PAWTUCKET – Considered an “architectural gem” with a colorful history in the heart of downtown Pawtucket, a stand-alone brick building at 9 Montgomery St. recently sold for $890,000, according to Residential Properties Ltd.
The two-story, brick building with a gable roof was once featured in Architectural Digest magazine, after the historic property was transformed by antiques dealer Richard Kazarian into a living and working space, said Residential Properties, which represented the buyer in the deal.
The 2,572-square-foot building was constructed in 1930 and was once home to the U-Pic shoe store, the real estate firm said. It also previously served as a meetinghouse for Pawtucket Progressive Spiritualist Lyceum, the firm said, a gathering place for those seeking to communicate with departed souls.
Kazarian bought the abandoned shoe store in the early 2000s, and the antique-filled residence became a quirky exemplar for the type of artistic revival taking place in a city once known for its thriving textile industry. The home was redesigned with the guidance of designer Julie Clifton, with technical support from the Providence architectural firm Yoder + Tidwell Ltd.
The home’s open-plan main room features wood-beam cathedral ceilings, with a pyramid skylight, a custom steel and concrete staircase, and a kitchen with marble and zinc countertops, a six-burner Thermador range with double ovens, and a private terrace made of ipe wood next to the home’s primary bedroom suite. The home contains two bedrooms, two full bathrooms and one half-bathroom, according to city assessor records.
The home also has a built-in, retractable, 13-foot projector screen for cinema-grade viewing, Residential Properties said. Built-in bookcases are featured throughout the home, which is located close to The Guild brewery, RI Spirits, Harvest Kitchen and Stillwater Books.
Outside, there’s a fenced-in yard, decorated with planters and equipped with a hot tub, the real estate firm said.
The single-family home was last valued by Pawtucket assessors as being worth $512,600, according to public records kept online by the city.
The home was sold by Sylvia Danforth, Emily Danforth and Erica Edsell to Jayna Brown, according to a copy of the warranty deed, a public record documenting the sale.
Marc Larocque is a PBN contributing writer.
