Updated
- A 10-foot-wide Boston home rumored to have been built out of spite sold for $1.25 million in 2021.
- One explanation is that a man built it after finding his brother took up most of their shared land.
- The origin story is likely an urban legend, but the 1,000-square-foot space is certainly charming.
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A 10-foot-wide home in Boston — which a 2005 Boston Globe article called the city’s skinniest — last sold for $1.25 million in 2021.
Many local legends attempt to explain the origins of Boston’s skinny house, located on Hull Street in the city’s North End.
There are various versions of the myth, but one of the most popular was rehashed in a 2015 Boston magazine article. The house is said to have been built as a result of a land dispute between brothers in the mid-1800s. The skinny-house builder was a soldier who, after returning from war, was angry that his brother had built an expansive property on land they’d both inherited and wanted to annoy him as punishment.
While the spite-filled origin story was one of the things that attracted onlookers and commenters after the skinny house hit the market in 2021, there is substantial evidence that pokes holes in that version of events.
Nonetheless, two things are almost certainly true: the house is old, and it’s pretty quirky. See for yourself.
Legend has it that the soldier built the skinny home on the remaining property in 1862, blocking all sunlight to parts of his brother’s massive home, according to the magazine.
But the legend might be nothing more than a myth, as historical maps and old photos indicate it might have instead been carved out of an existing structure sometime between 1875 and 1888.
Today, despite its small size—at just over 1,000 square feet—the two-bedroom home has a full-size kitchen on the first floor, according to its Zillow listing from when it was on the market in 2021.
The skinny house listed for $1.2 million in August 2021 and sold for $1.25 million in September 2021, according to the Zillow listing and public records. The Zestimate, or Zillow estimate, of the value of the house as of September 2024 was $1.26 million.
According to the same listing, the first floor includes a dining room, a living space, and a door to a balcony overlooking private gardens.
Source: Zillow
Upstairs, the second floor includes the bathroom, laundry room, and a sitting area.
Source: Zillow
There’s only one bathroom in the home. At the time it sold, it came with a blue-tile backsplash, contrasting with exposed brick.
The second-floor sitting area has a window overlooking some greenery outside.
The windows in the hallway on the second floor face a brick wall of the property next door.
Past the living space, a narrow hallway leads to a staircase.
On the third floor, there’s another sitting area, according to the home’s Zillow listing.
Source: Zillow
The other half of the floor is used as a guest bedroom, according to the listing.
Source: Zillow
The primary suite takes up the whole fourth floor and has access to a private rooftop, according to Zillow.
Source: Zillow
In the primary bedroom, there’s shelving for clothing against exposed brick.
Across from the bed, there’s room for a nook.
The stairs in the suite lead to the rooftop deck, from which you can see a view of the city.
Back on the ground, the property has a private garden.
There are a few seating areas for entertaining outdoors.
Source: Zillow