Former Cambridge Home Of Famous Chef Hits The Market For $6 Million

CAMBRIDGE, MA — The longtime home of one of the most famous chefs in American history has hit the market for more than $6 million.

The former home of Julia Child at 103 Irving St. has been listed for $6.475 million. The 6,321-square-foot home includes six bedrooms, four full bathrooms, two half bathrooms, and was originally built in 1889.

Child and her husband, Paul, moved into the Cambridge home in 1961 and lived there for approximately 40 years. The famed chef, cookbook author, and television personality remained at the property until 2001, when she moved to a retirement community and donated the house to Smith College. The college later sold the property.

Child became one of the country's most recognizable culinary figures after the 1961 publication of "Mastering the Art of French Cooking," which she co-authored with Simone Beck and Louisette Bertholle. She later gained national recognition as the host of "The French Chef," which debuted on Boston-based WGBH in 1963 and helped introduce French cooking techniques to American home cooks.

Her Cambridge home also became closely connected to her television career. Child filmed several of her later cooking programs inside the Irving Street kitchen, which featured counters designed to accommodate her 6-foot-2-inch height. When Child left Cambridge in 2001, the kitchen was donated to the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History in Washington, D.C., where it was reconstructed and remains part of the museum's collection.

The Irving Street home has since undergone extensive renovations. According to the current listing, the property now features an eat-in kitchen with Poggenpohl cabinetry, marble countertops, a six-burner cooktop, and Sub-Zero appliances. The home also includes a butler's pantry, wine room, multiple fireplaces, solar panels, and a finished basement. Outside, the property has landscaped grounds, a brick patio, and sheltered parking underneath a porte cochère.

The property sits on approximately one-quarter of an acre just blocks from Harvard Yard. It was previously sold for $3.7 million in 2009 after being listed for $4.35 million the previous year.

The property was officially listed for sale on Wednesday, Sept. 23. Coldwell Banker Realty is handling the listing.

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