National Register of Historic Places

Opposition House

Cambridge, Middlesex County, Massachusetts
Listed
April 12, 1982
Type
Building
Period
Industrial
Ref No.
82001969

About this property

Opposition House is a historic double house in Cambridge, Massachusetts. The two story hip-roofed wood-frame house was built in 1807 by Judge Francis Dana, who was seeking to prevent the laying of Harvard Street across his estate, making it a kind of spite house. Dana's efforts were unsuccessful; the road was routed around this house, which he had sited along the intended route. The house was moved to its present location in the 1860s. It is the oldest surviving house on Dana Hill. The house was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1982.

Location

2-4 Hancock Pl.
Cambridge, Middlesex County, Massachusetts
42.36961, -71.10659

Categories

COMMUNITY PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENTPOLITICS/GOVERNMENTARCHITECTURE
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
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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

Jones, William R., House
Industrial
0 mi
Building at 104-106 Hancock Street
Industrial
0.1 mi
Atwood, Ephraim, House
Industrial
0.1 mi
Buildings at 15-17 Lee St.
Industrial
0.1 mi
Vinal, Albert, House
Industrial
0.1 mi

Nearby Battles

Siege of Boston – Cambridge Lines
1775Revolutionary War
0.3 mi

Questions about this property

When was Opposition House listed on the National Register?

Opposition House was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on April 12, 1982.

What type of historic resource is Opposition House?

Opposition House is classified as a building in the National Register of Historic Places.

What is the period of significance for Opposition House?

The period of significance for Opposition House is recorded as the industrial era.

Can I research the history near Opposition House?

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