House of the Week: The Albanus Phillips House, circa 1913

The Albanus Phillips House, circa 1913

One of Cambridge’s landmarks is the façade of the boiler building in the complex of the Phillips Packing House. Two towering brick smokestacks with acronyms of four alphabet letters arranged vertically down the smokestacks are symbols of  the Phillips’ family’s impact upon the history of Cambridge. The Phillips Packing Company was founded in 1902 and soon became the largest employer in Dorchester County. Its steady growth over time grew into an empire.

The brothers Captain Levi Phillips and Colonel Albanus Phillips bought adjacent lots in what is now Cambridge’s Historic District. Captain Phillips hired an architect from Wilmington, Delaware and Colonel Phillips retained another architect whose name unfortunately remains unknown. I have long admired this majestic house for its eclectic style that blends the exuberance of the Queen Anne style with Colonial Revival accents. 

Before I went in for my tour, I walked across the street to savor the exquisite front façade. Set high above the street, the three-bay house’s beautiful symmetry begins from the third floor’s dual gables with balconies intersecting the main roof between a shed dormer with a slight bay projection containing a four unit window. I next admired the second floor’s details of bay projections whose roofs with eave bracket extensions become the floors of the third floor balconies. In between the wide bay windows is a low elliptical arch infilled with a door flanked by windows whose sills mimic the elliptical headers; leaded glass for the doors and windows is the perfect finishing touch and introduces this detail found elsewhere in the house. 

A curved marble and concrete stairway leads visitors to the elegant entrance, framed by Doric columns and adorned with leaded glass. It reveals the timeless beauty of architectural harmony.

Having walked around the house, I was eager to see the interiors.  I began climbing up a few steps to a low landing laid in marble fragments into concrete, then up more steps of curved concrete with aggregates of tiny shells until I reached the curved portico that projects beyond the eave line of the porch. Doric columns support the porch roof and I walked onto the porch floor in a pattern of Tennessee marble laid on a diagonal. The deep front porch extends beyond the side walls of the house and I especially liked the porch’s low walls of granite blocks with grapevine joints and the scuppers at the floor level for maintenance of the porch. Flanking the front door are bays infilled with large picture windows and angled side windows. The main entry door’s exquisite design has a full transom and sidelights with elliptical shapes and leaded glass.  

Tennessee marble flooring and white beadboard ceiling give the front porch an outdoor room feel.

The front porch is a delightful outdoor room with a mix of materials from the brick walls of the house and the porch’s front wall with its granite cap and Tennessee marble flooring, white beadboard ceiling, painted columns, end supports of granite blocks and layers of trim work above the leaded glass transoms of the bay windows. The two sitting areas at each end of the porch enjoy views of the streetscape and the landscaping of the side yards since the porch floor extends beyond the house’s side walls. The height of the porch floor and the solid walls provide privacy to enjoy being outdoors. Given the length of the porch, if one wanted to communicate with someone in the opposite sitting area, one would need a cell phone to do so!

Charming paths lined with lush greenery guide you to a complementary carriage house framed by detailed iron fencing, transforming outdoor spaces into serene retreats

On either side of the house are concrete paths through mature landscaping ending at the rear yard with a carriage house designed to complement the house’s form and materials. Black iron fencing surrounds parking spaces next to the carriage house and the fencing continues along the alley at the rear of the property. The frame addition is part of the kitchen area and even the white fencing at the service porch is thoughtfully detailed. Both the side porch with a curved corner and the second floor porch are more delightful outdoor rooms that overlook the yard and landscaping. 

Inside the grand vestibule, a masterstroke of craftsmanship unfolds with flowing wood floors and stately columns, framing an elegant U-shaped staircase that gracefully converges into a functional seat, surrounded by artful details.

After entering a vestibule, the craftsmanship of the interiors immediately caught my attention. Single columns or pairs of columns instead of walls delineated the spaces so the beautiful wood floors flow among the rooms. As I walked further into the foyer hall,  I admired the wide opening between the living room on the right and the family room on the left with the center of the opening on axis with the fireplaces opposite each other. The “U” shaped staircase is elegant detailed with the wood newel post, cap rail and treads with white risers. Instead of ending the stairs at the floor, the architect designed a low seat for seating or seasonal decoration that blends into the staircase’s paneled walls.

The meticulously designed living and family rooms feature coffered ceilings and exquisite carpentry, with tall windows and symmetrically aligned arched mirrors enhancing the historic elegance.

Both the living room’s and the family room’s coffered ceilings spring from the columns’ placement in plan. The detailing of the pilasters at the fireplace, the wide opening into the living room and the room’s moldings around the beams and the perimeter walls are the work of master carpenters of another era. The tall windows reach to the underside of the ceiling and the elliptical arched mirror over the window of the living room is on axis with the opposite one in the family room.

Through French pocket doors, the celebratory spirit of the dining room comes alive with vibrant red wallpaper, intricate wainscoting, and elegant molding beneath towering ceilings.

French pocket doors lead from the living room to the dining room. Red is the color of celebration, and I imagine this room has seen many family celebrations! The vibrant wallpaper pattern stands out above the articulated wainscoting, which is broken by the placement of the windows: the box bay window with leaded transoms and the windows flanking the fireplace. As in the other rooms on the main floor, the layers of molding below the ceiling are in proportion to each room’s tall height.  

The sitting room’s bay wall projection with leaded glass transoms offers a serene view of the landscaped yard, while its earth-toned decor and textured wallpaper evoke a natural ambiance.

Opposite the dining room is a sitting room with a side bay wall projection with leaded glass transoms overlooking the side yard’s landscaping. The earth toned interiors are inspired by animals and nature and the subtle wallpaper pattern adds simple texture to the walls.

Gold-toned decor unifies the family room, accessible via French pocket doors. It mirrors the living room with its detailed ceiling coffers and moldings, set against views of the front porch and the historic Levi Phillips house.

Another pair of French pocket doors lead from the sitting room to the family room. I loved the gold tones of the interiors  from the rug, upholstery, wallpaper and window treatments. Its floor plan is a mirror image of  the living room’s floor plan and is equally detailed with ceiling coffers and moldings.  The bay window overlooks the front porch and the side windows face Captain Levi Phillips’s house. 

This kitchen view highlights potential renovation opportunities from the breakfast nook, featuring a strategically placed window that offers a glimpse into the landscaped side yard and a layout connecting to the sunroom and back porch.

Beyond the hall stairs to the second floor, there is a service area with another hall past a second staircase to the upper floors and an exterior door for deliveries. At the other end of the stairs is a door to the breakfast nook, kitchen, sunroom and back porch leading to the rear yard. This view of the kitchen is from the breakfast area that has a window overlooking the side yard landscaping. The offsets in the kitchen areas offer possibilities to redefine the spaces to take the kitchen area to the next level of renovation.  

An inviting sunroom adorned with white decor and wood floor accents is encased in leaded glass windows and transoms, offering a panoramic view of the surroundings, perfect for a relaxing read on a lazy Sunday afternoon.

Off the kitchen is the sunroom that is an exquisite confection in white with accents of the wood floors and the leaded glass windows and transoms that envelope this free-standing space with 180 degree views of the landscape. The upholstered wicker furnishings beckon one to linger and if I were a guest, I could easily spend a lazy Sunday afternoon engrossed by a good book!

Charming back porch with darling curved corner

On the other side of the kitchen is another porch with a curved corner that emphasizes the cozy size of this space-perfect for a breakfast al-fresco!

The primary bedroom combines space and sunlight, featuring a deep caramel brown ceiling, a bay window, and a fireplace, all highlighted against a backdrop of subtle wallpaper and antique furnishings, complemented by elegant tiger maple doors in each room on this floor

There are five spacious bedrooms and two baths on the second floor and the primary bedroom occupies one of the front corners of the house. The deep caramel brown ceiling is suspended above the spacious room with its bay window and two single windows on either side of the fireplace providing ample sunlight. The wallpaper pattern is a subtle backdrop for the lovely antique furnishings. Each of the bedrooms on this floor have beautiful tiger maple doors. 

Primary bathroom features an original clawfoot tub, elegantly patterned tiled floors, and radiant heat, complemented by a crystal chandelier and white tile wainscoting ready for personal touches in color and accessories.

The three-piece primary bath has an original clawfoot tub opposite the door and windows to the roof of the front porch. The pattern of the original tiled floor is scaled well for the space and the white tile wainscot with tile trim awaits the next owner’s color choices in towels and accessories. The crystal chandelier adds a touch of elegance. I am always pleased to see radiator heat as this house has, as I believe when paired with high velocity AC, it is the best option for thermal comfort.  

Second floor balcony off of rear bedroom

The fifth bedroom at the rear of the second floor could also be a sitting room/TV or playroom space since it has a door that opens to this spacious porch with bird’s eye views of the rooftops and green spaces of Cambridge’s Historic District.

The third floor boasts five spacious bedrooms with shared access to a large bath, featuring charming architectural details

The third floor also contains five spacious bedrooms that all share a large bath off the stair hall. Regular readers know of my special fondness for upper-floor rooms tucked under the roof rafters that create delightful interior architecture. The third floor front bedrooms have doors opening onto the shallow balconies on the front walls of the house. Instead of tiger maple interior doors, the third floor doors are painted five-panel doors of the period. 

The iconic Albanus Phillips house is one of the houses located in Cambridge’s Historic District Wards I and III designated as having historic significance by the National Trust for Historic Places. Beginning its life as a  private residence, the house has also been a former B & B. The extraordinary craftsmanship of the trimwork, coffered ceilings, leaded glass, gleaming hardwood floors, tiger maple doors, six fireplaces and large windows for abundant sunlight evoke an earlier time. Outdoor rooms of the spacious front porch, rear porch, second floor porch and the third floor balconies connect the house to its urban neighborhood setting. This gem in the crown of Cambridge’s Historic District quietly awaits the next lucky steward of this majestic property!

For more information about this property, contact Kathy Christensen with TTR Sotheby’s International Realty at 410-673-3344 (o), 410-924-4814 (c) or [email protected]. For more photographs and pricing, visit  www.kathychristensen.com ,“Equal Housing Opportunity.”

Photography by Janelle Stroop, Thru the Lens, 410-310-6838, [email protected].