Folsom House Study Report

The Boston Landmarks Commission has posted a study report on the proposed designation of the Folsom House at 3-4 Folsom Avenue in Mission Hill as a Landmark under Chapter 772 of the Acts of 1975, as amended.

The double house at 3-4 Folsom Avenue is an architecturally distinctive example of the Italianate style, with several unusual features including a bracketed porch hood with scalloped bargeboards spanning the length of the main facade and an octagonal cupola on the roof. The symmetry of the overall design coupled with the central placement of the house at the crest of a rare cobblestone street and the character-defining features of the porch, the cupola and the gas lamp in front create an almost cinematic vision, in essence a glimpse of early Roxbury. Constructed in 1847, the Folsom house is one of the earliest surviving residences still standing in Mission Hill today; further research may verify that it is indeed the earliest.

The Folsom House is also significant for its association with Alonzo W. Folsom (1820-1894) and his son Augustine H. Folsom (1845-1926). The house was built in 1847 for Alonzo and his brother Henry, who also developed five other nearby residences for family and friends, spearheading the early development of the neighborhood. Alonzo was an important local carpenter who participated in several leading philanthropic organizations and city government positions, serving as the Commissioner of Public Buildings for the City of Roxbury, among other roles.

His son Augustine, who lived at the house from birth until he got married, was a commercial photographer whose work is highly significant to the documentation of architecture in Boston and beyond. The Boston Public Library, Digital Commonwealth, Historic New England and the Boston Atheneum hold hundreds of his pictures. His work is also retained outside of Massachusetts by the Library of Congress, the Smithsonian Archives Center, and the Metropolitan Museum of Art. His extensive photography of the Boston Public School System was famously exhibited at the 1900 Paris Exposition world's fair in the American pavilion. He also developed new techniques such as his innovative method for photographing tall buildings, which had historically been a challenge to capture accurately. Augustine Folsom's preserved images are an essential resource for historic preservation work in Boston and beyond because he photographed so many buildings and streetscapes in the region, many of which no longer survive. Several of Augustine's technical innovations in photography were developed while in residence at the Folsom House.

Therefore, Boston Landmarks Commission staff recommends that the Commission designate the Folsom House as a Landmark under Chapter 772 of the Acts of 1975, as amended. If designated, the Standards and Criteria in this report will serve as guidelines for the Commission's review of proposed exterior changes to the property, with the goal of protecting the historic integrity of the landmark.

Read the Folsom House study report

There are two ways to provide feedback on this potential Landmark designation:

1. Written feedback can be provided until July 27, 2026, by visiting this link: feedback form
2. The study report will be discussed at a public hearing on July 28, 2026. Members of the public are invited to attend this hearing and provide comments there as well. Please look for the hearing notice in the public notices section of our website. Hearing notices are posted no later than ten days in advance of the hearing.

• Published by: Landmarks Commission