Henry I. Harriman House

The Henry I. Harriman House is a residence in French château style located in Newton, Massachusetts, featuring stucco exterior walls and a steep hip roof with multiple dormers. The property includes a balustraded portico supported by Tuscan columns set within an arched opening, with sunporches extending from both sides.

The house was built in 1916 for Henry I. Harriman, an executive with a power company seeking to create a grand residential estate. It gained recognition on the National Register of Historic Places in 1990, marking its significance as an architectural example from the early 1900s.

The building is known as Putnam House, named after Roger Lowell Putnam, a benefactor who supported the institution when Newton College of the Sacred Heart took ownership. The name marks an important chapter in how the house transitioned to serving educational purposes.

The building is located at 825 Centre Street and now functions as part of the Boston College Law School campus. Visitors should note that the property serves educational purposes and access may be limited to designated areas.

The curved sunporches flanking the entrance create a distinctive connection between interior and exterior spaces that was characteristic of homes from this era. These bright sheltered areas were valued in the early 1900s as private retreats that enhanced the comfort of affluent residents.