans, Jr., a physician, lived with them.

Caroline Homans died in July of 1867 and John Homans died in April of 1868.  George Homans and John Homans, Jr., moved soon thereafter.

On June 24, 1868, 11 Arlington was acquired from the estate of John Homans by Charles James Morrill.  He was unmarried, and his unmarried sisters, Ann Wyman Morrill and Amelia Morrill, lived with him.  They previously had lived at 98 Beacon.

Charles Morrill was a shipping merchant in the East India and Mediterranean trade, and also served as treasurer of the Provident Institution for Savings.

On September 23, 1871, he sold a strip of land four feet wide at the rear of his property to William B. Richards, owner of 2 Marlborough, with the stipulation that the owners of both lots would have the right to use the land and that no building would be constructed on it.

In 1879, Charles Morrill built a summer home, Redwood, in Bar Harbor. It was designed by architect William Ralph Emerson, credited as being his first “shingle style” residence and one of the earliest of that style in the United States.  It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1978.

Charles Morrill died in April of 1895.  Ann and Amelia Morrill continued to live at 11 Arlington.

Amelia Morrill was a manager of the Nurses Training School at Massachusetts General Hospital.  She died in October of 1918.  Ann Morrill continued to live at 11 Arlington until her death in March of 1923.

The house was not listed in the 1924 Blue Book.

On May 8, 1923, 11 Arlington was purchased from the estate of Charles Morrill (John Dane, Charles Morrill’s nephew, and attorney James W. Austin, trustees) by Joseph Gardner Bradley.  By the 1924-1925 winter season, he and his wife, Mabel Bayard (Warren) Bradley, had made it their home.  They previously had lived at 312 Beacon.  They also maintained homes in Wellesley and Mattapoisett.

Joseph Bradley was a lawyer and president of the Elk River Coal and Lumber Company, a coal mining and land company in Widen, West Virginia.

In March of 1930, he purchased 10 Arlington.

11 Arlington remained the Bradleys’ home until the early 1940s, after which it was vacant until about 1960.

10-11 Arlington

In January of 1961, Joseph Bradley filed for permission to change the legal use of 10 Arlington from a social club, offices, and general retail use to general business offices, and to change the legal use of 11 Arlington from a single-family dwelling to general business offices.  He also sought permission to combine the properties into one property.  He noted that he had been unable to sell the properties but that “there is one concern, Harbridge House, Inc., a management consulting firm, with offices in several cities throughout the country, which has an agreement of sale for the buildings…if a variance can be obtained from the Board of Appeal to permit office use and to combine the two buildings.”

In February of 1961, the Board of Appeal approved the change of use and permission to combine the properties, with proviso that “both buildings be used for a single occupant, and be devoted to professional consultant services or other similar office uses.”

On March 23, 1961, Harbridge House acquired 10-11 Arlington.  Consistent with the Board of Appeal’s decision, they remodeled the two buildings, combining them into a single property for their offices.

In October of 1966, they acquired 12 Arlington/1 Commonwealth as well.

In 1980, 10-11 Arlington were damaged by two fires,  The second, on November 27, 1980, did significant damage to both buildings and also damaged 8-9 Arlington, next door.  Harbridge House rebuilt 10-11 Arlington, remodeling it to add an additional floor (making six floors out of five) without altering the exterior.

In December of 1982, Harbridge House received approval from the Board of Appeal to remove the existing proviso limiting the use of 10-11 Arlington to a single occupant, thereby allowing a portion of the building to be leased to a legal firm.  In April of 1987, the variance was re-confirmed, allowing the building to be used for professional consulting and legal services.

On July 31, 1987, Harbridge House transferred 10-11 Arlington and 12 Arlington/1 Commonwealth to Sears, Roebuck and Company (by that time, Harbridge House was a wholly owned subsidiary of Sears World Trade, Inc.).

On March 30, 1993, the Tellus Institute, a not-for-profit research and policy organization, purchased 10-11 Arlington from Sears, Roebuck and Company.

In January of 1996, the Board of Appeal granted the Tellus Institute’s petition to change the building’s use to allow it to lease the sixth floor as professional offices or as business offices of a non-profit organization.

On February 19, 2013, 10-11 Arlington was acquired by Fisher College.  As of 2015, Fisher College also owned and maintained classrooms, various school facilities, and dormitories  at 102-104–106–108–110–112–114–116–118 Beacon, 111 Beacon, 115 Beacon, 131–133 Beacon, and 139–141 Beacon.  It also owned 1 Arlington, acquired in 2006, where it maintained administrative offices.

The Tellus Institute continued to be located at 10-11 Arlington in 2015.

On October 17, 2017, 10-11 Arlington was purchased from Fisher College by the 10-11 Arlington LLC (Jacqueline R. McCoy, manager of record).

In 2018, the 10-11 Arlington LLC applied for (and subsequently received) permission to renovate the building, including remodeling the interior for office use, installing a roof deck inset into the roof, and installing an interior garage with an automated parking system.