History of
Harvard Square
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Harvard Square originated in 1630 as the village of Newtowne, a settlement that was intended by the Proprietors of Massachusetts Bay Colony to be their capital. Today, the Square retains landscape features and buildings from almost every period of its development, and displays a rich mix of architectural forms and historical sites in a dynamic commercial and residential setting.
Although the capital was moved to Boston in 1634, in 1636 the General Court located the Colony’s first college in Newtowne; the town obligingly changed its name to Cambridge in 1638. Harvard College was founded in a former cattle yard north of the village center, which was clustered on a hilltop closer to the river. Gradually the center of the village moved toward the college, and present-day Harvard Square became the administrative center of the town of Cambridge.During the Revolution, Cambridge became the first headquarters of the American Army. General Washington was quartered at Wadsworth House, and then at the present Longfellow House on Brattle Street.
During the Revolution, Cambridge became the first headquarters of the
American Army. General Washington was quartered at Wadsworth House, and
then at the present Longfellow House on Brattle Street.
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In the first decades of the 19th century Harvard became an agent for change, providing faculty with the means to construct large homes and contributing to the enclosure of the Common as a public park. In the village proper, modest frame houses sheltered families who worked on the College Wharf, at the gas works, or on the omnibus lines that provided frequent transportation to Boston. As the century progressed, more elaborate Greek Revival houses were constructed.
The transformation of Harvard University into an institution of national standing, coupled with the University’s policy of encouraging undergraduates to find their own housing, led private investors to construct a number of private dormitories beginning in 1876. In the rush to cash in on the demand for student housing, older buildings were also converted into private dormitories. The most prominent of these, The Fairfax (1869-1885) contains the most significant storefront in Harvard Square, the Art Nouveau façade at 1304 Massachusetts Avenue (1907).
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View of Harvard Square with Subway Construction, |
The construction of the Cambridge Subway between 1909 and 1912 cemented Harvard Square’s relationship with downtown Boston, but also swept most transfer passengers into the underground station. Some merchants lost business, but the subway stimulated the construction of the Abbott Building (1909) and the Brattle Building (1913), and, after World War I, the Cambridge Savings Bank (1923) and the Harvard Coop (1924).
Preservation became a priority in Harvard Square in the late 1960s, after Harvard University demolished several private dormitories, a club, and some commercial buildings to put up Holyoke Center (1961-1965). Harvard Square was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1988.
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In the 1970s, the intense controversy which arose over the proposed John F. Kennedy library and museum did not abate when the Charles Hotel and the Kennedy School of Government were built on the site instead. Harvard Square became a nationally-known tourist destination during this decade, and successive real estate booms brought pressure on under-utilized sites.
Harvard Square contains numerous buildings and places that are important for their architecture and historical associations on a local, state, and national level. Public interest in preserving Harvard Square is evidenced by the intense controversy that accompanies any change in the fabric of the community. The Square is worthy of preservation because it is a rare urban environment that is valued by all who visit it.
Photos courtesy of the Cambridge Historical Commission
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