The Dunvegan
Encyclopedia
The Dunvegan is an historic site at 1654 Massachusetts Avenue in Cambridge, Massachusetts
. It was built in 1898 and added to the National Historic Register in 1986.
According to a promotional booklet published in 1899, its name is derived from that of Scotland's Dunvegan Castle
, whose coat of arms is worked into the apartment's stained glass windows. It was constructed 25 feet from its adjoining apartment block, The Montrose
, with which it connects via an underground passage. Both buildings are of the same height and similar size (six stories in height, with a frontage of eighty-five feet), built of the same materials, and with a similar architectural appearance, although the Montrose's floorplan is roughly rectangular but the Dunvegan's is triangular.
The Dunvegan's vestibules, front hall, and stairway are finished in Siena
marble
, mahogany
, and mosaic
floors. Each of its twelve suites originally consisted of ten rooms and a bath, as follows: parlor, reception-room, library, dining-room, four bed rooms, kitchen and servant's room, bath room, servant's water-closet, and butler's pantry. The building also contained twelve bachelor suites of two rooms
and a bath apiece.
When constructed, the building was wired for door bells and electric lights, and piped for gas and hot and cold running water. Heating was provided by low-pressure steam.
In the 1930s the buildings were reworked into 1 Bedroom and 2 Bedroom apartments. The buildings are now served by Best Choice Apartments Shortill Realty. The firm is located on the first floor of the Montrose Building. The buildings have been well cared for and many original details remain.
Cambridge, Massachusetts
Cambridge is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States, in the Greater Boston area. It was named in honor of the University of Cambridge in England, an important center of the Puritan theology embraced by the town's founders. Cambridge is home to two of the world's most prominent...
. It was built in 1898 and added to the National Historic Register in 1986.
According to a promotional booklet published in 1899, its name is derived from that of Scotland's Dunvegan Castle
Dunvegan Castle
Dunvegan Castle is a castle a mile and a half to the North of Dunvegan on the Isle of Skye, situated off the west coast of Scotland. It is the seat of the MacLeod of MacLeod, chief of the Clan MacLeod. Dunvegan Castle is the oldest continuously inhabited castle in Scotland and has been the...
, whose coat of arms is worked into the apartment's stained glass windows. It was constructed 25 feet from its adjoining apartment block, The Montrose
The Montrose
The Montrose is an historic building at 1648 Massachusetts Avenue in Cambridge, Massachusetts. It was constructed in 1898 and added to the National Historic Register in 1986....
, with which it connects via an underground passage. Both buildings are of the same height and similar size (six stories in height, with a frontage of eighty-five feet), built of the same materials, and with a similar architectural appearance, although the Montrose's floorplan is roughly rectangular but the Dunvegan's is triangular.
The Dunvegan's vestibules, front hall, and stairway are finished in Siena
Siena
Siena is a city in Tuscany, Italy. It is the capital of the province of Siena.The historic centre of Siena has been declared by UNESCO a World Heritage Site. It is one of the nation's most visited tourist attractions, with over 163,000 international arrivals in 2008...
marble
Marble
Marble is a metamorphic rock composed of recrystallized carbonate minerals, most commonly calcite or dolomite.Geologists use the term "marble" to refer to metamorphosed limestone; however stonemasons use the term more broadly to encompass unmetamorphosed limestone.Marble is commonly used for...
, mahogany
Mahogany
The name mahogany is used when referring to numerous varieties of dark-colored hardwood. It is a native American word originally used for the wood of the species Swietenia mahagoni, known as West Indian or Cuban mahogany....
, and mosaic
Mosaic
Mosaic is the art of creating images with an assemblage of small pieces of colored glass, stone, or other materials. It may be a technique of decorative art, an aspect of interior decoration, or of cultural and spiritual significance as in a cathedral...
floors. Each of its twelve suites originally consisted of ten rooms and a bath, as follows: parlor, reception-room, library, dining-room, four bed rooms, kitchen and servant's room, bath room, servant's water-closet, and butler's pantry. The building also contained twelve bachelor suites of two rooms
and a bath apiece.
When constructed, the building was wired for door bells and electric lights, and piped for gas and hot and cold running water. Heating was provided by low-pressure steam.
In the 1930s the buildings were reworked into 1 Bedroom and 2 Bedroom apartments. The buildings are now served by Best Choice Apartments Shortill Realty. The firm is located on the first floor of the Montrose Building. The buildings have been well cared for and many original details remain.