The historic James W. Mort House

You don’t see Victorians like this anymore. This $879,000 Second Empire beauty has a dramatic mansard roof, three-story tower, hand-painted murals, and incredible period details.

High above Lowell’s Christian Hill stands a house that seems determined to make every architectural detail count.

Known as the James W. Mort House, this meticulously restored Second Empire Victorian features a dramatic mansard roof, dormer windows, ornate brackets, decorative moldings, and a three-story polygonal tower crowned with a finial.

Inside, hardwood floors and generous rooms are joined by something far less expected: hand-painted bucolic murals extending along the staircase and through the upper hallways.

The formal living room includes Bradbury wallpaper, custom window treatments, and a wood-burning fireplace, while the library offers an intricate ceiling and a two-tier mantel with a wood stove.

Even the updated kitchen respects the home’s historic personality, pairing granite countertops and stainless-steel appliances with a Victorian-style wood-and-gas range.

A sunny enclosed porch leads to an expansive deck above the two-car garage, where an imported cast-iron gazebo creates an unusual outdoor retreat.

Fresh exterior paint, extensive new roofing, landscaped grounds, flowering trees, irrigation, and new walkways add practical improvements without diminishing the home’s period character.

With views toward downtown Lowell from the upper levels, this is the kind of house that invites a slow room-by-room tour—but which feature would you want to see first?

Property Details

• Price: $879,000
• Address: 139 Methuen St., Lowell, MA 01850
• Bedrooms: 5
• Bathrooms: 2 full, 1 half
• Living space: 3,136 square feet
• Lot size: 0.24 acre
• Year built: 1872 (the listing describes the house as circa 1869)
• Style: Second Empire Victorian
• Parking: Two-car garage
• Status: For sale

Zillow listing: View the property on Zillow