Looking for the perfect holiday gift for the architecture lover, history enthusiast, urban development aficionado, or anyone who simply loves Cambridge? We’ve got you covered!
Building Old Cambridge: Architecture and Development (2016)
Our latest publication, Building Old Cambridge: Architecture and Development (2016), is a must-have. This beautifully illustrated volume uncovers the story of the neighborhood that grew around Newtowne—founded as the capital of Massachusetts Bay in 1630—and Harvard College, established in 1636. Authors Susan E. Maycock and Charles M. Sullivan trace Cambridge’s evolution of Old Cambridge as quaint village into suburban community and vibrant hub where academic and civic life intertwine.
Abbott Building, 1–7 Kennedy Street (1909, Newhall & Blevins, architects). The upper floors were designed for professional offices. Photo ca. 1910.
Packed with rare historic photographs never before published, Building Old Cambridge offers a comprehensive look at the city’s offers a rich exploration of the city’s architecture, development, and history—a reference you’ll treasure for years to come.
On June 11, 1970, community members led by future city councillor Saundra Graham (with bullhorn) invaded Harvard’s 319th commencement to protest the university’s intrusion into the Riverside neighborhood.
To order your copy of Building Old Cambridge, click here or email us at histcomm@cambridgema.gov. If you’re in a rush and would like to pick up a copy in person, we have several in stock at our office at 831 Mass Ave in Central Square. If you’re lucky, one or both authors may be around to sign it!
Cambridge, Massachusetts, possesses photographic documentation that is probably unparalleled for a city of its size. In 1980, The Photo Search Project, a community-sponsored effort led by the Cambridge Historical Commission, unearthed thousands of photographs in archives, attics, and family albums. A curated selection of these images, dating from the 1840’s to 1946, appears in our publication, A Photographic History of Cambridge (1984).
Cover of A Photographic History of Cambridge (1984)
Within its pages, we see the exterior and the interior of a workers’ cottage as it appeared in 1860. We meet two of the founding members of the Cambridge Sewing Circle and the survivors of Company C, Third Regiment, who marched off to the Civil War in 1861. We are invited to a noontime English class for immigrants at a local factory in the early 1900s, and to a Polish wedding in 1913. Harnessmakers’, carriagesmiths’, and soapmakers’ portraits recall occupations of the past.
Coffee Counter at J.A. Holmes & Company, 638 Mass Ave, ca. 1904-1910
With a forward by renowned historian Oscar Handlin, introduction by CHC Executive Director Charles M. Sullivan, and text by historical experts, this publication provides not only an invaluable record of Cambridge’s history but a review of a century of developments in popular photography as well.
Magazine Beach, south end of Magazine St, 1906
Researchers, historians, photography enthusiasts, and those curious about the city’s rich ethnic, occupational, and architectural heritage will appreciate the diversity of subject, scene, and neighborhood beyond the well-known historic landmarks of our city.
J. Bouchard Provisions, 86-88 Harvey Street, corner Montgomery, ca. 1910
To obtain your own copy of A Photographic History of Cambridge for only $12.50, stop by our office at 831 Mass Ave, or email us at histcomm@cambridgema.gov. A limited number of hard cover copies are also available for $20!
Softcover and hardcover versions of A Photographic History of Cambridge (1984)
Do you live in a Cambridge home built before 1930? This is for you.
The Queen Anne house at 314 Harvard Street: the asbestos siding was removed in about 1975 and the exterior restored to its original appearance. Only the false timberwork in the gable ends had been destroyed and required replacement.
Cambridge boasts a rich tradition of residential architecture, distinct from Boston and its neighboring towns. Its unique social history—as county seat, university hub, Boston suburb, and cultural melting pot—has produced a remarkable variety of houses. From masterpieces by renowned American architects to vernacular designs crafted by local carpenters, the city’s neighborhoods still reflect the creativity and individuality of generations of Cambridge builders, contractors, and architects.
Cover of Maintaining Your Old House in Cambridge (1988)
To help preserve this heritage, the Cambridge Historical Commission published Maintaining Your Old House in Cambridge in 1988. This comprehensive guide, written by experts in the field, equips homeowners and tenants with the knowledge to protect both the structural soundness and visual character of their homes.
Diagram of typical roof and cornice construction
The text and accompanying illustrations offer clear, practical advice on repairs and upkeep that honor a house’s stylistic integrity. Topics range from fences, siding, and gutters to chimneys, contractor selection, and more. Illustrated throughout, the book remains an invaluable resource for anyone caring for an older home.
Door design variations
And if you ever need additional guidance, the Cambridge Historical Commission is available to provide technical assistance on rehabilitation and restoration projects—ensuring that your home continues to embody the city’s architectural legacy.
To obtain your own copy of Maintaining Your Old House in Cambridge for just $10, click here, stop by our office at 831 Mass Ave, or email us at histcomm@cambridgema.gov.
Our publication All in the Same Boat: Twentieth-Century Stories of East Cambridge, Cambridge, Massachusetts is a collection of more than 125 oral histories that explore the tightly knit neighborhood of East Cambridge from the perspective of its residents.
Anna Scolles’ birthday, ca. 1949
Manuel Rogers, Sr., behind the soda fountain at the Paradise Spa, 352 Cambridge St, 1931
The book, illustrated with historic and family photographs, offers a vivid picture of the diverse cultures that coexisted in East Cambridge during the 20th century and examines the social, economic, and political changes in this rapidly evolving neighborhood.
Day of Portugal Parade, June 1990
To hear stories of those who lived, grew up in, immigrated to, and built their lives in East Cambridge, stop by our office or click here and obtain your own copy of this rich oral history book! For more information, email us at histcomm@cambridgema.gov.
Cover of All in the Same Boat: Twentieth-Century Stories of East Cambridge, Cambridge, Massachusetts (2005)
To mark the 250th anniversaries of the American Revolution and the founding of the United States, a coalition of local non-profits and government agencies will present Washington in American Memory, a seven-part speaker series running from November 2025 through April 2026. All events are hybrid.
Join us on Tuesday, December 2 for the second event in this series – The First Commander Remembered: Washington’s Legacy in Cambridge
When: Tuesday, December 2, 2025 | 6:00-7:30 PM
Debunk myths and trace the evolution of the public memory of George Washington in Cambridge, Massachusetts, featuring: • J.L. Bell, author of The Road to Concord: How Four Stolen Cannon Ignited the Revolutionary War and proprietor of Boston1775.net • Charles Sullivan, co-author of Building Old Cambridge: Architecture and Development and Executive Director of the Cambridge Historical Commission
This speaker series is made possible through the generous support of Eastern National, a nonprofit partner of the National Park Service. It is presented in partnership by the National Park Service/Longfellow House-Washington’s Headquarters National Historic Site, History Cambridge, Cambridge Public Library, Cambridge Historical Commission, and Cambridge MA250.
As we celebrate Veterans Day on Tuesday November 11, it’s worth remembering why this became a holiday—originally intended solely to commemorate the end of World War I. The headline above declaring the end of the war is from the Boston Globe because, in 1918, the Cambridge newspapers published only weekly on Saturdays.
The United States had entered the “Great War” on 6 April 1917. A year and a half later, the Armistice between the Allies and Germany was agreed to on “the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month.” Cambridge Mayor Edward W. Quinn issued a proclamation on November 11, which was published five days later in TheCambridge Chronicle:
The Cambridge Chronicle November 16, 1918
And, as everywhere across the nation, the city celebrated:
The Cambridge Tribune November 16, 1918
President Wilson agreed with the idea of commemorating Armistice Day, and he urged governors to do the same. But getting Congressional support for the holiday took some time. In 1926, after much lobbying by the American Legion, a Congressional resolution requested of President Calvin Coolidge that he agree to making this an annual commemoration day. It was not until 1938 that this request to honor WWI dead was finally approved by President Roosevelt. Years later, World War II veteran Raymond Weeks of Alabama proposed changing the name to “Veterans Day” to honor all veterans of all wars. This change was approved by President Dwight D. Eisenhower in 1954.
1917: The Looming War
Months before the United States joined the cause, this topic was top of mind across the nation. In the early spring, recruiting efforts were already under way:
The Cambridge Tribune March 10, 1917 (excerpt)
Many Cambridge men joined up with Canadian forces. In Cambridge, enlisting options included the Navy, Marines, the Massachusetts National Guard, and the Army. MIT President Richard C. Maclaurin established a ground aeronautical school for the Navy in 1917, and in 1918 the Army had an “air service” branch—a predecessor to the Air Force—sometimes referred to as the “Signal Corps.” On August 18, 1917, TheCambridge Chronicle reported that “George W. Cooper, of 100 Magazine Street, was the 1000th New England applicant for the position of first lieutenant as aviator or observation balloon pilot.”
Initially many troops came from the National Guard, which had previously been limited to serving only as a domestic security force. With the advent of the Great War on August 5, 1917, according to the U.S. Government military history, “the entire National Guard was drafted into U.S. Army service for World War I.”
Brigadier Clarence R. Edwards was deployed to execute the organization of the 26th Division of the Army, known as the “Yankee Division,” made up primarily of units from the Massachusetts National Guard. The task was daunting. In May of 1917, he spoke at a meeting of the Cambridge Lodge of Elks:
The Cambridge Tribune May 26, 1917 (excerpt)
(There are some claims that in September 1917 the Yankee Division was the first complete division to deploy to France.)
In Cambridge, Mrs. William Carey Cole was instrumental in organizing recruiting stations, which she caused to be set up in polling booths. Some of these were located on Quincy Square, Sherman, Cowperthwaite, Banks, and Hudson Streets.
The Cambridge Chronicle April 7, 1917
The Cambridge Chronicle April 28, 1917
Recruiting was not limited to native born Americans. According to the U. S. Citizen and Immigration Services, “Foreign-born soldiers composed over 18 percent of the U.S. Army during World War I. Almost one in five draftees was born overseas.”
Notable among the Cambridge African Americans who joined up was Clifton Merriman (1893-1989). Merriman was a Corporal in an African American unit of the 372nd Infantry. He received the Distinguished Service Cross, the Purple Heart, the French Medaille Militaire, the Croix de Guerre with Palm, and the Verdun Medal. He was discharged in 1919 as a staff sergeant, came back to Cambridge, and eventually became the Assistant Superintendent of the main Post Office, where he worked for 35 years. The Post Office building in Central Square is named after him. He died in 1989 at the age of 95.
Photograph of Sgt. Clifton Merriman, 372nd Infantry. Photo courtesy State Library of Massachusetts.
The Cambridge Chronicle January 11,1919
There is a connection between Merriman and Isaac Wilson Taylor (image below), another African American from Cambridge who joined up. Merriman belonged to Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 2443, named after Taylor.
Memorials and Commemoration
At least 264 Cambridge men are known to have died in WWI. (This does not include students at Harvard or MIT who did not originally come from homes in Cambridge.) The true number is probably higher. Some were killed in action, some died of wounds or of accident, some died while with the Canadian Forces, some died anonymously. About 169 of these men (and a few women) are memorialized in the collection of Cambridge WWI Memorial Plaques in the historical collections at the Cambridge Public Library: “This set of wood plaques honors soldiers from Cambridge, Mass. who died in World War I. The plaques were dedicated in 1928 by Edward W. Quinn, Mayor (1918-1929) and put on display in the War Memorial Athletic Facility in Cambridge, Mass. Each plaque bears an image of the solider on a copper alloy plate, a name plate (also copper alloy), the date of the year s/he died, and the following text: ‘In grateful remembrance of her War Dead, Presented by the Cambridge City Government, 1928, Edward W. Quinn, Mayor.’ A memorial plaque to the soldiers was dedicated on May 30, 1936, by Edward W. Quinn and John D. Lynch, Mayor (1936-1937). The plaques were made by Imperishable Arts, Inc. in New York City…”
As noted, it took 8 years from inception to display of the collection. This was due to extensive haggling over the budget, and the appropriate place to display the plaques.
Images: Cambridge Public Library Archives/Digital Commonwealth
Another means of honoring the WWI war dead was changing the name of Charles River Drive to Memorial Drive. The American Legion initially floated this idea in 1920, and for three years the Metropolitan District Commission (MDC), which owned the property on which the Charles River Drive had been built, objected. The only reason provided was simply that the MDC deemed it “inexpedient.” More specific reasons for their opposition are not entirely clear. One of the ideas to advance the cause was to open the commemoration to all veterans of wars—not just WWI Veterans. After several committee meetings, multiple hearings, and citizens petitions, finally, on February 9, 1923, Governor Channing H. Cox signed the bill authorizing the change.
Charles River Approaching Harvard University. Cambridge Historical Commission Postcard Collection
The formal peace agreement ending the war was signed seven months after Armistice Day at the Treaty of Versailles on June 19, 1919.
Today’s post was written by volunteer Kathleen M. Fox.
The Cambridge Museum of History & Culture invites you to join an opening reception including music & light refreshments!
The Cambridge Museum of History & Culture and Office of Mayor E. Denise Simmons invite you to the opening reception of In the Key of Cambridge: A Celebration of Music & Music Venues. This new exhibit traces 100 years of the city’s inspiring musical legacy. From folk coffeehouses and blues clubs to punk venues, jazz stages, and street corners, Cambridge has shaped the soundtrack of generations. Visitors will explore how artists, venues, and communities across Cambridge nurtured groundbreaking movements—from the 1960s folk revival to indie rock—while reflecting larger social currents like civil rights, anti-war protests, and multiculturalism.
Join us for live music, local history, and light refreshments. This event is free, family-friendly and open to all. The venue is ADA accessible. The exhibit will be on display for the month of November, 2025.
Note that the event is currently as capacity, but you are welcome to join the waitlist by clicking here: . The exhibit will also be on view for Folk Music Month from November 3 to November 30 at The Kendall Public Lobby. This exhibit is free and open to all!
Thank you to BXP, Cambridge Redevelopment Authority, Cambridge Arts, Harvard Square Business Association, and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
Rain date: Saturday, November 15, 2025, from 2:00 to 4:00 PM.
For more details, please email cambridge.history.museum@gmail.com.
Join the Cambridge Black History Project as they celebrate their oral history narrators. Gather for an afternoon of refreshments and conversation as we pay tribute to our rich storytelling tradition. Connect with your community during an afternoon of conversation and refreshments!
Cost per person: Free Date: November 8, 2025 Time: 1:00pm – 3:30pm
We hope to see you on this special occasion celebrating Cambridge oral histories. Lift Every Voice is a great opportunity to connect with the Cambridge Black History Project and the community. Please RSVP here: https://cambridgepl.libcal.com/event/15516112.
Today we’re featuring an otherworldly item from our archival collections: the business card of Dr. Stella E. Johnson.
This card lists Stella as a medium specializing in “Medical, Business and Developing.” For $1, patrons could arrange for a private sitting with Dr. Johnson between the hours of 10 to 12 or 2 to 9 in her quarters at the Hotel Bigelow, 17 Brookline St.
This building, later addressed as 35 Brookline St when street numbers were changed, was constructed in 1889 as designed by mechanical engineer Walter E. Lombard for owner Simeon Snow. An image of the building in 1933 can be seen in the second slide. Snow was a resident of Bigelow Street, a Boston-based leather merchant, and active in Cambridge politics of the day while Lombard was the husband of Snow’s adopted daughter, Nellie. Simeon Snow’s late-Italianate style apartment-hotel stood four-stories and contained accommodations for sixteen families. After WWII, like many wood-frame residences, the Hotel Bigelow was renovated and covered with aluminum siding and much of the detailing was removed to cut costs for owners. While today the building is unadorned, there may be some original fabric underneath the siding.
View of Brookline and Franklin Streets, 1933
Dr. Johnson was born Estella E. Temple in Watertown on June 9, 1850. She married George W. Johnson on December 15, 1868. In the 1900 US census, George and Stella’s marital statuses were listed as divorced, with George living in Walpole and Stella with her brothers Joseph and Alfred in Cambridge. George died in 1903 and beginning in 1910, directories list Stella as widowed. Stella’s first appearance in the Cambridge directories appears in the 1892 edition when she is living at 17 Brookline St. This allows us to date her business card to around 1891. For the next few years, she is listed as a physician living at 353 Harvard St (now demolished) and from around 1896 until her death in 1913, she lived at 9 Meacham Road in North Cambridge.
In her obituary, published in The Cambridge Chronicle on 18 January 1913, she was praised as “skilled in the use [of] herbs and treatment of the sick, and it was her especial delight to afford relief to the sick and those in distress.”
Cambridge book alert! Check out the recently published memoir My Ride Through Life: A Cambridge Kid Finds Identity in Dirt Lots, City Schools, and Reggae Beats by Cambridge kid and Historical Commission volunteer Anthony Beckwith.
My Ride Through Life traces the author’s family roots and follows the winding path of his early life, transporting the reader back to the world of Cambridge, Massachusetts, in the 1960s and ‘70s, and navigating the neighborhoods of Boston in the 1980s and ‘90s. Along the way, he raises important and universal questions: How do our families and communities influence our views on race and rights, class and culture? In what ways do our curiosities and insecurities affect the direction we take in life? What aspects of our identities are essential to who we are?
In this fun, honest, and thought-provoking memoir, Anthony Beckwith uses lively anecdotes and a conversational style to share his story and invite readers to reflect on the sources of their own identities. Insightful, warm, and full of unexpected turns, My Ride Through Life will resonate with readers of all ages and backgrounds.
This book is available at our local outlets Harvard Bookstore, The Book Rack in Arlington, and Porter Square Books. Print and audio editions can be found at online retailers. Click here for more information: https://sites.google.com/view/myridethroughlife/home.
