Meet the man who keeps many of Boston’s historic doors beautiful

The Boston Globe · Madeline Bilis · 2026-11-05 10:30 UTC

John Carlton, owner of Historic Door, restores and reproduces the wooden doors fronting many of Boston’s most iconic homes.

When you find yourself strolling down Commonwealth Avenue in the Back Bay or Mount Vernon Street in Beacon Hill, it’s only natural to ogle the beautiful row houses lining the way. And if you’re giving them a good look, you’re bound to admire their front doors — big wooden ones flanked by columns, sets of double-leaf doors with large glass panels and shiny hardware.

Many of those doors have retained their antique charm thanks to one person: John Carlton, owner of Historic Door.

After spending two decades as a restoration carpenter in Boston and on Cape Cod, Carlton began making authentic historic reproduction entry doors — and restoring existing ones — in 2005. Over 20 years later, he’s still preserving Boston’s most glamorous entryways with care, albeit taking on fewer jobs than before as he enters semiretirement.

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