17 Cranston Street: National Register of Historic Places Materials

17 Cranston Street, built in 1871, is a unique and flamboyant wood frame residence. Carpenter Gothic and Italianate design motifs characterize its detail , while its format defies classification in traditional building terms. Built on a tri-hexagonal plan approximating a "Y," the house's axes thrust north, east-southeast, toward Hyde Square, facing onto Cranston Street, and west-southwest, toward the cliff delineating the rear of the property. Standing two stories above street level , the house is surmounted by a central, hexagonal cupola. The initial impression one receives from the structure is that of its eccentric polygonal forms.

Image by Charlie Rosenberg

It is unique as Boston’s only dodecagonal (12-sided) house.

Follow this link to read the entire National Register of Historic Places Nomination Form