Past Events
104th Annual Meeting of the Cambridge Historical Society
Prince Hall and Early American Freemasonry
Colonel Thomas Gardner: Cambridge's Revolutionary War Hero
Fresh Pond: Resort and Resource - Spring Benefit
Dana Fellows Event
Tour of the Stephen Stiles House
Open Archives Day
With the Longfellow National Historic Site and the Mount Auburn Cemetery
Tour: What Style is it? - Residential Architecture in West Cambridge
Tour: Baby Let Me Follow You Down - Folk Music in Cambridge
The Cambridge Photo Scanning Project
The Bicentennial of the Birth of Dr. Oliver Wendell Holmes
Pedaling the People's Republic
The History of the Cambridge Skating Club
Rent Control: Collections on a Polarizing Issue
Book Signing with Mo Lotman
December 1, 2009
Holiday Party and Re-Opening of the Hooper-Lee-Nichols House
Holiday Party and Re-opening of the
Hooper-Lee-Nichols House
The Hooper-Lee-Nichols house was closed for twelve months. In that time we re-painted and re-interpreted the interior. This years Holiday Party was also an opportunity for members to see the new museum before we open for the public.
Wednesday, December 9th, 5:30-8:00 PM
Cambridge Historical Society
159 Brattle Street, Cambridge
Book Signing with Mo Lotman, author of
Harvard Square:
An Illustrated History Since 1950
Tuesday, December 1st, 7:00 PM
Harvard Book Store
1256 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge
The story of rent control in Cambridge is a complicated and contentious one. From the enactment of the ordinance in 1971 to its repeal in 1994, rent control has been an issue on which everyone in Cambridge had an opinion and made activists out of tenants and landlords alike. This program will examine the primary documents of organizations dealing with aspects of the Rent Control issue now in area archives and how these collections, some supplemented by oral histories from people directly involved, provide primary source material for current and future researchers. Speakers include Denise Jillson, formerly of the Small Property Owners Association; Bill Cavellini, of the Eviction Free Zone; and Joan Krizack, University Archivist and Head of Special Collections at Northeastern University.
Saturday, November 14 - 1 PM to 3 PM at the Free Mason's Lodge in Porter Square 1950 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, Mass.
To reserve a seat, please call (617) 547-4252 or email rsvp@cambridgehistory.org
The Cambridge Skating Club hosted the Cambridge Historical Society |
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The Cambridge Skating Club was founded in December 1897. Skating was already a popular winter activity in Cambridge with its many small ponds, ditches, and nearby Fresh Pond and Spy Pond. But the attraction of a neighborhood rink for children– with a surface area of nearly an acre – was considerable. And the club offered wellgroomed ice for practicing the new sport of figure skating. Generations of children have learned to skate and to love cold days that promise good skating. Although the sport of figure skating has moved indoors, the club’s recreational family skating is as popular as ever.
Club president, Annette LaMond, will take you back in time with a slide-show of photographs,
memorabilia and curious stories in the club’s archives. Did you know that the
club’s George Browne, co-founder of Browne & Nichols, was one of the most important
figures in U.S. figure-skating history? Why the clubhouse is designed in Norwegian
style? Or why the club deserves to be recognized for its contributions to the U.S.
hockey team’s Olympic gold medal in 1960?
Cambridge Discovery Days
Cambridge Discovery Days - August 8 and 15, 2009
| What Style Is It? Architectural Tour of West Cambridge August 8, 2009 from 11 to 12 Lead by Karen L. Davis Starts at 159 Brattle Street For more information, contact the Cambridge Historical Society: 617-547-4252 |
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Description: Our meeting place, the Georgian-style Hooper-Lee-Nichols House is the oldest house on Brattle Street. We will look at its architectural details before proceeding west on Brattle Street to Fayerweather Street, across Reservoir and Highland Ave and then south on Appleton Street. We will see fine examples of domestic architecture from all periods of Cambridge history. Commentary will include notable architects and owners, but the emphasis will be on identifying the architectural features specific to each style.
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Cambridge citizens played a pivotal role in the American Revolution. All male citizens above the age of fifteen were required to serve in their local militia. One of Cambridge’s most active citizens was Thomas Gardner. In 1774, Colonel Thomas Gardner organized men from Cambridge and other towns, into what became known as Gardner’s Regiment. During the Battle of Bunker Hill, General Artemis Ward ordered Gardner’s Regiment to Lechmere Point to counter a potential British landing in Cambridge. The heroic actions of Gardner’s Regiment slowed a British onslaught which allowed militiamen to retreat from Bunker Hill and find safe refuge on Prospect Hill in Somerville (then a part of Charlestown). Colonel Gardner died of wounds received at the battle. General Washington eulogized Thomas Gardner for his sacrifices for the cause.
On August 8, 2009, the Charlestown Militia will muster at Longfellow Park, march down Tory Row (Brattle Street), and assemble on the lawn of the Tory, Judge Joseph Lee.
| Baby Let Me Follow You Down: Cambridge and the Folk Music Revival August 15, 2009 from 11 to 1 Lead by Millie Rahn (New England Folk Music Archives) and Laura McCoy (Cambridge Historical Society) Starts at the green pastures of Harvard Yard For more information, contact the Cambridge Historical Society: 617-547-4252 |
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This tour will explore Cambridge’s role in American folk music. The sites will include buildings associated with early 20th century scholars of traditional music, the homes of performers in the folk music revival of the 1950s and 60s, and locations in Cambridge that are still active today. The tour will end at Daedalus restaurant on Mount Auburn Street, or the site of the original Club 47, where Betsy Siggins and other former members of the Club 47 staff will be on hand to share memories and stories.
| Become a Part of History! August 8, and August 15 from 1 to 4 Hosted by CHS Staff: Gavin Kleespies, Cynthia Brennan, and Mark Vassar At the Hooper-Lee-Nichols House 159 Brattle Street Sponsored by Toscanini's Ice Cream |
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The Cambridge Historical Society wants to scan your vintage photographs and give you free Toscanini’s Ice Cream! - Do you have family photos, images of an event in Cambridge, or snapshots of Cambridge scenes? We would like you to bring them to the historic Hooper-Lee-Nichols House on August 8th and 15th. Your photographs will be scanned by a professional while you wait and enjoy free ice cream donated by Toscanini’s. We will preserve your memories in our digital library, and an exhibition of the scans will appear on our website in September. We hope you will join us for a fun afternoon of making history!
Sunday, June 14, 2009 2:00 - 4:00 p.m.
2:00 p.m. Reception
2:30 p.m. Charles Sullivan, executive director of the Cambridge Historical Commission, will present a talk on the history of the house and its residents.
Special thanks to our hosts,
Denise Jillson and George Pereira
for opening their home to the
Cambridge Historical Society.
RSVP by Wednesday, June 10, 2009
617-547-4252 or rsvp@cambridgehistory.org
Attendance is limited and by invitation only.
Please make your reservations quickly.
A list will be checked at the door.
Street parking is available.
2203 is at the corner of Mass. Ave. and Chester Street. It is next to Kate’s Mystery Book Store and across from Rindge Avenue
Visit www.cambridgehistory.org
for details on this and other programs.
The Stephen Stiles House - 2203 Massachusetts Avenue
Built in 1863 by Stephen Stiles, the house features a Mansard roof, an essential characteristic of the Second Empire style. Well known for its distinctive Queen Anne entry way, added in the 1880s, the house, situated on a larger than usual corner lot, is set into a generous side yard with a lovely garden. However, the house is probably most famous for being the long time residence of Judge Jeremiah Sullivan, an influential advisor to Tip O’Neill and other local politicians.
It is now the home of Denise Jillson and George Pereira, who have done a wonderful job of bringing the property back to life. Denise is the Executive Director of The Harvard Square Business Association and George Pereira is the Facilities Manager for Associated Early Care and Education.
The Cambridge Historical Society and
The Cambridge African American Heritage Alliance invites you to:
Researching Black History to Find My Family History:
The Early Life and Times of the H. B. Moss Family
Talk given by Charles Martin
Sunday, May 17, 2009 2:00-4:00 p.m.
Zero Arrow Theater
Arrow Street and Massachusetts Avenue - Cambridge, Mass.
Charlie Martin is a member of the Afro-American Historical and Genealogical Society (AAHGS), New England Chapter. Since 2001, Charlie has been actively conducting genealogical research, with an emphasis on African American history as it pertains to his own family history. He has presented the results of his research to various audiences, including the AAHGS New England Chapter, the Boston Urban League, the Mystic Valley Chapter of the NAACP, the Boston Coalition of Black Women, the 2006 National Conference of the Federation of Genealogical Societies, the 2007 National Conference of the AAHGS, the 2007 Martin Luther King Day Program in Lexington, Mass. (where he resides), and the recent 2009 New England Regional Genealogical Conference.
Charlie was born in North Carolina but grew up in Cambridge where he was a graduate of the Cambridge public schools and Harvard College. He holds a Bachelor’s Degree in engineering sciences from Harvard University and a Master’s Degree in electrical engineering from Northeastern University. He is a long-time history buff and an accomplished writer.
The Cambridge Historical Society's
104th Annual Meeting
February 1, 2009, 2:00–4:00 p.m.
Harvard Events and Information Center
Holyoke Center, Arcade Level - 1350 Massachusetts Avenue - Cambridge, MA
Featuring a keynote talk:
Architect Joseph Everett Chandler and his work in Cambridge
Timothy Orwig, Ph.D. Candidate, Boston University
Little known since his death in 1945, Joseph Everett Chandler is remembered for his restorations of the Paul Revere House, the House of Seven Gables, the Old State House, and numerous other historic buildings in Massachusetts, including the Hooper-Lee-Nichols House. Though Chandler has been criticized for his ambitious renovations, new research reveals him to have been a pioneering historian, preservation advocate, and museum innovator, as well as a prolific architect. In Cambridge alone, Chandler’s work ranges from tombstones and fountains, to the design of two original Colonial Revival landmarks, to the restoration of the two oldest surviving houses in the city.
The Cambridge Historical Society would like to thank Harvard University for providing space for our meeting during the painting and re-interpretation of the Hooper-Lee-Nichols House.