National Register of Historic Places

University Museum

Cambridge, Middlesex County, Massachusetts
Listed
September 11, 1986
Type
Building
Period
Industrial
Ref No.
86002081

About this property

The University Museum is a historic building that houses several museums belonging to Harvard University. The building is located at 24-28 Oxford Street and 11-25 Divinity Avenue in Cambridge, Massachusetts. It houses both the Harvard Museum of Natural History at 26 Oxford Street, and the Peabody Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology at 11 Divinity Avenue, as well as several departments of Harvard's Museum of Comparative Zoology and the Mineralogical & Geological Museum. The building is a large U-shaped brick structure, six stories high, whose oldest portion dates to 1859. This section was built to house the Museum of Comparative Zoology; it was added onto in 1876 to provide space for the Peabody Museum, and was expanded several other times between then and 1913. The building is basically Italian Renaissance in its styling. The building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1986.

Location

11--25 Divinity Ave.
Cambridge, Middlesex County, Massachusetts
42.37854, -71.11539

Categories

EDUCATIONSCIENCE
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 University Museum

This page lists University Museum. 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 University Museum report
Or see a real report first

Nearby Historic Sites

Divinity Hall
Industrial
0.1 mi
Treadwell-Sparks House
Industrial
0.1 mi
Kirkland Place Historic District
Listed
0.1 mi
Davis, William Morris, House
Industrial
0.2 mi
Lovering, Joseph, House
Industrial
0.2 mi

Nearby Battles

Siege of Boston – Cambridge Lines
1775Revolutionary War
0.4 mi

Questions about this property

When was University Museum listed on the National Register?

University Museum was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on September 11, 1986.

What type of historic resource is University Museum?

University Museum is classified as a building in the National Register of Historic Places.

What is the period of significance for University Museum?

The period of significance for University Museum is recorded as the industrial era.

Can I research the history near University Museum?

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 University Museum 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 University Museum will include this listing alongside battlefield records and other historical sources within your chosen radius.

Research your locationView a free sample report