10 Commonwealth Avenue, c. 1924. Click to enlarge (Image copyright The City Record and Boston News-Letter, all rights reserved)
10 Commonwealth Avenue was built for Thomas Appleton in 1864 and demolished in 1963 perhaps to make way for an addition to the Ritz Carlton Hotel, which was completed in 1981. Given the delay between demolition and construction there is some question as to why the addition took so long to be approved and if two events are in fact related.
Appleton is an important figure in 19th Century Boston, known for his art collecting and work for the Boston Public Library. According to Bainbridge Bunting, 8 and 10 Commonwealth Avenue were built by friends (Erastus Bigelow occupied number 8). Bunting states that the while number 8 was two feet wider than number 10, number 10 had a second floor library which extended across the south side (rear) of both houses. For more information on the architecture of the Back Bay, I recommend Bainbridge Bunting's Houses of Boston's Back Bay: An Architectural History, 1840-1917. You can read more about the addition to the Ritz Carlton at Architectural Boston's thread on the Ritz Carlton.
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Why did so many years go by between the demolition of this house and the construction of the Ritz addition?
Posted by: Ron Newman | 05 February 2007 at 17:26
I am surprised at the possibility of such a Boston "institution" changing hands.
The Architectural Boston thread is very interesting - the 1974 aerial showing vacant land in Back Bay (affluent neighborhoods aren't immune to vacancy ...) which could have been a great extension of the Public Garden!
Finally, I appreciate the efforts of urban historians, esp. the author of this site, Charles Swift.
Posted by: Georgia | 06 February 2007 at 13:25