THE COMPLETE GUIDE

BOSTONHOMESBOSTONHOMESO P E N H O U S E S L I S T E D I N S I D EA L L O P E N H O U S E S L I S T E D I N S I D EA L L

APRIL 4-10, 2009 SERVING BEACON HILL, BACK BAY, FENWAY, SOUTH END, JAMAICA PLAIN, CHARLESTOWN, NORTH END/WATERFRONT, DOWNTOWN, SOUTH BOSTON, DORCHESTER & EAST BOSTON

I N D E X — PA G E 1 0N E W & S E A R C H A B L E

BY MARILYN JACKSONSTAFF WRITER

Peter and Elizabeth Georgantas calltheir home at 74 Beacon St. on theFlat of Beacon Hill the Benjamin

Mansion.Its name is in recognition of an outstand-

ing 19th century architect, Asher Benjamin,who designed the granite rowhouses at 70-75 Beacon St. for the Mount Vernon Propri-etors in 1828.

John Neale of Sprogis & Neale RealEstate and Tracy Campion of Campion &Company Real Estate have listed this out-standing residence at $14.95 million.

“Its pure perfection across from the Pub-lic Garden,” said Campion. “It’s palatial,”said Neale.

In addition to its fabulous location, thishome with a gray granite facade has beenbeautifully embellished with fine, elegantdetails after a nearly three-year-long reno-vation.

Peter Georgantas, a developer, and hiswife, Elizabeth Georgantas, an interiordesigner, worked with local architect EbenKluz to create a very special home thatreflects both grandeur and comfort. Neale,also a historian, consulted too.

In designing the interior spaces, this teamreferenced Benjamin’s pattern books andlooked to the lavish Newport, R.I., man-

sions in integrating the sophisticated designtouches. The delicate plasterwork on theceiling in the double parlor reflects anAdam influence, said Neale.

“We tried to stay with the Federal/neo-Classical appearance,” said Peter Georgan-tas. For example, the baseboards are mar-ble, which is a late 19th century detail.

Not many other homes have achieved thislevel of technological excellence or under-taken such discriminating detail, he said.“Essentially, it’s a whole new house.”

This home has undergone a few expan-sions during its lifetime, and with this recent“complete gut-rehab,” it will last another200 years, he said.

Originally it was a three-story house. Inthe intervening years, two more stories wereadded at different times, and the front-fac-ing windows on the first floor above thestreet were lengthened.

When PEG Properties and Designacquired the house, it had been converted tofour apartments.

Today, the home has a side hall floor planthat creates grand spaces, and the brand-new,wide staircase is accented with wainscoting.

Beacon Hill townhouse is palatial

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INSIDE

Floor-to-ceiling windows wrap around a corner of Unit 32E/F at the Residences at theRitz-Carlton in Midtown and present fabu-lous views day and night. This home is on themarket for $6.9 million. See page 16.

The living room of Unit 4 at 404 Beacon St. inthe Back Bay is quite large. This home is onthe market for $2.5 million. See page 13.

The living room of Unit 101 at 76 West Rut-land Square in the South End is spacious. Thiscondo is on the market for $919,000. Garageparking is available for $80,000. See page 26.

The ornate wood paneling and intricately carved mantel of the fireplace in the dining room areoriginal to the home. COURTESY PHOTOS / PEG PROPERTIES AND DESIGN

The Benjamin Mansion at 74 Beacon St. on the Flat of Beacon Hill has an elegant double parlorwith delicate ornamentation. It is listed at $14.95 million.

Page 8 BOSTON HOMES: THE COMPLETE GUIDE • www.linkbostonhomes.com Week of April 4 - 10, 2009

Next to the stairs is a commercial-speed elevator. Beyond is an Art-Deco mirrored powder room.

The double parlor with its 11-foot-high ceiling and deep crown moldingand plasterwork contribute to theuniqueness of this home, whichboasts white quarter-sawn oak andexotic wenge accents. The two fire-places are focal points in this room,which is ideal for entertaining.

A three-story addition, constructedin the early 1920s, lies beyond theparlor, and the dining room is theonly one that remains intact.

The room is paneled with beautifulwood, and the wall covering appearsto be lincrusta but actually is plastercreated to look like leather. Leadfleurs-de-lis and cames hold theglass in the windows of this room,which continues to a grand butler’spantry and china closet.

A second staircase descends fromthe pantry to the expansive openkitchen. Glass doors open onto a largelandscaped brick patio, and a gateopens onto Byron Street where thereis private parking.

At the bottom of the stairs are amudroom and a brick-walled winecellar. Next to an informal dining areaare built-in shelves that provide a miniworkspace.

The kitchen is gigantic, with theappliances occupying space on threewalls. The sink looks out onto thepatio, while the dual fuel Frenchrange, a La Cornue, occupies anotherwall. The refrigerator is paneled withchalkboard, perfect for writing a gro-

cery list or doodling by a youngster.In the middle of the kitchen is a

huge honed and antiqued graniteisland with a prep sink.

Behind the refrigerator is a bigpantry with another refrigerator, aMiele cappuchino and espressomaker, a chiller and an extra freezer aswell as a Wolf oven with a warmingdrawer. And, there are shelves forfoodstuffs.

On the far wall is a powder room,next to the elevator door. At the frontof the building is an au pair suite.

The third level of the home is devot-ed to the master bedroom suite and anen suite guest bedroom, which is locat-ed at the front of the house. A three-piece banquette in front of the windowin the guest room also provides extrastorage. Next to it is a fireplace.

The master bedroom suite is

absolutely magnificent. A walk-incloset for him and a cedar closet areon either side of the mirrored hallwaybefore entering the bedroom wherepale blue Italian silk fabric covers thewalls. Matching Bergamo fabric wasused for the side chairs and the cus-tom-designed bedding.

Other amenities include a gas fire-place with an Art Deco chrome man-tel in the master bedroom and elec-tronic window shades that are con-cealed behind pockets.

The en suite bath is as large as manybedrooms. It features an oversizedglass shower that occupies a large cor-ner of the room and a deep soakingtub is placed in front of a bay window.The room is completely tiled withstatuary marble, and the walls arehand-clipped marble mosaics. It evenhas a crystal chandelier.

The vanity has two washbowls, andnext to it are a water closet and a walk-in closet with a chandelier for her.

The next level, easily accessed byelevator, includes a beautiful wood-paneled library at the front of thehouse, looking out to the Public Gar-den. The coffered ceiling with burledwood inlay is gorgeous and looks vin-tage.

Two doors to this room have pock-ets so that they fit into the wall andlook like part of the paneling. Afancywet bar/kitchenette next to the libraryincludes a sink, refrigerator andmicrowave as well as cabinets forrefreshments.

Also on this floor is a big mediaroom. The chimney-breast waswidened to accommodate an antiquemantelpiece Georgantas found in theSouth End. A flat-screen television is

mounted above the fireplace.Two closets in this room hold all the

technology to accommodate theSmart House system, which can setlights and sound in any room as wellas provide an image of the area.Beyond this room is a spacious deckwith planters along the wall borderedwith lights.

Apowder room next to the deck hasan old-fashioned oak water tankmounted on the wall.

On the fifth level are two en suitebedrooms, each with walk-in closets.One of the baths has a soaking tub; theother has a shower. The front bed-room also has a fireplace. This flooralso holds a huge laundry, with twowashers and dryers, a sink and abun-dant shelves.

The top floor has another bedroomand a bath with a shower, plus a largestorage room. At the front of the houseis an exercise room. Two of the wallsare mirrored floor to ceiling. At thefront is a set of French doors that openonto a balcony that spans the width ofthe house.

And, there’s more.Stairs ascend to a roof deck, where

there is an infinity-edge heated lappool. Needless to say, the views arephenomenal. A little conservatorybuilt against the stairs lets colorfulorchids flourish.

Georgantas said initially he had notplanned to put a pool on the roof, butwhen one of his friends observed thatthis house has everything but a pool,he decided it would be a nice addition.

Neale said the 8,450-square-footBenjamin Mansion is “simply themost outstanding townhouse restora-tion ever undertaken in Boston.”

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Address: 74 Beacon St., Beacon HillBR/BA: Six-plus bedrooms, sixfull baths, three half bathsSize: 8,450 square feetAge: Circa 1828; 2005-2007 Price: $14.95 millionTaxes: $58,785

Close by: The Public Garden,the Esplanade and Hatch Shell,Back Bay restaurants, shopsand galleries on Newbury andBoylston streets and BeaconHill’s Charles Street; ParkSquare, Boston Public Libraryand Copley Square; withinwalking distance of MBTA

Green Line at Arlington Streetor Red and Green Lines at ParkStreet, Orange Line, commuterrail and Amtrak at Back Baystation; easy access to StorrowDrive and connecting highways.

Contact: John Neale, Sprogis &Neal Real Estate, 679 Tremont

St., Boston MA 02118. Or, TracyCampion, Campion and Compa-ny Real Estate, 172 NewburySt., Boston, MA 02116. Phones:617-262-1504 (for Neale) or617-236-0711 (for Campion).

Web site: www.TheBenjaminMansion.com

D E T A I L S This home may be seen byappointment.

Beacon Hill townhouse restoration is magnificent

The master bedroom is sumptuous with its Italian silk wall coverings and match-ing linens and chairs. A chrome-manteled fireplace offers a dramatic contrast.

The library features a coffered ceiling with burled walnut inlay.COURTESY PHOTOS / PEG PROPERTIES AND DESIGN

Continued from page 1

The kitchen is grand and functional, with its La Cornue dual fuel range, refrigera-tors and dishwashers.

The master bath is a suite unto itself with its chandelier, its oversized glass-enclosed shower and clawfoot tub. Statuary marble tile is used throughout.