117 Commonwealth Avenue

117 Commonwealth Avenue

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1876, Cummings and Sears.

One of two surviving from an original row of three, of which the other has been altered, a more representative brownstone could hardly be found than this example by Cummings and Sears. The ashlar of its octagonally bayed facade is anchored by rustication below the water table and banded by stringcourses at every floor, while rows of recessed vertical panels below the first-floor windows suggest a blind balustrade. Stop-fluted jambs of the entrance door and window surrounds support shallow-pitched lintels incised with foliate carving. Below the deeply projecting modillion cornice meanders a fretwork frieze in answer to the equally Grecian anthemion motif of the front yard fence.

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