21 CORDIS ST. AVE
CHARLESTOWN, MA
SOLD: ASKING PRICE - $2,275,000.00 | SALE PRICE - $2,480,000.00
3D VIRTUAL
TOUR
*Please note: Virtual tours are deactivated 30 days following the closing of the property sale.
AERIAL
VIEW
PROPERTY
REMARKS
The stately light-filled Andrews-Getchell house, ca.1805, is located in the highly sought after gas light district in Charlestown steps from Monument Square. This exquisite south facing Federal-style home is located on one of the most peaceful cross streets in Charlestown and incorporates both modern technology & style, while maintaining incredible historic detail throughout.
It features a grand entry foyer leading to an elegant, formal living room adorned by original crown molding & wainscoting and separate dining room. Both rooms boast restored fireplaces. A ½ bath on the 1st level for your guests. A stunning chef's kitchen with white maple cabinets, high-end stainless steel appliances including a wall oven, microwave, Miele dishwasher, and self-vented over-the-counter cooktop, an island with breakfast bar. The kitchen opens to an urban oasis with 2 separate patio areas & very rare driveway parking for 4.
A master suite with a spa-like bathroom & oversized walk-in closet with stackable washer and dryer appliances, 3 additional bedrooms and bathroom on the 2nd & 3rd levels complete this exceptional home.
An attached duplex 1-bed accessory apartment is available for guests, rental, or au pair.
SOLD: ASKING PRICE - $2,275,000.00 | SALE PRICE - $2,480,000.00
The home is located in the middle of a walker's paradise. Daily errands do not require a car. Going out? Don't worry about parking, enjoy gas-lit walks with family and friends to and from a rich variety of options. Out of town visitors? The Freedom Trail and Bunker Hill Museum are just steps away. Have your guests count the steps to the top of the Bunker Hill Monument and then walk them over to Old Ironsides to witness the cannons fired daily at sunset. Sit a few minutes to enjoy the view from the North Washington Street Bridge when the replacement project is complete before dinner and dessert in the North End.
Going to Mass General, MIT, the Financial District, or a Biotech in Kendall Square? Be there in minutes by bike. Don't feel like biking? Public transit from Charlestown is excellent and convenient for most trips.
Need to drive out of town? At least 4 major arteries are minutes away. Like the North Shore? Residents of Charlestown only pay $0.15 on the Tobin.
Need to catch a flight? Logan is 10 minutes away driving. Feeling adventurous? Take the water taxi!
The location is ideal.
MODERN
TECHNOLOGY
SMART DOOR LOCKS
Don't like keys? No problem. The kitchen door is equipped with a smart deadbolt that can be opened via pin-code or phone. It can be easily programmed allowing quick generation of additional time-limited access codes for service providers. The door can also be controlled by voice when paired with a Apple Homekit device and can be integrated into compatible security systems or other home automation options.
SMART THERMOSTATS
Three programmable and self-learning Wi-Fi-enabled Nest thermostats optimize heating and cooling to conserve energy. The devices use machine learning algorithms to adjust heating and cooling patterns based on a tailored reference data set related to your initial usage. The thermostats learn your schedule, temperature, and timing preferences. Using built-in sensors and optional geolocation data (via phone app), they can automatically shift into energy saving mode when nobody is at home. All can be controlled from your phone, computer, tablet, watch, or voice assistant. Enjoy many more years of savings.
SMART SMOKE AND CO DETECTORS
Wired Nest Protect Smoke/CO detectors throughout. Regular testing is fully automated, alarms tell you what is wrong in plain English while identifying the location of potential danger. These devices also have presence detectors, which can be optionally setup to serve as automatic path lights (lighting up when you walk past at night) or to enhance the presence detection for HVAC related energy savings.
SMART LIGHTS
The Lutron Caséta smart switches allows you to both control your lights the old-fashioned way, your devices, or via your voice. You can easily create rooms, zones, scenes, and automated schedules, and you can get it with a helpful remote that you can mount on a wall or leave on a table as a second wireless dimmer. You can also control the dimmer with your voice via Alexa, Google Assistant, or Siri, and it supports integrations with SmartThings, Sonos, Logitech, Nest, and many other popular smart-home/security systems.
SOLAR SYSTEM
Raise the bar when it comes to both energy savings and the generation of clean power. After installation of a new roof in 2011 a 3.84kW photovoltaic system was purchased and installed, using 16 high efficiency German-made SunPower 240 watt photovoltaic modules. These top-of-the-line panels use the limited space to produce approximately 425 kilowatt hours per month (5,100/year), depending on time of year and weather. Based on typical energy consumption, Sunbug Solar estimates that this system will allow you to produce over 70% of your electricity yourself (based on 7,200kWh/year consumption). Excess energy is routed to the grid (giving you credit on your meter).
AUTOMATED DRIP IRRIGATION SYSTEM
The garden has a programmable multi-zone drip irrigation system to keep the plants alive during the hot months with minimal effort. Two of the four zones are still available for a raised vegetable garden, potted plants, a small patch of green in the back, or other garden ideas that will add to this urban oasis.
HISTORICAL
DETAILS
Architecturally, this home is one of the finest examples of Federal-style housing in Charlestown. It is a key component within a remarkable collection of masonry and wood frame houses on the front side of Breed's Hill dating from the first half of the 19th century. As one of the earliest homes built after Charlestown's destruction in the American Revolutionary War, the classic federal proportions, the pleasing planarity of Flemish bond brick surfaces, the historic Rumford fireplaces, fine woodwork, and the magnificent entrance with a crisp semi-circular fanlight above all contribute to its historical significance.
Middlesex deeds indicate that the home was likely built circa 1805 by Oliver Holden, who, in addition to being a Charlestown merchant and builder, was a Baptist preacher and composer of religious music (most notably the "Coronation Hymn"). Eventually Abraham Andrews bought the house. He was a well known principal of several local schools and taught at one once located across the street. At the turn of the 20th century the Getchell family moved into the house and it has been included in the guidebooks as the Andrews-Getchell House since then.
In the 1930s the structure's classic and beautiful design along with its history resulted in it being selected to be included in the Historic American Buildings Survey. This resulted in both measured drawings and archival photographs being made, which are archived in the Prints and Photographs Division of the Library of Congress (some of which have been included in gallery above).
This is a rare chance to preserve and add to its rich history!