We use history to catalyze the connections that make Cambridge, Massachusetts more vibrant and cohesive.
Aug 2: Crafting Cambridge’s Past
Sunday, August 21-4 p.m.Mayor Alfred E. Vellucci Community Plaza, Hampshire St, Inman SquareRain date Aug 9Free for all agesNo registration required; just show up! About the event Discover the rich heritage of Cambridge by exploring its historic clay, glass, and bookmaking industries through hands-on, inspired crafts. This program invites you to dive into the unique…
Aug 12 & 16: The History of Candy-Making in Cambridge Guided Tour
Details The History of Candy-Making in Cambridge Guided TourWednesday, August 12, 5:30-7:00 p.m.Sunday, August 16, 10:00-11:30 a.m.Registration required$15 Why Candy? Why Cambridge? One of the industries for which Cambridge is best known is candy-making – at its peak in the mid-twentieth century, the city boasted 66 different candy companies, including Squirrel Brand, Daggetts, and NECCO,…
2026 Block Party Season
Gathering with your neighbors? In planning your annual (or first!) neighborhood block party, consider inviting History Cambridge. We’ll set up our History Kit, complete with historical information about your street and the wider Cambridge community. This free service goes quickly, so be sure to get on our calendar early. What is a History Kit? Since…
Sept 28: Dialogue Dinner
Dialogue Dinner: A Different Kind of Dinner Party Monday, September 28, 20266-7:45 pmCitywide Senior Center806 Massachusetts AveFree; registration requiredAll ages welcome Limited space available! Join us for a unique and memorable evening where we foster deeper connections and build a sense of community around a shared theme. WHAT TO EXPECT This is not your typical…
Corcoran Park plans take into account floods and sinkholes from 10,000-year-old Great Marsh
By Jen Craft, 2026 The Cambridge Housing Authority is moving toward a significant milestone. After clearing major zoning hurdles this year, the city is preparing to begin Phase 1 demolition and reconstruction of the 153-unit Corcoran Park affordable housing complex in Strawberry Hill. This isn’t a standard modernization project. The CHA isn’t simply upgrading old…
Fresh Pond was a Revolution refuge and smallpox hospital, Civil War soldiers’ barracks and World War I training ground
By Beth Folsom, 2026 For most Cantabrigians, Fresh Pond is a natural resource, providing drinking water and green space to the city. For centuries, the Indigenous peoples who lived here used the pond and its environs for fishing, hunting and collecting rushes, marsh hay and clay deposits – activities that the English colonists who arrived…
Next History Hang Spotlights North Cambridge’s Industrial, Environmental Past
By Beth Folsom, 2026 Roughly 10,000 years ago, the end of the last ice age meant that the glaciers covering most of what we now call North Cambridge were beginning to recede, leaving in their elevations like Observatory Hill, Strawberry Hill, and Avon Hill, along with large accumulations of rock and vast deposits of clay.…
West Cambridge History Hub
2026 is our year of West Cambridge! Check out our upcoming events A Brief History of West Cambridge As defined by the City of Cambridge’s Community Development Department, the neighborhood of West Cambridge is bounded on the west by Fresh Pond, on the north by Concord Avenue, on the south by the Charles River and…
American Revolution in Cambridge
Introduction Cambridge has been part of America’s Revolutionary story from its beginnings, even before the outbreak of the war for independence. On Sept. 1, 1774, Cambridge residents responded to the news that Gen. Thomas Gage, royal governor of the Province of Massachusetts Bay, had ordered the removal of gunpowder from a magazine (a powder storage…
East Cambridge History Hub
A Brief History of East Cambridge The area that we now know as East Cambridge was for many centuries largely salt marshes and mud flats which, at low tide, virtually cut the area off from other parts of the city, as well as from Boston. The rich oyster beds contained there served as an important…
LGBTQ+ History Hub
This hub is a work in progress. Have some resources to add? Let us know! In This Hub Introduction Cambridge is a well-known leader in LGBTQ+ rights. The city was first in Massachusetts to perform gender-affirming surgery in 1972, and in 2004 it became first in the country to grant same-sex marriage licenses. City government…
North Cambridge History Hub
North Cambridge History Hub
Fort Washington History Hub
Fort Washington Park is the last remaining fortification from the Revolutionary War in Cambridge, but the park and neighborhood hold rich histories beyond the Revolutionary era. This History Hub contains materials that details the eras of the park
Cambridgeport History Hub
History Hub for all things Cambridgeport
Culinary History Hub
Culinary History of Cambridge By Rain Robertson, and revised by Deb Mandel, 2022 Cambridge holds a rich and distinctive culinary history. It gave America ice, the Porterhouse steak, Peking ravioli, its first star chef in Julia Child, and a hankering for Indian food. This is a survey of 20th century markets, delis, cafeterias, and local…
Indigenous Peoples History Hub
Curious about the Indigenous history of this place? Start learning here.
Inner Belt Hub
Cambridge had a major role in battling one highway for decades and eventually sparking a process that created a powerful coalition that led officials to remake transportation policy for the Boston area inside Route 128
Curious About Forgotten Souls of Tory Row?
In 2022, History Cambridge was awarded an Arts for Social Justice grant from Cambridge Arts. We selected the artist collaborative Black Coral, Inc. for the project and installation began in May 2022, with the art on view from June 1st 2022 through April 7th 2023. “Forgotten Souls of Tory Row: Remembering the Enslaved People of Brattle Street” honors the enslaved adults and children who lived and worked on this land as well as those whose labor on Caribbean plantations helped finance the grand homes of white Tory Row elites.
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Find original research by History Cambridge staff, interns, volunteers, and community members, including articles, oral histories, and online exhibitions. Search results also include our finding aids, which describe archival materials you can make an appointment to view in person.
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