National Register of Historic Places

Bennink-Douglas Cottages

Cambridge, Middlesex County, Massachusetts
Listed
May 18, 1986
Type
Building
Period
Industrial
Ref No.
86001272

About this property

The Bennink-Douglas Cottages are a collection of four historic worker duplexes in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Built in 1874 as a speculative venture, they typify the housing built for low and middle-income workers in the 1870s. They were listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1986. The Bennink-Douglas Cottages are located in an densely built residential area between the Cambridge Common and the Radcliffe Quadrangle, on the south side of Walker Street. The four buildings are each 1+1⁄2-story wood-frame structure on brick foundations, with mansard roofs that provide a full second floor. Each cottage is four bays wide, with two entrances in the center bays and polygonal projecting window bays in the outer bays, rising through the mansard level. The steep sections of the roofs feature hexagonal slate shingles. Three of the four have bracketed hoods sheltering the entrances; the fourth had its porch rebuilt in the Colonial Revival style. The roof eaves also have paired Italianate brackets. The four cottages were built in 1874 as a speculative venture by Gerritt Bennink and William Douglas for sale as low-to-middle-cost housing for workers. Their style was typical of low-cost housing built during the 1870s throughout Cambridge, a period in which the city experienced rapid growth; by the late 1880s, the triple-decker became a more common low-cost construction. The exteriors of these four buildings have, for the most part, retained their original appearance. The land on which they were built was subdivided for development in 1868; it had been pasture land before then. National Register of Historic Places listings in Cambridge, Massachusetts

Location

35--51 Walker St.
Cambridge, Middlesex County, Massachusetts
42.37997, -71.12346

Categories

COMMUNITY PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENTARCHITECTURE
National Register nomination ›
Sources

Property data from the National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service (public domain).

Description adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

Unlimited access

Everything a full report reveals about Bennink-Douglas Cottages

This page lists Bennink-Douglas Cottages. A full Aubrey report for an address near it pulls together this listing alongside battlefield records, land patents, and every other historical record within a chosen radius:

Overview
An interactive map of the location with historic sites, battles and Native heritage plotted, and its full story era by era.
The Land
The historic sites and place names around the location, and how this land was settled and used.
Geology
The bedrock beneath the site, its age and rock type, reaching back millions of years.
LiDAR Terrain
Laser-scanned terrain that reveals earthworks and old features hidden in the landscape.
Conflict & War
The battles, raids and skirmishes fought near here, across every era of American conflict.
The Civil War
The Civil War on this ground, 1861 to 1865: who held it, and the battles, camps and regiments nearby.
The Soldiers
The men who marched from here in the Civil War, named and traced where the record allows.
Native Heritage
The Native nations who held this land, mapped across time from before European contact to today.
Settlement
Who claimed and held this ground, from Indigenous homelands through the colonial powers to the United States.
The Community
How the town grew, who came, and what kind of place it became, traced through the census record.
Rivers & Rail
The rivers, canals and railroads that connected this place between 1830 and 1911.
Notable People
The people born, buried or genuinely tied to this exact place, with their stories.
Historical Maps
Historic maps of the location layered over how it looks today.
Finds & Access
Museum objects tied to the area, and the laws on searching, collecting and access here.
Literature
The old books, county histories and archives that mention this place, quoted with their sources.
Spotlight
A deep dive into the most remarkable, lesser-known history of the place, traced back to the record.
Points of Interest
The most significant historic sites and landmarks near the location, and why they matter.
Timeline
The whole story of the location told era by era, from first peoples to the present day.
First month just $5.99, then $11.99 a month. Unlimited locations, cancel anytime.

Every location is different. Not every section appears for every place, only what the historical record actually holds turns up in a report.

Start your Bennink-Douglas Cottages report
Or see a real report first

Nearby Historic Sites

Eliot Hall at Radcliffe College
Industrial
0.1 mi
Bertram Hall at Radcliffe College
Industrial
0.1 mi
Second Waterhouse House
Industrial
0.1 mi
Richards, Theodore W., House
Industrial
0.1 mi
Follen Street Historic District
Listed
0.1 mi

Nearby Battles

Siege of Boston – Cambridge Lines
1775Revolutionary War
0.8 mi

Questions about this property

When was Bennink-Douglas Cottages listed on the National Register?

Bennink-Douglas Cottages was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on May 18, 1986.

What type of historic resource is Bennink-Douglas Cottages?

Bennink-Douglas Cottages is classified as a building in the National Register of Historic Places.

What is the period of significance for Bennink-Douglas Cottages?

The period of significance for Bennink-Douglas Cottages is recorded as the industrial era.

Can I research the history near Bennink-Douglas Cottages?

Yes. Aubrey Research reports search National Register listings, battlefield records, land patents, and other primary historical sources within any radius of a US address. A report for an address near Bennink-Douglas Cottages will include this listing and all other historical records in the area.

More in Middlesex County

Historic places, battles, and census history across Middlesex County.

Explore MiddlesexCounty ›

More historic places in Massachusetts

Browse all historic places in Massachusetts.

View Massachusettshistoric sites ›

Conflict records

Explore 19,000+ military engagements across American history.

Browse US conflicts ›

Massachusetts history

Colonial settlement, territorial period, and statehood narrative.

Massachusettshistory ›

Research the history near this site

An Aubrey US report for an address near Bennink-Douglas Cottages will include this listing alongside battlefield records and other historical sources within your chosen radius.

Research your locationView a free sample report