South End Painters — Victorian rowhouse blocks between Back Bay and Roxbury

Before it was filled, this was marsh on either side of The Neck, the thin strip of land that is now Washington Street. Speculators began building in 1850, putting up single-family rowhouses under limits on size and materials that produced long, uniform rows. After the Panic of 1873 the wealthiest families moved on to the new Back Bay, and by about 1900 nearly all new housing was lodging houses for working people.

In 1973 the South End was placed on the National Register as the largest urban Victorian neighborhood in the country, more than 300 acres. The South End Landmark District followed in 1983. Its standards describe a cohesive area of 19th-century red brick rowhouses in which each house is subordinated to the harmony of the street, and no building permit can issue for exterior alterations without a certificate from the commission.

Census data for Tract 705.02, around Union Park and the 600 block of Tremont Street, shows a mixed age profile. Just over half of its 2,146 units (50.6%) date from 1939 or earlier, yet 15.0% went up in the 1950s and 12.9% in the 1970s; altogether 88.6% predate 1980. The biggest share of units, 35.4%, is in three- and four-unit buildings, and owners occupy 35.3% of the homes.

Wood trim color is your call

Back Bay and Beacon Hill both review paint color, but the South End standards exempt painting of wood trim from review. They still recommend muted dark tones for trim, sash and frames on Victorian buildings, with lighter colors for the handful of pre-Victorian and Classical Revival houses, and black or dark shutters. Those are suggestions, not conditions.

Brick stays brick

Painting masonry is considered only when the brick or stone is already painted or extremely damaged, and the color has to approximate the original masonry. Wet or dry sandblasting will not be approved on masonry or wood. Brownstone color may be matched by painting or staining when repairs are made.

What the commission sees

Review covers street-facing facades, including the front yard, and roof areas visible from the street. Side and rear walls come under review only when they directly face a public way. Within the separate Protection Area, only certain items of work are reviewed.

Iron railings and stoops

Cast iron stair railings, balustrades and balconies must be kept, and the standards say all ironwork should be black. Keeping that black coat sound on a stoop railing means removing loose paint and rust, priming any bare metal, then recoating in black.