Harvard Street Historic District
National Register of Historic Places

Harvard Street Historic District

Cambridge, Middlesex County, Massachusetts
Listed
April 12, 1982
Type
District
Period
Civil War
Ref No.
82001945

About this property

The Harvard Street Historic District is a historic district on Harvard Street between Ellery and Hancock Streets in Cambridge, Massachusetts. It includes houses on both sides of the street, numbered from 335 to 344 inclusive, an area that marks the summit of Dana Hill. Harvard Street was laid out as a direct route from "Old Cambridge" (now Harvard Square) to Boston in the early 1800s, and was run over Dana Hill over the objection of Judge Francis Dana, whose estate sat on top of the hill. The street was developed over the 19th century with a succession of high-quality houses. This cluster of seven well-preserved houses was built primarily in the 1850s; two Colonial Revival houses, one at #337 built in 1887, the other at #340 built in 1897, were the only ones built later. Stylistically the other five are a diverse representation of revival styles popular in the mid-19th century, with only the Italianate style represented twice (by #341–43 and #336). One of the more notable residents in the district was Samuel B. Rindge, a merchant and banker who was father to Frederick H. Rindge, a major benefactor of the city. The Rindges lived at #342–44, a Second Empire house. Several houses were designed by architects, and the design for at least one, the Gothic Revival house at #338, came from a pattern book. The Colonial Revival house at #337 was designed by James T. Kelley, and #340 was designed by Arthur H. Vinal. The district was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1982.

Location

Cambridge, Middlesex County, Massachusetts
42.37064, -71.10918

Categories

ARCHITECTURE
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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Everything a full report reveals about Harvard Street Historic District

This page lists Harvard Street Historic District. 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.
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Nearby Historic Sites

Melvin, Isaac, House
Industrial
0.1 mi
Vinal, Albert, House
Industrial
0.1 mi
Colburn, Sarah Foster, House
Industrial
0.1 mi
Building at 104-106 Hancock Street
Industrial
0.1 mi
Atwood, Ephraim, House
Industrial
0.1 mi

Nearby Battles

Siege of Boston – Cambridge Lines
1775Revolutionary War
0.2 mi

Questions about this property

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

Harvard Street Historic District was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on April 12, 1982.

What type of historic resource is Harvard Street Historic District?

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

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

The period of significance for Harvard Street Historic District is recorded as the civil_war era.

Can I research the history near Harvard Street Historic District?

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