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 until conversion of the property into condominium units. 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.
Deeds relating to 425 Newbury are included in the index for 388-390 Commonwealth.
From 1908, 425 Newbury was under the same ownership as 388-390 Commonwealth. It remained a vacant lot. In 1947, 388-390 Commonwealth and 425 Newbury were acquired by Abraham Sonnabend, and in 1951, his Cleveland Hotel Corporation acquired 400-416 Commonwealth. The buildings subsequently were operated as an integrated property. In 1966, a parking garage was built at 425 Commonwealth. When the ownership of 388-390 Commonwealth and 400-416 Commonwealth was separated in 1983, 425 Newbury was divided between the two owners. The property subsequently was converted into a garage condominium.
| Transfers of Land and Buildings | |||||
| Date of Deed | Grantor | Grantee | Book | Page | |
| 27May1983 | 400 Commonwealth Avenue Apartments LP (400-416 Commonwealth) | The Somerset Condominium | 10381 | 305 | |
| 22May1983 | 400 Commonwealth Avenue Apartments LP (425 Newbury) | The Somerset Garage Condominium | 10382 | 1 | |
| 30Mar1983 | 400 Commonwealth Avenue Apartments LP (388-390 Commonwealth and 100/326 undivided interest in 425 Newbury parking garage) | Frederic W. Rust, III, trustee, Puritan Investment Trust | 10279 | 293 | |
| 29Jan1982 | Naramco (Boston), Inc.; Aquilini Group (US), Inc.; and Commonwealth Heritage Corporation (388-390 Commonwealth, 400-416 Commonwealth and 425 Newbury) | 400 Commonwealth Avenue Apartments LP | 9906 | 464 | |
| 19Jun1981 | Neref South Realty Corp. and Clifton Investments, Inc., doing business as Somerset Associates (388-390 Commonwealth, 400-416 Commonwealth and 425 Newbury) | Naramco (Boston), Inc. and Aquilini Group (US), Inc. (52.22 undivided interes); and Commonwealth Heritage Corporation (47.78 undivded interest) | 9790 | 115 | |
| 26Aug1980 | 400 Commonwealth Avenue, Inc. (388-390 Commonwealth, 400-416 Commonwealth and 425 Newbury) | Neref South Realty Corp. and Clifton Investments, Inc., doing business as Somerset Associates | 9681 | 119 | |
| 25Aug1980 | John F. Desmond, trustee in bankruptcy, New Somerset Apartments Co., Inc. (388-390 Commonwealth, 400-416 Commonwealth and 425 Newbury; release of interest as trustee in bankruptcy) | 400 Commonwealth Avenue, Inc. | 9681 | 116 | |
| 06Aug1980 | Robert E. Barrett, trustee, Somerset Apartments Trust (388-390 Commonwealth, 400-416 Commonwealth and 425 Newbury; foreclosure of mortgage given by Robert E. Barrett, trustee, Somerset Apartments Trust, to the Savings Bank Trust Company, which assigned it to the Lincoln Savings Bank, which assigned it to the LSB Realty Trust; the mortgage was assumed by New Somerset Apartments Co., Inc., which subsequently declared bankruptcy; the LSB Realty Trust foreclosed and sold the property to 400 Commonwealth Avenue, Inc.) | 400 Commonwealth Avenue, Inc. | 9495 | 250 | |
| 13Dec1979 | Irwin Cantor, trustee, Somerset Apartments Trust (388-390 Commonwealth, 400-416 Commonwealth and 425 Newbury) | New Somerset Apartments Co., Inc. | 9334 | 390 | |
| 28Jun1977 | Savings Banks Trust Company (388-390 Commonwealth, 400-416 Commonwealth and 425 Newbury) | Robert E. Barrett, trustee, Somerset Apartments Trust | 8964 | 713 | |
| 19Jul1976 | The Somerset Building, Inc. (388-390 Commonwealth, 400-416 Commonwealth and 425 Newbury; foreclosure of mortgage) | Savings Bank Trust Company | 8884 | 13 | |
| 16Jun1975 | Margery B. Shaer, trustee, Westcliffe Realty Trust (388-390 Commonwealth, 400-416 Commonwealth and 425 Newbury) | The Somerset Building, Inc. | 8793 | 603 | |
| 13Dec1971 | S. H. Corp. (388-390-400-416 Commonwealth and 425 Newbury) | David E. Connell, trustee, Westcliffe Realty Trust | 8437 | 242 | |
| 31Jan1966 | Cleveland Hotel Corporation (388-390 Commonwealth, 400-416 Commonwealth and 425 Newbury) | S. H. Corp. | 8020 | 717 | |
| 31Jan1966 | Louis Berry, George D. Seyburn, and Benjamin J. Tager (388-390 Commonwealth, 400-416 Commonwealth and 425 Newbury; foreclosure of mortgage) | Cleveland Hotel Corporation | 8020 | 713 | |
| 01Nov1960 | Cleveland Hotel Corporation (400-416 Commonwealth) | Louis Berry, George D. Seyburn, and Benjamin J. Tager | 7518 | 223 | |
| 11Oct1951 | Somerset Hotel, Inc. (400-416 Commonwealth) | Cleveland Hotel Corporation | 6730 | 457 | |
| 01Dec1944 | Boston Five Cents Savings Bank (400-416 Commonwealth) | Somerset Hotel, Inc. | 6129 | 301 | |
| 30Jun1942 | Somerset Hotel Company (400-416 Commonwealth) | Boston Five Cents Savings Bank | 5995 | 38 | |
| 07Aug1936 | Boston Five Cents Savings Bank (400-416 Commonwealth) | Somerset Hotel Company | 5617 | 549 | |
| 29May1936 | Henry M. Williams and V. Stoddard Bigelow, successor trustees, Somerset Hotel Trust (400-416 Commonwealth) | Boston Five Cents Savings Bank | 5602 | 30 | |
| 29May1901 | Francis Peabody, Jr., and Henry M. Williams, trustees, Somerset Trust (416 Commonwealth) | Harvey H. Baker, to the use of Francis Peabody, Jr., and Henry M. Williams, trustees, Somerset Hotel Trust | 2758 | 50 | |
| Transfers of Unimproved Land – 400 Commonwealth: Lot with 100 foot frontage | |||||
| Date of Deed | Grantor | Grantee | Book | Page | |
| 27May1901 | John C. Haynes | Francis Peabody, Jr., and Henry M. Williams, trustees, Somerset Hotel Trust | 2756 | 463 | |
| 08Feb1893 | Charles E. Perkins | John C. Haynes | 2114 | 358 | |
| 13Feb1886 | Frederic Amory | Charles E. Perkins | 1711 | 609 | |
| 28Dec1885 | Henry M. Whitney, Grenville T. W. Braman, and Henry D. Hyde, trustees,The Park Entrance Lands trust | Frederic Amory | 1707 | 401 | |
| 15Oct1880 | Boston Water Power Company | Henry M. Whitney, Grenville T. W. Braman, and Henry D. Hyde, trustees,The Park Entrance Lands trust | 1506 | 195 | |
| 15Oct1880 | Dwight Foster, Gilman Collamore, and George Richardson, trustees for bonds issued by the Boston Water Power Co. | Henry M. Whitney, Grenville T. W. Braman, and Henry D. Hyde, trustees, The Park Entrance Lands trust | 1506 | 193 | |
| Transfers of Unimproved Land – 416 Commonwealth: Parcel with 133 foot frontage on Commonwealth, 231 foot frontage on Charlesgate East, and 125 feet on Newbury. Parcel composed of a northern lot at the corner of Commonwealth and Charlesgate East, and a southern lot at the corner of Newbury and Charlesgate East | |||||
| Transfers of Unimproved Land: Northern portion of parcel at 416 Commonwealth with 133 foot frontage on Commonwealth and 133 foot frontage on Charlesgate East | |||||
| Date of Deed | Grantor | Grantee | Book | Page | |
| 18Sep1897 | Nathaniel Thayer and Eugene V. R. Thayer | Francis Peabody, Jr., and Henry M. Williams, trustees, Somerset Trust | 2475 | 524 | |
| 25Aug1897 | J. Whitman Bailey | Nathaniel Thayer and Eugene V. R. Thayer | 2465 | 286 | |
| 25Aug1897 | George S. Daniell (foreclosure of mortgage given by George Daniell to Nathaniel Thayer and Eugene V. R. Thayer; foreclosed by them and sold to J. Whitman Bailey | J. Whitman Bailey | 2465 | 282 | |
| 01Jan1897 | Nathaniel Thayer and Eugene V. R. Thayer | George S. Daniell | 2414 | 411 | |
| 21Nov1893 | Albert Geiger | Nathaniel Thayer and Eugene V. R. Thayer | 2165 | 635 | |
| 16Nov1893 | Augustus F. Arnold | Albert Geiger | 2164 | 474 | |
| 16Nov1893 | Frank E. Simpson | Augustus F. Arnold | 2164 | 469 | |
| 16Jun1890 | S. Endicott Peabody | Frank E. Simpson | 1941 | 536 | |
| 13Jun1883 | Henry M. Whitney, Grenville T. W. Braman, and Henry D. Hyde, trustees, The Park Entrance Lands trust | S. Endicott Peabody | 1604 | 33 | |
| 15Oct1880 | Boston Water Power Company | Henry M. Whitney, Grenville T. W. Braman, and Henry D. Hyde, trustees, The Park Entrance Lands trust | 1506 | 195 | |
| 15Oct1880 | Dwight Foster, Gilman Collamore, and George Richardson, trustees for bonds issued by the Boston Water Power Co. | Henry M, Whitney, Grenville T. W. Braman, and Henry D. Hyde, trustees, The Park Entrance Lands trust | 1506 | 193 | |
| Transfers of Unimproved Land: Southern portion of parcel at 416 Commonwealth, with 125 foot frontage Newbury and 98 foot frontage on Charlesgate East | |||||
| Date of Deed | Grantor | Grantee | Book | Page | |
| 18Sep1897 | J. Whitman Bailey | Francis Peabody, Jr., and Henry M. Williams, trustees, Somerset Trust | 2475 | 523 | |
| 18Sep1897 | John Lawrence, Francis Peabody, Jr., and Reginald Foster, trustees under the will of Abbott Lawrence | J. Whitman Bailey | 2475 | 519 | |
| 01Jul1897 | J. Whitman Bailey | John Lawrence, Francis Peabody, Jr., and Reginald Foster, trustees under the will of Abbott Lawrence | 2453 | 267 | |
| 21Jun1897 | Alan Arthur and Gardiner H. Shaw (foreclosure of mortgage given by Alan Arthur and Gardiner Shaw to the trustees under the will of Abbott Lawrence and foreclosed by them and sold to J. Whitman Bailey | J. Whitman Bailey | 2453 | 262 | |
| 01Dec1896 | John Lawrence, Francis Peabody, Jr., and Reginald Foster, trustees under the will of Abbott Lawrence | Alan Arthur and Gardiner H. Shaw | 2403 | 497 | |
| 30Jan1886 | Henry M. Whitney, Grenville T. W. Braman, and Henry D. Hyde, trustees, The Park Entrance Lands trust | Abbott Lawrence | 1711 | 321 | |
| 15Oct1880 | Boston Water Power Company | Henry M. Whitney, Grenville T. W. Braman, and Henry D. Hyde, trustees, The Park Entrance Lands trust | 1506 | 195 | |
| 15Oct1880 | Dwight Foster, Gilman Collamore, and George Richardson, trustees for bonds issued by the Boston Water Power Co. | Henry M. Whitney, Grenville T. W. Braman, and Henry D. Hyde, trustees, The Park Entrance Lands trust | 1506 | 193 | |
| Party wall agreement | |||||
| Date of Deed | Party One | Party Two | Book | Page | |
| 01Nov1897 | Francis Peabody, Jr., and Henry M. Williams, trustees, Somerset Trust (owner of lot at 416 Commonwealth) | John C. Haynes (owner of lot at 400 Commonwealth) | 2489 | 1 | |
| Building restriction agreement by owners of property on the south side of Commonwealth and north side of Newbury between Massachusetts Avenue and Charlesgate East, allowing bay windows to extend into the alley, provided that they extend no further than three feet and are at least 19 feet above the surface of the passageway | |||||
| Date | Parties to Agreement | Book | Page | ||
| 01Jul1908 | Henry M. Williams individually and as co-trustee, Somerset Hotel Trust; John D. Hardy, trustee, Avenue Realty Trust; Cambridgeport Savings Bank; A. L. K. Volkmann; Charles H. Rutan, Schuyler S. Bartlett, and Henry B. Cabot, trustees under the will of Henry Lee; Charles R. Batt and Walter R. Dyer, trustees, 399 Newbury Street; Benjamin D, Hyde, executor of the estate of H. D. Hyde; E. Florence Macconnell; Louisa P. Russell; Robert L. Winkley, conservator of the estate of Albert Pope; and Frank D. Ellison | 3518 | 48 | ||
Back Bay Houses 