322 Marlborough is located on the south side of Marlborough, between Fairfield and Gloucester, with 320 Marlborough to the east and 9 Gloucester to the west.

322 Marlborough was designed by architect Willard Thomas Sears (of the firm of Cummings and Sears) and built for him in 1872-1873.  At the same time, he also designed four contiguous houses on adjoining lots on Gloucester (9-11-13-15 Gloucester) to the west. The building permit for the five houses was issued to Cummings and Sears during the week ending May 3, 1872 (reported in the Boston Journal on May 4, 1872).

Willard Sears acquired the land for 322 Marlborough and 9-11-13-15 Gloucester in April of 1872 through two purchases: the corner lot with a 56 foot frontage on Marlborough from the estate of William P. Mason, and the lot to the east with a 24 foot frontage from Harvey Jewell. He subdivided the two lots into an 18 foot 6 inch lot for 322 Marlborough and four 61 foot 6 inch lots (east-west) for 9-11-13-15 Gloucester. All of the land originally was part of one of several parcels purchased from the Boston Water Power Company on January 29, 1866, by a real estate investment trust formed by John Templeman Coolidge, Franklin Evans, and Charles Henry Parker. The trust subdivided the parcel into lots, which it sold to investors and builders, who then frequently resold the lots to others.

Click here for an index to the deeds for 322 Marlborough, and click here for further information about the land between the south side of Marlborough and Alley 427, from Fairfield to Gloucester.

Willard Sears and his wife, Marianne (Motte) Sears, made 15 Gloucester their home and kept 9-11-13 Gloucester as rental property until April of 1881, when he sold them to his first cousin, Joshua Montgomery Sears.

On July 5, 1872, before the house was completed, 322 Marlborough was acquired from Willard Sears by his brother-in-law, Charles William Seabury. He and his wife, Elizabeth Willard (Sears) Seabury, made it their home. They previously had lived at 84 Chandler. They also maintained a home in Milbury.

The Seaburys’ four children – Frank W. Seabury, Gorham Train Seabury, William H. Seabury, and Elizabeth (Bessie) Sears Seabury – lived with them.

Charles Seabury was treasurer of the Calumet and Hecla copper mining companies. Frank Seabury and William Seabury were brokers’ clerks and later would be in partnership as stockbrokers.

Gorham Seabury moved to Nebraska in about 1880. He later settled in Cheyenne, Wyoming, where he was a veterinary surgeon and inventor.

Frank Seabury married in September of 1897 to Alice Barnard, after which they moved to the Hotel Agassiz at 191 Commonwealth.

Charles Seabury died in August of 1901. In his will, he left 322 Marlborough to his wife. She continued to live at 322 Marlborough with their son, William, and daughter, Elizabeth.

During the 1911-1912 winter season, Frank and Alice Seabury joined his mother and siblings 322 Marlborough. They also maintained a home in Beverly Farms.

Elizabeth Seabury died in February of 1912. In her will, she left 322 Marlborough to her daughter-in-law, Alice Seabury. Wllliam Seabury and Elizabeth Seabury moved to Brookline, and Frank and Alice Seabury moved to 845 Boylston.

On June 29, 1912, 322 Marlborough was purchased from Alice Seabury by Dr. Franklin Warren White. He and his wife, Ethel Plummer (Bowen) White, made it their home; he also maintained his medical office in the house. They previously had lived (and he had maintained his office) at The Marlborough at 416 Marlborough.  They also maintained a home in Marblehead Neck.

On May 27, 1914, he transferred 322 Marlborough into his wife’s name.

On November 15, 1915, Charles Lovering, owner of 9 Gloucester, acquired from Ethel White the western half of the party wall abutting 9 Gloucester so that he could use it as the eastern wall of an addition he was constructing in the rear of his house.

Franklin and Ethel White continued to live at 322 Marlborough until about 1950, when they moved to Chestnut Hill, where he died in December of that year.

On January 24, 1950, 322 Marlborough was purchased from Ethel White by Charles A. Turner, an engineer, and Robert M. Austin, a social worker. They lived at 322 Marlborough.

By 1952, it had been converted into a three family residence. In April of that year, Charles Turner, applied for (and subsequently received) permission to increase the number of apartments from three to four.

Robert M. Austin died in 1956 and his interest in 322 Marlborough passed to Charles Turner as joint tenant owner of the property.

On October 20, 1958, 322 Marlborough was purchased from Charles Turner by real estate dealer and contractor Michael J. Smith and his wife, Georgia Constance (Rigas/Rigopoulos) Smith. They lived in one of the apartments. They previously had lived at 69 Gainsborough. In June of 1959, he filed for permission to add a real estate office to the building. His application was subsequently abandoned. The Smiths continued to live at 322 Marlborough until 1960, when they moved to 197 Marlborough.

On June 15, 1960, 322 Marlborough was purchased from the Smiths by J. Phillipe Pomerleau.

On April 22, 1963, 322 Marlborough was acquired from J. Phillipe Pomerleau by Channing St. Claire MacDonald, an attorney, and his mother, Mary Angelina (Scharbell) MacDonald, the widow of John W. MacDonald.

Mary A. MacDonald lived in one of the apartments at 322 Marlborough; Channing MacDonald and his wife, Myra Rose (Murrin) Channing, lived at 132 Marlborough. They all previously had lived at 26 Montgomery.

On December 10, 1975, John Harutunian foreclosed on a mortgage given by Channing MacDonald and Mary A. MacDonald and took possession of the property. On December 30, 1977, he transferred the property to back Mary A. MacDonald.

On January 7, 1986, Mary MacDonald transferred 322 Marlborough to the Arnold Financial Corporation. On October 28, 1987, Arnold Financial transferred the property to its president and treasurer, Arnold Feinerman, as trustee of the 322 Marlborough Street Realty Trust.

On February 26, 1988, 322 Marlborough was purchased from Arnold Feinerman by John Kane and his wife, Nancy King Kane,

On September 2, 1993, 322 Marlborough was purchased from the Kanes by John Edward McGinty, an investment banker, and his wife, Sarah Myers McGinty, a university admissions officer, educational planner, and author. On April of 2000, they applied for (and subsequently received) permission to convert the property from four apartments into a two-family dwelling.

On August 8, 2006, the McGintys entered into a “Preservation Restriction Agreement” with the National Architectural Trust for the purpose of ensuring preservation of 322 Marlborough’s exterior.

322 Marlborough continued to be assessed as a two-family dwelling in 2020.