National Register of Historic Places

US Post Office-Central Square

Cambridge, Middlesex County, Massachusetts
Listed
June 17, 1986
Type
Building
Period
Industrial
Ref No.
86001343

About this property

The Clifton Merriman Post Office Building, also known as the U.S. Post Office-Central Square, is an historic post office at 770 Massachusetts Avenue within Central Square in Cambridge, Massachusetts. The post office was built in 1933 and added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1986 as "U.S. Post Office-Central Square". In 1992, the United States Congress passed a bill renaming it for Clifton Merriman, an African-American World War I veteran who later became assistant superintendent of the main Post Office in Cambridge.

Location

770 Massachusetts Ave.
Cambridge, Middlesex County, Massachusetts
42.36628, -71.10600

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 US Post Office-Central Square

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Overview
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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
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Points of Interest
The most significant historic sites and landmarks near the location, and why they matter.
Timeline
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Nearby Historic Sites

City Hall Historic District
Listed
0.1 mi
City Hall Historic District
Listed
0.1 mi
Urban Rowhouse
Industrial
0.1 mi
First Baptist Church
Early Republic
0.1 mi
First Baptist Church
Pre Contact
0.1 mi

Nearby Battles

Siege of Boston – Cambridge Lines
1775Revolutionary War
0.5 mi

Questions about this property

When was US Post Office-Central Square listed on the National Register?

US Post Office-Central Square was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on June 17, 1986.

What type of historic resource is US Post Office-Central Square?

US Post Office-Central Square is classified as a building in the National Register of Historic Places.

What is the period of significance for US Post Office-Central Square?

The period of significance for US Post Office-Central Square is recorded as the industrial era.

Can I research the history near US Post Office-Central Square?

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 US Post Office-Central Square will include this listing and all other historical records in the area.

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