"If This House Could Talk..."
Sign text organized alphabetically by street
Houses talked all over Cambridgeport!
On October 3 through 12, Cambridgeport neighbors and businesses displayed original signs sharing choice tidbits about events—contemporary or historic, personal or public—that happened in their buildings. The program was developed by Cathie Zusy and additional information on how it was run is below.
How to get a sign
Having difficulty coming up with sign text?
Be on the sign list
Be a part of the electronic record
All part of a larger C-Port celebration
Guidelines
Contact information
Resources
Samples
How to Get at Sign
If you don’t have a sign yet and would like one, pick one up from Cathie Zusy’s front porch at 202 Hamilton Street (a yellow house between Pearl and Magazine streets) or contact Cathie at cathzusy@aol.com or 617-868-0489. Stakes are there, too.
Having Difficulty Coming Up with Sign Text?
If you haven’t had a chance to research your house yet and can’t think of a story, you’ll find the following website very useful. It lists historical information about Cambridge buildings by street name: http://hul.harvard.edu/huarc/refshelf/cba/index.html.
Be on the Sign List!
Sign writers, let Cathie know that you are posting a sign by Friday, October 2 at noon so that your house can be put on the official sign list. These will be available at the “If This House Could Talk…” (ITHCT) booth at Dana Park, Saturday, 10am-5pm. The list will also be posted to the Cambridge Historical Society (CHS) website (www.cambridgehistory.org, click on “Celebration of C-port History) on Friday at 5pm.
Use a Permanent Marker to Write Your Sign! Post Your Sign on Saturday Morning
by 8am. Take Your Sign Down Sunday at 8pm.
Be Part of the Electronic Record of the Event
Send Cathie your text by Oct. 10 so that your sign can be on the electronic record of the event, hosted by the CHS website. The CHS will post the list of sign text by Oct. 15th.
All Part of a Larger Celebration of Cambridgeport History
Enjoy walking around the neighborhood this weekend and discovering what happened in your own backyard. And, remember, that this event is just part of a larger Celebration of C-port History, organized by the Cambridgeport History Project. Also, on Saturday:
- 12 noon, Revolutionary War re-enactors will be at Fort Washington Park for it’s official rededication
- 1pm, Charles Sullivan, Executive Director of the Cambridge Historical Commission, will lead a tour of the neighborhood, from Fort Washington Park to Dana Park at 1pm. Both of these events will happen rain or shine!
- 2:30-5pm, weather permitting, all sorts of fun activities will be offered at Dana Park.
- 4-7pm, Potluck Party at Dana Park, featuring the Revolutionary Snake Ensemble! Remember to bring a dish! (Raindate, Sunday, October 4th.)
For further information, go to http://www.cambridgehistory.org/Cambridgeport/cambridgeport.html.
Guidelines for “If This House Could Talk . . .”
Guidelines for
“If This House Could Talk . . .”
- Draft text—probably 4-5 sentences max—about an event, contemporary or historic, personal or public, that happened in your building. Feel free to contact Cathie Zusy at 617-868-0489 or cathzusy@aol.com if you want to brainstorm about your ideas.
Please make every effort to check your facts so that labels are accurate. If you need or want to do some research, contact the Cambridge Historical Commission Library and Archives at 617-349-4683 (or TTY 617-349-6112). The library is open for research Mondays 4-7pm and Tuesday-Thursday, 9:30-11:30am and 2-4pm. Calling ahead and setting up an appointment is highly recommended!
- Contact Cathie for sign stock and posts to mount your sign.
- Copy your text onto your sign, with your street address at the bottom.
- Let Cathie know that your house will have a sign. Members of the Cambridgeport History Group will be distributing lists of sign locations at Dana Park on Saturday, October 3 from 10am to 5pm. We want your house to be on this list!
- Post the sign in front of your house/building at 8am Saturday, October 3. Signs will be up for just the weekend.
- Remove the sign on Sunday at 8pm.
- E-mail Cathie you name, address, and text by October 10th for the electronic record of the event! All the labels will be posted to our ITHCT 2009 website.
The goal of “If This House Could Talk . . .” is to help make residents aware that they part of the continuum of history, and to bring the community together by sharing common stories. The hope is that neighbors and neighborhood businesses will participate by posting signs and by walking around the neighborhood, discovering great stories that took place just around the corner.
For further information about our larger October 3rd Celebration of Cambridgeport History, go to www.cambridgehistory.org. This event is organized by the Cambridgeport History Group.
Contact Information
Cambridgeport residents eager to put up a sign can contact Cathie Zusy at 617-868-0489 or at cathzusy@aol.com. She has supplies, including card stock for signs and posts to hold them up.The goal of the project is to make residents aware that they are part of the continuum of history, and to bring the community together by sharing common stories.
Resources
Cambridgeport residents and businesses eager to learn more about their houses and buildings should contact the Cambridge Historical Commission. The research library is open Mondays from 4-7pm and Tuesdays through Thursday, 9:30-11:30am and 2-4pm Please call ahead for an appointment!
Cambridgeport neighbors seeking advice in writing their labels are welcome to contact Cathie Zusy at cathzusy@aol.com or 617-868-0489.
Sample signs
for 202 Hamilton St.
If This House Could Talk. . .
“It would tell you that writer Jill Rena Bloom once lived here, author of Harlequin romances and books helping parents to better advocate for their children with special needs. And around back in the garage, in 1979, Jill’s husband Ron Mooradian established Mooradian Cover Co., which still, today, manufactures soft case musical instrument covers for classical and jazz musicians worldwide. (This company remains in operation, but in Boston.)”
A sign could be simpler or more personal:
for 72 Chestnut St.
“Family lore says that local builder Clinton M. Packer built this house as a wedding gift for his wife about 130 years ago.”
Or, for a fictitious address!
“It was here, on the night of February 14, 2005, that Fred and Frederica decided to share their lives. They were married in 2007 and reside here still.”
