Boston Common - Niche Media - A side of Boston that's anything but common.
Issue link: http://digital.greengale.com/i/666022
photography by Dan Cutrona Just a little sea cot- tage—that's all Brian and Shahrezad "Sherry" Kelly were after. That they ended up with an historic, cultural, palatial, drop dead gorgeous lighthouse in Manchester-by-the-Sea was purely accidental. "We saw it, and thought, How could we not?" says Brian, president of Kelly Automotive Group. There were lots of reasons not to—the hidden costs of renovation, stop-the- madness time frames—but when you are refurbishing an 11-story lighthouse into not just a livable space but a museum- quality property, patience is part of the blueprint. "The Tower," as the Kellys call it, was built in 1943 by the Army Corps of Engineers to serve as a World War II observation point on the lookout for German U-boats in the harbor. After buying the entire property, which includes a main house, tennis courts, koi fish ponds, a lap pool, and private beach access, the Kellys set out to convert the lighthouse into a guest house for family—mainly, it turned out, for Brian's five grandchildren. "People call it to the lighthouse Brian and Sherry elly transform a stately World War II relIc Into the ultImate at-home getaWay. By Lisa PierPont 124 bostoncommon-magazine.com space haute propert y