Built in 1884, this showstopper in Arlington, Mass., sits atop a perch in the Pleasant Street Historic District. Located on a large, spectacular corner lot, this home is equally gorgeous from many angles.

The house is named for and has significant historical associations with Charles Symmes Parker, who was the first publisher of the Arlington Advocate and possibly one of the town’s most noted historians. Parker bought the house from Charles Wyman in 1905, and two years later wrote “Town of Arlington, past and present.”

I’m deep in thought in this photo, contemplating my favorite feature: the corner tower with a high-up window, or that wee, sweet balcony above the front door. Which do you like?