When Anthony’s Townhouse was first constructed in the 1830s, horse and buggies still populated the streets of Brookline. A young Barbara Anthony (the current manager of the townhouse) and her mother and grandmother moved in to the home after a fire forced them to relocate. In the 1940s, the neighborhood was full of people from around the world, and Barbara grew up among proper ladies and gentlemen of many cultures. For years, Grandma Palmira, a sharp and fabulous woman, lived there with her family.

Palmira didn’t open the doors to the public until 1944. As there was plenty of extra room, she had been allowing her husband to host a chess club in the house. This went on for sometime (Barbara can still remember the club members) but eventually the club outgrew the space. Grandma Palmira suggested the club meet elsewhere, but offered to host the members to stay.

From there, the family never looked back. Barbara’s mother Viola Anthony eventually took over for Palmira. In a time when there weren’t enough hotels in Boston, she ran the bustling inn smoothly. Now in 2025, running Anthony’s Townhouse is up to Barbara and Arthur. Having grown up in the house, she knows it inside and out. She enjoys running the inn, and says she’s gotten to see a lot of life from it. A stay at Anthony’s Townhouse is a window into the long history of the home, and Barbara and Arthur’s hospitality will make it one you’ll never forget.