The Spiral Staircase of Your Dreams Exists in Beacon Hill

This Federal-style townhouse for sale is on the National Register of Historic Places.

By Madeline Bilis· 1/19/2017, 3:00 p.m.

Photos by Boston Virtual Imaging

This massive, more than 14,000-square-foot townhouse for sale in Beacon Hill is an architectural marvel. The crown jewel of the Federal-style manse, though, is its grand spiral staircase.

The winding staircase at 39 Beacon Street spans four stories and was inspired by the designs of Charles Bulfinch. He’s the same architect behind the State House and the Bulfinch Building at Massachusetts General Hospital, which is probably why it reminds us so much of the Ether Dome.

Ether Dome photo by Madeline Bilis

“It’s very wide and gracious,” says Lili Banani, the property’s listing agent, of the staircase. “Unfortunately, the picture doesn’t do it justice.”

The residence itself is part of twin townhouses at 39 and 40 Beacon Street designed by Alexander Parris. The townhouses, which are now a National Historic Landmark, were home to prominent merchants Daniel Pinckney Parker and Nathaniel Appleton. Later, Appleton’s daughter would marry poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow in the home’s living room. The Women’s City Club of Boston was headquartered at the house from 1914 through the 1990s.

Now on the market for $17 million, the house has maintained a wealth of period details. There’s a wood-paneled library, a set of oversized curved mahogany doors, a rooftop terrace, and a media room overlooking the Boston Common and the skyline.

Check out the rest of the Beacon Street palace below, or view the listing here.

Photos by Boston Virtual Imaging