427 Marlborough is located on the north side of Marlborough, between Massachusetts Avenue and Charlesgate East, with 425 Marlborough to the east and 429 Marlborough to the west.

427 Marlborough was designed by architect Obed F. Smith and built in 1886-1887 by Charles A. Dodge, mason and builder, one of three contiguous houses (425-427-429 Marlborough) built for building contractor George Wheatland, Jr., for speculative sale. He is shown as the owner on the original building permit applications for all three houses, all dated October 14, 1886.

As originally built, all three were three stories in height, probably all of the design which survives at 429 Marlborough. By the mid-1890s, and possibly even before they were occupied, additional stories had been added to 425 and 427 Marlborough. All three houses show as 3 story houses on the original permit application and on the 1887 Sanborn map, but 425 and 427 Marlborough show as having four stories on the 1897 Sanborn map and 1898 Bromley map.

George Wheatland, Jr., purchased the land for 425-427-429 Marlborough on June 7,1886, from Henry Lee, H. Hollis Hunnewell, and Augustus Lowell. The land was part of a larger parcel that Henry Lee and his partners purchased on February 20, 1883, from a real estate investment trust formed by Grenville T. W. Braman, Henry D. Hyde, and Frank W. Andrews. The parcel was one several tracts of land the trust had purchased from the Boston Water Power Company on March 1, 1872.

Click here for an index to the deeds for 427 Marlborough, and click here for further information on the land west of Massachusetts Avenue between the south side of Beacon and the north side of Commonwealth.

In subdividing their land, Henry Lee and his partners had created two passageways to provide access and drainage to the alley for 425-427-429 Marlborough: a four foot wide passageway behind 427-429 Marlborough connecting with a six foot wide passageway behind 31 Massachusetts Avenue extending north to the alley. Unlike similar passageways elsewhere in the Back Bay (for example, at the rear of houses facing on the side streets), these passageways were not created as easements over the lots, but as separate open spaces “appurtenant to the granted premises” to which each property owner had access in common with the owners of the other the abutting properties.

On November 1, 1887, 427 Marlborough was purchased from George Wheatland, Jr., by retail men’s clothier David W. Noyes. He and his wife, Harriet D. (Riley) Noyes, made it their home. They previously had lived at 8 Greenwich Park.

They continued to live at 427 Marlborough during the 1907-1908 winter season, but moved thereafter to Brookline.

On August 10, 1908, 427 Marlborough was purchased from David Noyes by Maude Lillian (Gates) Everett, the wife of Dr. Eugene Ellsworth Everett. They previously had lived at 138 Huntington.

Eugene Everett was a physician and also maintained his office at 427 Marlborough. He also leased office space to other doctors.

The Everetts continued to live at 427 Marlborough until about 1928, when they moved to Westwood. He continued to maintain his office at 427 Marlborough and converted the remainder of the house into a lodging house.

On July 16, 1929, Maude Everett transferred the property into her and her husband’s names.

At about the same time, 425 Marlborough, which had been a lodging house for nurses, changed hands. Miss Helen Goodell Medbury, who operated the lodging house, and a number of the residents moved to 427 Marlborough.

Helen Medbury continued to live at 427 Marlborough and operate a lodging house for nurses until about 1953. Eugene Everett continued to maintain his office there until about the same time.

On May 15, 1953, 427 Marlborough was purchased from Eugene Everett by Albert Leo Hollingdale and his wife, Margaret E. (Tabor) Hollingdale. Earlier that month, they had acquired 425 Marlborough. They operated lodging houses at both addresses.

The Hollingdales lived at 82 Bay State Road. They also owned 517 and 519 Beacon, which they operated as lodging houses.

In June of 1953, Albert Hollingdale applied for (and subsequently received) permission to cut openings between 425 Marlborough and 427 Marlborough on the basement and first floor levels.

By the mid-1950s, 425-427 Marlborough were operated as the Tabor Hall dormitory, and 517-519 Beacon were operated as the Hollingdale Hall dormitory.

On August 25, 1955, the Hollingdales transferred 425-427 Marlborough and 517-519 Beacon to themselves as trustees of the Hollingdale Hall Trust.

In June of 1958, they acquired 503 Beacon.

On September 1, 1960, 425-427 Marlborough, 503 Beacon, and 517-519 Beacon were acquired from the Hollingdales by real estate dealer Hugh Richardson Farrington and his wife, Clara Marcellina (Cormier) Farrington, as trustees of the Hugh J. Trust. In November of 1961, they acquired 521 Beacon.

The Farringtons operated 425-427 Marlborough and 517-519-521 Beacon as dormitories for Boston University students.

In September of 1960, the Farringtons sold 517-519-521 Beacon. They continued to own 425-427 Marlborough.

On April 28, 1969, 425-427 Marlborough were purchased from the Farringtons by Kenneth L. Shaw. He lived in an apartment at 464 Beacon and operated 425-427 Marlborough was lodging houses. He also owned 445 Marlborough, a seven unit apartment house.

On January 2, 1973, 425-427 Marlborough were purchased from Kenneth Shaw, by then a resident of St. Michaels, Maryland, by William Vinal and Alfred J. Greenwood. They had purchased 445 Marlborough from him in July of 1972. William Vinal lived at 427 Marlborough and operated 425-427 Marlborough as lodging houses. Alfred Greenwood, a mechanical engineer, lived at 25 Cumberland.

On April 2, 1977, Alfred Greenwood acquired William Vinal’s interest in 425-427 Marlborough and assumed operation of the lodging houses. He also acquired William Vinal’s interest in 445 Marlborough. Alfred Greenwood continued to live at 25 Cumberland.

On May 14, 1986, 425 and 427 Marlborough were purchased from Alfred Greenwood by Edgard Puente, Gary L. Schechtman, and Sidney Kreitzer.

In June of 1986, they applied for (and subsequently received) permission to convert 425 Marlborough and 427 Marlborough into five apartments each,

On June 27, 1987, they converted both buildings into condominium units, five in each building, the 425-427 Marlborough Street Condominium.