Home is where the history is
When Dr. Valerie J. Pronio-Stelluto moved into the white, Romantic-style house at 8 Rutledge St. in West Roxbury 21 years ago, she was attracted to both the home’s history and its size.
Built about 1873, the 15room home appears in an elusive fashion likely influenced by Italianate, and possibly Greek Revival, styles with some later Colonial Revival alterations. Standing out as an early example of the neighborhood’s 19th-century entry into suburbia, the home appears picturesque with a small center-gable that projects from the side-gabled roof and is decorated with a classical pediment lined with blocky modillions. The porch below is adorned with two wide columns and four square pilasters, though it’s since lost its former second-floor balcony.
“It’s a wonderful house to raise kids in,” said Pronio-Stelluto, who said she bought the place for her family while she was a resident at Mount Auburn Hospital. The place, she said, allowed enough space for her children and frequent family guests, and for her husband and her to both have home offices.
But, she said, she was really sold on the history of the place, which retains many of its original decorations, such as the handsomely milled main staircase balustrade and railing, elaborate crown moldings, dentil decorations and ornate fireplaces.
“We found newspapers from the 1870s in the attic,” said Pronio-Stelluto, who noted that one of her favorite artifacts related to the residence is a 1913 photo in the book “Images of America: West Roxbury” that shows a May party with costumed children surrounding their music teacher who lived in the Rutledge Street home as an early owner.
“At the time, there were four baby grand pianos in the house,” she said, adding that the one still in the living room being sold with the home is believed to be owned by the music teacher.
Inside, the house — on the market for $1.175 million — is sprawling with several common rooms, at least six bedrooms and four bathrooms over three levels and more than 4,000 square feet. While some of the home could certainly use some work, the kitchen was updated about 2009 with black granite countertops and stainless steel appliances, and many of the windows have also been replaced.
“It has real history,” she said, “but a real modern charm to it.”
An open house will be held tomorrow beginning at noon.