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Any home for sale on Boulder’s coveted Mapleton Hill gets instant hot-property status, but this stately gem is an especially rare find. Gracing a triple corner lot in the town’s most exclusive historic neighborhood, it’s ideally located within easy strolling distance of bustling Pearl Street and the Mount Sanitas trailhead—and priced accordingly at $4.395 million.
“With an expansive front yard, and massive, century-old trees, it simply commands anyone’s attention when passing by—and deservingly so, since it’s the grand dame of the historic district,” says Carliss Erickson, broker associate at LIV Sotheby’s International Realty, who, along with Jeff Erickson, is listing the property.
The red-brick Edwardian Vernacular Foursquare at 2211 6th Street was built in 1902 for Walter M. Buckingham, who, along with his brother Charles, founded one of Boulder’s first financial institutions, Buckingham Brothers Bank, in 1874. Remarkably, the home has only had three owners during its long lifetime. After Buckingham, the Taggert family spent 46 years there, before the most recent owners purchased the property. Although the house had been well cared for, the current owners embarked on a sensitive renovation in 2014 that mixed preservation with modernization.
“We felt that the house systems needed updating, and that the design and layout needed a more modern and open feel—and at the same time we wanted to preserve its classic warmth and charm,” the homeowner, who asked to remain anonymous, explains. Their upgrades included new HVAC systems, new water and drainage systems, hotel-grade hot water, commercial-grade gas lines, new power service, new wiring, ventilation, insulation, proper mitigation of dated vents, and radiant heat in the kitchen, baths, and finished basement. “And we undertook all this while preserving and restoring almost all of the original horsehair plaster, windows, and all of the flooring,” the homeowner adds.
Interior designer Lesley DeFrees helped refresh the interiors, with a result that honors the home’s history. Three stories and a finished basement provide 5,972 square-feet to enjoy, including five bedrooms, four full bathrooms, and one half bath. There’s even a “secret tower room,” as the current homeowner explains: “When we were restoring the house in 2013–14, we found several old children’s books and things in this area and we felt it would be the perfect place for a hidden reading room for our children.”
But the best “room” of all might just be the dreamy wraparound porch, with a whopping 850 square-feet of flexible space that’s perfect for throwing a big party or simply watching the world pass by. Take a tour and see if you agree: