Potter-Leland House // c.1888

Francis Street in Brookline, Massachusetts, has some of the finest Queen Anne Victorian residences in the Boston area. This is the Potter-Leland House, built by 1888 by William Potter, a wealthy shoe manufacturer and businessman who developed rental housing in the neighborhood not far from his house on Kent Street. Various exterior wall textures, irregular massing, and turned posts on the front porch contribute to the Queen Anne character of this house, but the real showstopper is the rounded bay projection with three, 25-over-2 (yes you heard that right) curved sash windows! The property was later purchased by Herbert M. Leland, a broker.

2 thoughts on “Potter-Leland House // c.1888

  1. dlondoniii's avatar dlondoniii June 7, 2024 / 7:59 am

    Wow! Gotta love that barrel element, especially the way it pops through the upper gable. I’m tempted to see this as Shingle Style… but unclear how to differentiate?

    Liked by 1 person

    • Buildings of New England's avatar Buildings of New England June 8, 2024 / 7:10 pm

      Its so special. There is a lot of overlap in Queen Anne and Shingle styles, many homes are kind of both. This leans more Queen Anne due to the turned posts, and varied siding (shingles and traditional clapboards) while Shingle style would typically have continuous shingles down to the foundation and possibly shingled columns at the porch.

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