Join staff members from the Cambridge Historical Commission, the City of Cambridge Department of Public Works and the Cambridge Room at the Cambridge Public Library for a three-week series on researching the history of your house or building.
Registration is mandatory, though you do not have to attend all three sessions (though we highly recommend it!). For your convenience, each department will offer two days of the same session – one in the evening and one in the afternoon.
To register, please check out the schedule below and contact the person listed. Looking forward to seeing you there!
Session 1: The Cambridge Room at the Cambridge Public Library
This hour-long, hands-on workshop will guide you through a variety of online resources that will help you research your home from the comfort of your home. Discover when your building was built and by who. Find out who lived in your house and how your neighborhood has changed. We will provide laptops. Registration is mandatory.
Monday, October 16
6:00 – 7:00 PM
Location: Community Room, Cambridge Public Library
Max. 16 participants
or
Wednesday, October 18
3:00 – 4:00 PM
Location: Beech Room, Cambridge Public Library
Max. 13 participants
Led by Alyssa Pacy, Archivist at the Cambridge Public Library. To register, email: apacy@cambridgema.gov or call 617-349-7757
Session 2: Cambridge Historical Commission
The Commission’s research collection is founded on an architectural inventory that contains survey forms, photographs, and documentation on all 13,000+ buildings in the City. Participants will learn how individual homes can be researched using these inventory files, as well as the Commission’s collection of city directories, atlases, maps, photographs, books on the City’s different neighborhoods, and some deed, tax, and building permit records.
Monday, October 23
6:00 – 7:00 PM
Location: Cambridge Historical Commission, 831 Massachusetts Avenue, 2nd floor
Max. 12 participants
or
Wednesday, October 25
2:00 – 3:00 PM
Location: Cambridge Historical Commission, 831 Massachusetts Avenue, 2nd floor
Max. 12 participants
Led by Cambridge Historical Commission staff. To register, email: egonzalez@cambridgema.gov or call: 617-349-4070
Session 3: Cambridge Department of Public Works
The public works collection is primarily focused on sewer & drain utility drawings and plans showing the boundaries of the public rights of way. But many of these and other records, which go as far back as 1840, also include interesting historical facts such as previous building, street, and water body configurations as well as ancient industries, property owner names and assessment values. Participants will learn how individual locations can be researched with geographic, database, and online indexes and they’ll see how those indexes have evolved.
Monday, October 30
6:00 – 7:00 PM
Location: Department of Public Works, 147 Hampshire Street
Max. 12 participants
Or
Wednesday, November 1
2:00 – 3:00 PM
Location: Department of Public Works, 147 Hampshire Street
Max. 12 participants
Led by George Stylianopoulos, City of Cambridge Department of Public Works. To register, email: sgeorge@cambridgema.gov
General questions about the series? Call 617-349-4683.
