On the Market: A Converted Church Sanctuary Condo in Somerville
This high-drama Union Square unit has it all: stained glass windows, Art Deco fixtures, an interior balcony, and a dose of local history.
Photo by Richard Pasley
1 Summer St. #5, Somerville
Price: $2,750,000
Size: 4,295 square feet
Bedrooms: 4
Baths: 3.5
Enter this Union Square home replete with sixty-foot-tall ceilings, stained glass windows, and a bifurcated staircase and you might wonder if you’ve somehow left Somerville. But that’s exactly where this epic three-level condo, called the Sanctuary Unit, resides. Formerly the First United Methodist Church—a brick Gothic Revival institution built in 1858—it was converted into seven impressive units in 2006. Number five, the home currently for sale, isn’t the largest (it is the second largest) but it’s the only unit in the building with ceilings that reach such great heights.
In the dining room, wine storage nearly reaches the crown molding at the top of the 20-foot ceilings, but worry not: A sliding wooden ladder affords access to the reserves at the tippy top. Through a soaring doorway into the living room, it’s not hard to imagine the space as a sanctuary. A dozen feet above the hardwood floor, a pulpit-like balcony adds drama to the cavernous room and offers entry to a mezzanine level perfect for mingling. Adding a bit of toastiness to the ultra chic space is a fireplace designed to resemble the hearth seen in Ex-Lady, a Bette Davis film from the ’30s. White tilework with a black marble inlay, angular sconces, and a 15-foot mirror come together to create an Art Deco, Hollywood-inspired masterpiece.
The kitchen, furnished with SieMatic cabinetry, a six-burner Miele cooktop, and stone counters, sticks to modern sophistication. Up in one of the two ensuite bedrooms (out of four total), a pair of peaked stained glass windows bring in a small dose of vibrant color. Position a king-size bed in the middle of them to wake up between jewel-toned rays of sunshine.
For information, contact Thalia Tringo • Thalia Tringo & Associates Real Estate, Inc., ttringo.com.
Photo by Richard Pasley
Photo by Richard Pasley
Photo by Richard Pasley
Photo by Richard Pasley
Photo by Richard Pasley
Photo by Richard Pasley
Photo by Richard Pasley
Photo by Richard Pasley
Photo by Richard Pasley
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