Index to Deeds: 395 Commonwealth

The following is an index to property transfer deeds and party wall, use, and building restriction agreements recorded at the Suffolk County Deed Registry from the original land purchase through December 31, 2017.  Mortgages, trust agreements, and other similar recorded documents are not included.  This index is intended as a guide only; actual deeds should be reviewed for details.

Transfers of Land and Buildings
Date of Deed Grantor Grantee Book Page
28Dec1964 Hearthstone Insurance Company of Massachusetts (395-397 Commonwealth) Association for Cultural Interchange, Inc. 7916 285
09Jan1953 Massachusetts Properties, Inc. (395 Commonwealth) Hearthstone Insurance Company of Boston 6839 569
31Aug1951 Old Colony Trust Company; Ida Werman, formerly Ida Rothbard; and Jacob Rothbard, trustees under the will of Max Rothbard Massachusetts Properties, Inc. 6722 344
03May1946 Arthur W. Krey, trustee, Cypress Trust Max Rothbard 6223 242
03May1946 Harold S. Cosby Arthur W. Krey, trustee, Cypress Trust 6223 241
12Jun1944 Francis J. Quinn Harold S. Cosby 6097 372
30Dec1943 Brookline Savings Bank Francis J. Quinn 6074 59
04Feb1939 James M. Burr (foreclosure of mortgage given by James M. Burr and assumed by subsequent owners) Brookline Savings Bank 5771 587
06Nov1930 James M. Burr John Matheson 5224 467
22Aug1930 Profession Building Co.. Inc. James M. Burr 5207 152
23Jan1925 Ethel Josephine Abbott, wife of Charles E. Abbott Profession Building Co.. Inc. 4648 280
15Sep1923 James C. Ayer, Charles F. Ayer, and Frederick Ayer, trustees under the will of Frederick Ayer Ethel Josephine Abbott, wife of Charles E. Abbott 4507 25
Transfers of Unimproved Land
Date of Deed Grantor Grantee Book Page
15Apr1899 Frederick O. Woodruff (two lots, one with a frontage of 52 feet and the other, to the west, with a frontage of 26 feet) Frederick Ayer 2599 199
15Apr1899 S. Endicott Peabody (lot with 52 foot frontage) Frederick O. Woodruff 2599 197
15Apr1899 Leverett S. Tuckerman and Francis Peabody, Jr., trustees under the will of William G. Saltonstall (lot with 26 foot frontage) Frederick O. Woodruff 2599 196
13Jan1886 Francis A. Osborn and Grenville T. W. Braman, a majority of the trustees of Commonwealth Avenue Lands (Francis W. Palfrey, the remaining trustee, being absent from Massachusetts) (lot with 52 foot frontage) William G. Saltonstall 1709 582
11Jan1886 Francis A. Osborn and Grenville T. W. Braman, a majority of the trustees of Commonwealth Avenue Lands (Francis W. Palfrey, the remaining trustee, being absent from Massachusetts) (lot with 52 foot frontage) S. Endicott Peabody 1709 545
01Jun1880 Dwight Foster, Gilman Collamore, and George F. Richardson, trustees under a bond indenture with the Boston Water Power Company dated 1Jun1874 (release) Francis W. Palfrey, Francis A. Osborn, and Grenville T. W. Braman, trustees of Commonwealth Avenue Lands 1495 6
01Jun1880 Boston Water Power Company Francis W. Palfrey, Francis A. Osborn, and Grenville T. W. Braman, trustees of Commonwealth Avenue Lands 1495 9
Party wall stipulations in land transfer deed
Date of Deed Grantor Grantee Book Page
17Jan1901 Frederick Ayer (seller of lot at 397 Commonwealth and owner of 395 Commonwealth) Alexander Agassiz (purchaser of lot at 397 Commonwealth) 2731 183
Party Wall Agreements
Date of Deed Party One Party Two Book Page
23May1899 Josephine M. Dexter (owner of lot at 393 Commonwealth) Frederick Ayer (owner of lot at 395 Commonwealth) 2610 295
Building and use restrictions included in land transfer deeds, specifying that no building on the premises may be used as a stable, and that no building of more than one story in height may be erected within thirty feet of Marlborough
Date of Deed Grantor Grantee Book Page
13Jan1886 Francis A. Osborn and Grenville T. W. Braman, a majority of the trustees of Commonwealth Avenue Lands (Francis W. Palfrey, the remaining trustee, being absent from Massachusetts) (sellers of lot with 52 foot frontage) William G. Saltonstall (purchaser of lot with 52 foot frontage) 1709 582
11Jan1886 Francis A. Osborn and Grenville T. W. Braman, a majority of the trustees of Commonwealth Avenue Lands (Francis W. Palfrey, the remaining trustee, being absent from Massachusetts) (sellers of lot with 52 foot frontage) S. Endicott Peabody (purchaser of lot with 52 foot frontage) 1709 545
Agreement by owners of land on the north and south sides of Marlborough between West Chester Park (Massachusetts Avenue) and the Beacon entrance to Back Bay Park (Charlesgate East) requiring that buildings must be set back 5 feet from Marlborough except for projections as specified in Book 1588, p. 434 (20Feb1883) [which provided that steps, porticos, and other usual projections appurtenant to the front wall of a building would be permitted in the reserved space, and bays and bows would be permitted in the reserved space subject to dimensional limitations as set forth in the deed].  This 5 foot setback requirement was modified with respect to the north side of Marlborough by a subsequent agreement dated 10Jun1885 (Book 1685, p. 433)
Date of Deed Party One Party Two Book Page
20Feb1883 Francis A. Osborn and Grenville T. W. Braman, a majority of the trustees of the Commonwealth Avenue Lands, Francis W. Palfrey, the remaining trustee, being absent from Massachusetts Grenville T. W. Braman, Henry D. Hyde, and Henry M. Whitney, trustees 1588 437
Preservation restriction agreement for the purpose of preserving the “those characteristics which contribute to the architectural, archaeological and historical integrity of the Premises which have been listed in the National and/or State Registers of Historic Places… which include, but are not limited to, the artifacts, features, materials, appearance, and workmanship of the Premises…”.
Date of Deed Party One Party Two Book Page
26Jun2013 The Trimount Foundation, Inc. (formerly the Association for Cultural Interchange, Inc.) Commonwealth of Massachusetts, by and through the Massachusetts Historical Commission 51704 317