Children at Fort Washington Park in Cambridgeport in 1926.

Fort Washington History Hub

In This Hub

Introduction

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. The park contains four cannons and earthworks pointing south towards the Charles River, a fortification that George Washington himself ordered to be built. This station was used during the Revolutionary War, and has been through many stages and restorations since. These stages vary from public parks used by vendors and peddlers, a place for children to play, dog parks, and more. 

Below are materials that detail the eras of the park. They contain newspaper articles from the 1880s through the 1920s that describe the need for restoration, as well as interesting tidbits like the scores of baseball games held in the neighborhood. There is the official report for a large-scale restoration in the 1970s, and photos of the park throughout time. Additionally, there is a transcribed oral history of daily life in early 1900s Fort Washington Park. These historic materials capture the full experiences of Fort Washington Park, and contextualize a corner of Cambridgeport. You can find the broader history of Cambridgeport itself in our Cambridgeport History Hub

This Hub was supported by a grant from the Massachusetts Society of the Cincinnati. Thank you! 

Articles

History Cambridge Archives

Vitiello, Domenic. “Fort Washington Park: The Continuity of Change in Cambridgeport,” 19 October 1998. 

Sherman, Charles W. “Fort Washington, In Cambridge,” 1950. 

Cambridge Historical Commission Archives 

Ruth Priest Gray Scrap Book Collection (CHC044) 1936 – 1981. Scrap Book Number IV, 1971-1981, Series IV. Cambridge Historical Commission Archives. https://public.archivesspace.dlconsulting.com/repositories/3/archival_objects/12466, Accessed March 2023.

These folders contain articles from Boston newspapers from the 1930s through the 1980s, including one that details the completed restoration of Fort Washington Park in 1975.

Cambridge Public Library Online Records

Cambridge Room Archives

Cambridge Bicentennial Corporation Records (073) Administration, 1971-1976 – Grants Restoration of Fort Washington, translation missing: en.enumerations.container_type.container: Box 1. Cambridge Room, Cambridge Public Library Archives and Special Collections. https://public.archivesspace.dlconsulting.com/repositories/2/archival_objects/11474, Accessed March 2023.

These materials cover the official proposal from the Cambridge Historical Commission and Riverside-Cambridgeport Community Corporation for the restoration of Fort Washington Park in 1975, as well correspondence from various Cambridge organizations showing their support for the park’s preservation. 

Bertram Adams Photographs, circa 1960-1969 (006), Folder 1, Fort Washington, 95 Waverly Street, Box: 1; Item: 1. Cambridge Room, Cambridge Public Library Archives and Special Collections. https://public.archivesspace.dlconsulting.com/repositories/2/archival_objects/29, Accessed March 2023.

This folder contains several photos of Fort Washington Park from the 1960s. 

History Café: What is the History of Fort Washington Park?

Oral histories

Contact History Cambridge for access to oral histories conducted in 1998 that describe Fort Washington Park and neighborhood in the early 1900s. Transcriptions available here

Partner Organizations

This History Hub was made possible with the support of the Massachusetts Society of the Cincinnati.