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Welcome to Centers and Squares
As a Cambridge real estate agent, the city squares of Cambridge, Somerville and Medford and the town centers of Arlington, Watertown and Belmont, Massachusetts are my home turf. And as a lifelong New Englander who’s lived within twenty miles of Boston most of my life, I can introduce you to other nearby towns as we search for your new home. If you’re planning to sell your home in Cambridge, MA or nearby you’ll find plenty of info about the home selling process here too. Questions? Send me an email or call me at 617-504-1737.
Cambridge Condos – Bell and Fandetti Townhouses in Cambridge MA
What’s a Bell & Fandetti Townhouse?
If you’re searching for a home in Cambridge it’s quite likely that you’ll come across a Bell and Fandetti townhouse. There are at least 16 clusters of townhouses around Cambridge designed by architects Douglas Bell and Gerald Fandetti. The townhouses were built between 1973 and 1981. Their open layout and construction methods lowered building costs at a time when high energy costs were an issue for developers. While some are deeded as condominiums, most are deeded as fee simple townhouses. The developments typically consisted of three to eight townhouses with the largest group the 24 townhouses at Lilac Court in East Cambridge.
Most of the townhouses were of balloon frame construction and sided with wooden clapboards, though several of the buildings have brick exteriors. Most are built on slabs without basements.
Features of Bell & Fandetti Townhouses
The defining feature of Bell and Fandetti’s buildings was that in most cases the townhouse’s rooms were set apart by level rather than by walls. Rooms were often loft style and open to a main area that soars several stories. Often there is a wood burning fireplace or stove in the living room with a metal chimney that rises through the open area. There is typically a great deal of wood with wood ceilings, railings, and trim unpainted. The feel of the original style often reminds buyers of a Vermont lodge. A few of the Bell and Fandetti developments have somewhat more traditional room enclosures and in other cases owners have enclosed rooms over the years. Many units were designed with a room and bath on the first level that could be used as an office or au paire suite. Other features often found in these townhouses include:
- Sliders to a private garden
- Skylights
- Decks
- Some units had garages on the first level
Where Can I Find a Bell & Fandetti Townhouse in Cambridge?
Three Bell and Fandetti buildings have units currently for sale:
A 1162 sq. ft. two-bedroom, 1.5 bath fee simple townhouse at 18 Bay Street in the Riverside neighborhood was recently listed for $559,000
A unit in West Cambridge at 457 Mount Auburn Street with 1990 sq. ft, four bedrooms and three baths, is available for $599,000
An 1155 sq. ft. two-bedroom, two-bath North Cambridge townhouse at 45 Cogswell Avenue is listed for $419,000.
Recent Sales History for Bell and Fandetti Townhouses
Bell and Fandetti built all over Cambridge. Here are the recent sales in the Bell and Fandetti developments around the city:
In the Agassiz Neighborhood:
125 Oxford Street, brick, three units – most recent sale was a bank-owned property that sold of $572,500 in 2007. 1370 sq. ft., three bedrooms, 2.5 baths.
45 Museum Street, the most recent sale among these five fee simple townhouses was a 2380 sq. ft. three-bedroom, two-bath unit that sold for $728,500 in 2004.
A unit at 126 Oxford Street with three bedrooms, 2.5 baths, and 1542 sq. ft. sold for $521,000 in 2002.
A three-bedroom, three bath, 1672 sq. ft. townhouse at 58 Hammond Street sold for $442,500 in 1998.
In Cambridgeport:
An 1150 sq. ft., two-bedroom, one-bath townhouse at 162 Pearl Street sold in 2002 for $382,000.
At 38 Valentine Street a 1229 sq. ft. two-bedroom, 1.5 bath townhouse sold for $420,000 in 2002.
Bell and Fandetti Townhouses Near Harvard Square:
The most recent sale of a fee simple townhouse at 36 Irving Street was a 1465 sq. ft. townhouse with two bedrooms and two baths that sold in 2006 for $630,000.
At 64-70 Kirkland Street a 2160 sq. ft. three-bedroom, three-bath townhouse sold in 2004 for $764,000.
At 11 Dana Street a brick 1792 sq. ft. townhouse with three bedrooms and three baths sold in 2003 for $670,000.
105-117 Trowbridge Street incorporates the original turn of the century building at the front of the complex. A 1680 sq. ft. three-bedroom, three-bath townhouse sold in 2001 for $559,000.
In East Cambridge:
In 2008 a 1472 sq. ft. two-bedroom, 1.5 bath in the Lilac Court enclave sold for $510,000.
Sales information comes from MLSpin.
If you would like more information about townhouses in Cambridge I’m just a phone call or email away!
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Hi — Just wanted to say I enjoyed this page and appreciate your work documenting these neighborhoods. And nice website, by the way.
My wife and I have lived in a Bell and Fandetti since 1992 and thought we knew most of the B&F constructions in Cambridge, but apparently not really. We do love our house, which is tucked away (of course) on Mt Auburn between Athens and Banks.
http://www.flickr.com/search/?w=all&q=bell+and+fandetti&m=text
Thanks again,
Brian Miller
Thanks Brian! I was surprised too to find out how many Bell and Fandetti buildings are scattered around Cambridge. They really have a wonderful feel – we toured one at Lilac Court this week and I was reminded again how appealing they are. Your photos are great.
Liz Bolton