Dr. Tappan Eustis Francis House

Located on a narrow residential street in Brookline Village, the Dr. Tappan Eustis Francis House is an unusual work by an architect about to begin his most creative period as a designer. Although Emerson is best known for his Shingle Style designs for summer cottages, houses such as this erected in Boston suburbs during the late 1870s illustrate the architect's willingness to experiment in adaptations of popular European styles. Like his earliest Shingle Style cottages, the Francis House employs ornamental details derived from the English Queen Anne style. However, the exterior wood trim and brick masonry are arranged here for picturesque effect in an unconventional manner. In contrast, the conventional floor plan is organized around a rectangular central stair hall and suggests a client who required more traditional room arrangements.