Can you picture Weston center, circa 1880? The charm-filled town evokes a vivid image: It’s lined with ladies in hourglass dresses toting parasols, and with horse-drawn buggies competing with the first horseless carriage. Forget your Lexus. The bicyclist was in the know and the symbol of prestige back in that day. Busy shops and soon-to-be historic landmarks dotted Weston’s main thoroughfare.
And back then, a stately Queen Anne Victorian set at the town’s edge was “new” construction. At the time of its first sale, 1887, the 348 Boston Post Road house was valued at $3,500.
A lot has changed in the last century-plus. Yet all the right things remain the same at this home. Home values have increased more than a tad, the blacksmith and butcher are now history, yet many of the original storefronts are still standing. And this Victorian is still there, handsome with porches, distinctive architecture and charm, and just the right updates.
Having been home to only four families since it was built, it’s a rare occurrence to find this Queen Anne on the market. But it’s time for a change of steward, and this 5,685-square-foot home is ready for the next generation of caretakers and lucky residents.
“This home is all about vintage architecture and the love of living in an antique,” said Realtor Kathryn Richlen of Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage. “The house has so much to offer, everything from built-in character to being a tangible income-producing property.”
And it’s this home’s vintage updated carriage-house that offers modern financing for this home to the savvy buyer. The carriage-house extends off the main home. Fashioned into a penthouse style apartment, its upper square footage has undergone several renovations. It also received a visit from the Silva brothers of “This Old House” TV fame who restored the cupola. The updated apartment here, which has its own access and parking, boasts two bedrooms, a Carrara marble bath, and a granite-floored kitchen with solid surface counters. A large living area and solid storage are also among the rental unit’s amenities. “It’s a nice option for buyers,” said Richlen.
Buyers will also be taken with the interior of the main house, which boasts numerous period features and a list of modern updates.
Let’s give age precedence here, as we enter the 22-by-12 formal dining room first — where 1880 comes to life. Period architectural elements are the focal point of this room. They begin with a built-in buffet/china closet with rosette moldings. Overhead are crown molding at the ceiling and a vintage center chandelier. A series of French doors in the dining room open from here to a screened porch which overlooks the side of the property. While this brings to mind gatherings tended to by a household staff and gentlemen smoking cigars on the veranda as ladies sip tea inside, it also bodes well for this generation’s partygoers and entertaining. Back inside, the dining room — banquet size and functional — offers excellent entertainment space. It also opens to an extensive butler’s pantry lined with period cabinetry. And the L-shaped space leads to an everyday side entrance and a half bath.
