Pope-Gardner-Robbins House // c.1870

Historians date the bones of this house in the Longwood section of Brookline, Massachusetts to the 1870s (or earlier), but its present appearance is definitely from the early 20th century. This is the Pope-Gardner-Robbins House on Colchester Street, a lovely span of stucco-sided homes in one of my favorite neighborhoods in the Boston area. An early (1874) map of the area shows this was the home of T. B. Pope, and later purchased by Harrison and Laura Gardner, husband and wife. Harrison Gardner was a founder (and served as treasurer) of the Boston Red Stockings of the new National Association of Professional Base Ball Players (NABBP). The Red Stockings eventually became the Boston Braves baseball team and are now the Atlanta Braves. The multi-lot property was likely rented by Gardner for supplemental income and was eventually sold to Annette R. Robbins, who seemingly had this home renovated in the 1920s and others nearby built or renovated as well. The house is today an excellent (and fairly uncommon) example of a Colonial Revival style house with stucco siding.