Real Estate Showdown: A Modernist Marvel vs. an Urban Icon
It’s amazing what a few miles can do to the market. This month, we compare a midcentury ranch in West Newton with a 19th-century South End brownstone.
LISTING AGENTS: THE DRUCKER GROUP, COMPASS (WEST NEWTON); MICHAEL CARUCCI, GIBSON SOTHEBY’S INTERNATIONAL REALTY (BOSTON)
NATE ATWATER AND NEMO GUERINE (WEST NEWTON); JACK VATCHER PHOTOGRAPHY (BOSTON)
68 Mignon Rd., West Newton | Sale Price: ~$5,900,000 | 21 Claremont Park, Boston |
| $6,850,000 165 8,615 square feet 6 6 full, 2 half | Asking Price Days on Market Size Bedrooms Bathrooms | $6,300,000 20 3,678 square feet 4 4 full, 1 half |
Here in New England, we’re blessed with housing options representing a range of architectural styles and eras. In West Newton, for example, this sprawling midcentury ranch, complete with a gunite pool, was designed by a Frank Lloyd Wright disciple. The previous owners extensively renovated the property in 2025, and while they maintained the original one-story character of the home, the rooms now have all the modern bells and whistles, including a chef’s kitchen fitted with rift-sawn oak cabinetry and Wolf appliances.
Steps from Southwest Corridor Park, which runs through the South End and Roxbury, this 1870 single-family brownstone is also anchored in its architectural legacy while being well suited for contemporary living (see: the original bay windows and custom Neolith kitchen with a 100-bottle wine chiller). Boasting four levels, the home has multiple access points to the outdoors, including a west-facing deck on the parlor level.
While the West Newton residence is much larger than the Roxbury home, it took much longer to sell—and at a steep price concession—which just goes to show: The city remains a hot commodity.
This article was first published in the print edition of the February 2026 issue with the headline: “A Modernist Marvel vs. an Urban Icon.”
