Alexander Foster House, Historic Italianate residence in Spring Hill, Somerville, United States.
The Alexander Foster House is a three-story wood-frame structure with pronounced roof overhangs supported by carved brackets. The building features corner pilasters, a distinctive tower with a hipped roof, and characteristic rectangular windows framed with bracketed lintels and sills.
The house was built around 1860 for a lumber merchant and has shaped the streetscape at its corner location since that time. Laurel Street itself was first surveyed in 1843, and the residence emerged during the neighborhood's early development phase.
The residence displays features of Italian villa design that became fashionable in mid-1800s America. Details such as the brackets and tower reflect the modern taste preferences that affluent homeowners in New England adopted during that era.
The building stands at the northeast corner of Laurel and Greene Street and can be easily spotted from this central intersection. The location is accessible in Somerville and the exterior can be viewed from the street.
A particularly striking detail is the round-arch window near the gable peak, which stands apart from the rectangular windows on the rest of the facade. This architectural element adds an unexpected visual feature that captures attention when viewing the exterior.
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