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Located at 50 Mount Vernon Street on Boston's Beacon Hill, is the
Thirteen Foot House (or grammatically correct, Thirteen Feet House). It
is a single story
structure surrounded on three sides by taller brick row houses.
The building
was originally a carriage house owned by Hepzibah Swan, wife of James Swan,
a revolutionary patriot. According to Boston Ways by George F. Weston
Jr. (1957), the original deed of the property [c.1805] states, "The roof of
the aforesaid stable shall never be raised more than thirteen feet above
Olive Street [Mount Vernon Street]." Apparently, Mrs. Swan lived across the
street and did not want her view of
Boston Common to be obstructed.
According to Historic Walks In Old Boston by John Harris (1982),
part of Mrs. Swan's property between #50 and #60 was by deed
required to be a horse passage from Mount Vernon Street down to stalls
located on Chestnut Street.
It seems this "easement" was rescinded at some point.
The Thirteen Foot House is a fine example of Boston's ancient
heritage in a relatively young United States.
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