National Register of Historic Places

Follen Street Historic District

Cambridge, Middlesex County, Massachusetts
Listed
May 18, 1986
Type
District
Period
Listed
Ref No.
86001681

About this property

The Follen Street Historic District is a historic district in Cambridge, Massachusetts, just northwest of the Cambridge Common. Follen Street is a quiet residential street, isolated from through streets by large masonry buildings that front on Waterhouse Street and Garden Street. All but three of the houses on the street were built no later than 1900, and show a remarkable quality of workmanship, despite being diverse in their styles. A number of the houses are specifically associated with educators, including a number of Harvard University professors. The Edwin Abbot House at 1 Follen Street is now the main building of the Longy School of Music of Bard College, and is separately listed on the National Register. Other houses listed separately include the Theodore W. Richards House at 15 Follen, the Second Waterhouse House at 9 Follen, and 10 Follen Street. The district was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1986.

Location

1--44 and 5--29 Follen St.
Cambridge, Middlesex County, Massachusetts
42.37869, -71.12223

Categories

COMMUNITY PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENTEDUCATIONARCHITECTURE
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.

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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.
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Nearby Historic Sites

Richards, Theodore W., House
Industrial
0 mi
Second Waterhouse House
Industrial
0 mi
Abbot, Edwin, House
Industrial
0.1 mi
Bennink-Douglas Cottages
Industrial
0.1 mi
Cloverden
Industrial
0.1 mi

Nearby Battles

Siege of Boston – Cambridge Lines
1775Revolutionary War
0.7 mi

Questions about this property

When was Follen Street Historic District listed on the National Register?

Follen Street Historic District was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on May 18, 1986.

What type of historic resource is Follen Street Historic District?

Follen Street Historic District is classified as a district in the National Register of Historic Places.

What is the period of significance for Follen Street Historic District?

The period of significance for Follen Street Historic District is recorded as the listed era.

Can I research the history near Follen Street Historic District?

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 Follen Street Historic District will include this listing and all other historical records in the area.

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