National Register of Historic Places

Old Harvard Yard

Cambridge, Middlesex County, Massachusetts
Listed
February 6, 1973
Type
District
Period
Listed
Ref No.
73000287

About this property

Harvard Yard is the oldest and among the most prominent parts of the campus of Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts. The yard has a historic center and modern crossroads and contains most of the freshman dormitories, Harvard's most important libraries, Memorial Church, several classroom and departmental buildings, the offices of senior university officials, including the president of Harvard University, and the John Harvard statue. The Yard grew over the centuries around Harvard College's first parcel of land, purchased in 1637. Today it is a grassy area of 22.4 acres (9.1 ha) bounded principally by Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge Street, Broadway, and Quincy Street. Its perimeter fencing – principally iron, with some stretches of brick – has twenty-seven gates.

Location

Cambridge, Middlesex County, Massachusetts
42.37509, -71.12450

Categories

EDUCATIONARCHITECTURE
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 Old Harvard Yard

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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

Stoughton, Mary Fisk, House
Industrial
0.1 mi
Pratt, Dexter, House
Industrial
0.1 mi
Daly, Reginald A., House
Industrial
0.1 mi
Hastings, Oliver, House
Industrial
0.1 mi
Withey, S. B., House
Industrial
0.1 mi

Nearby Battles

Siege of Boston – Cambridge Lines
1775Revolutionary War
0.8 mi

Questions about this property

When was Old Harvard Yard listed on the National Register?

Old Harvard Yard was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on February 6, 1973.

What type of historic resource is Old Harvard Yard?

Old Harvard Yard is classified as a district in the National Register of Historic Places.

What is the period of significance for Old Harvard Yard?

The period of significance for Old Harvard Yard is recorded as the listed era.

Can I research the history near Old Harvard Yard?

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