Posts Tagged ‘West Cambridge’
Dec 2: Washington in American Memory Speaker Series
Washington in American Memory Speaker Series To mark the 250th anniversaries of the American Revolution and the founding of the United States, History Cambridge is proud to partner with a coalition of local non-profits and government agencies to present “Washington in American Memory,” a seven-part speaker series running from November 2025 through April 2026. This…
Read MoreNov 10: Washington in American Memory Speaker Series
Washington in American Memory Speaker Series To mark the 250th anniversaries of the American Revolution and the founding of the United States, History Cambridge is proud to partner with a coalition of local non-profits and government agencies to present “Washington in American Memory,” a seven-part speaker series running from November 2025 through April 2026. This…
Read MoreJune 22: Longfellow House-Washington’s Headquarters Annual Juneteenth Gathering
Sunday June 22, 202512:30 pmLongfellow House-Washington’s Headquarters105 Brattle Street, Cambridge About the Event History Cambridge will gather with our friends at Longfellow House-Washington’s Headquarters for Juneteenth. Join us to honor those who endured slavery and seized freedom on Brattle Street 250 years ago, their descendants, and the long history of Black freedom activism in Cambridge…
Read MoreJune 21: Pioneering Poets of Cambridge: A Guided Tour
Saturday, June 21, 20252-3:30 pmFree; registration requiredLimited space availableWeather date: Sunday, June 22 at 2 pm About the tour Join authors Karen Weintraub and Michael Kuchta for a series of free tours exploring Cambridge’s legacy of innovation, adaptation, and revolutionary ideas. Based on their book Born in Cambridge: 400 Years of Ideas and Innovators, these…
Read MoreStephen T. Chen
Stephen Chen was born in Cambridge to Thomas and Joyce Chen in 1952. In his interview, Stephen talks about what it was like growing up in West Cambridge on Alpine Street. He describes how his mother, Joyce Chen, thrived as a restauranteur and entrepreneur through her cooking show, restaurants, and inventions. Audio coming soon!
Read MoreSeptember 28 Event Recap: Hidden Huron Village
Save the date for September 28, 2023 — Hidden Huron Village: A Fundraiser for History Cambridge!
Read MoreThe Window Shop
Compiled by Deb Mandel, 2022 Years 1939 – 1972 Locations 37 Church St. (May 2, 1939-Nov. 1939) 102 Mt. Auburn St. (Nov. 1939-1947) 56 Brattle St. (1947-1972) History A small group of philanthropic-minded Cambridge women opened The Window Shop on the second floor of 37 Church St. in Harvard Square in 1939. One of these women…
Read MoreThe ‘Gerry’ of ‘Gerrymandering’ was one of ours, co-writer of the Bill of Rights and a vice president
Elbridge Gerry was described as cunning, obstinate, contrarian, contradictory and unpredictable – and what he did in 1812 is still shaping politics and democracy, including the upcoming midterm elections.
Read MoreForgotten Souls of Tory Row: Remembering the Enslaved People of Brattle Street
All are welcome to view the striking art installation on the front lawn of the Hooper-Lee-Nichols House from dawn to dusk. Only a few days left to see the exhibit before it comes down on April 7.
Read MoreHistory Cambridge plans a celebration Saturday for its ‘Forgotten Souls of Tory Row’ installation
History Cambridge put out a call in February to artists to create a temporary installation on the lawn of our headquarters, the Hooper-Lee-Nichols House, 159 Brattle St., West Cambridge. With support from Cambridge Arts and the Mass Cultural Council, this project’s goal was to honor the enslaved people who lived and worked on Brattle Street. Many of the area’s wealthy homeowners made their wealth through enslaved labor in Jamaica and enslaved people at their homes and estates in Cambridge. Joseph and Rebecca Lee, owners of the Hooper-Lee-Nichols House, were complicit in this economy. We know of at least five individuals – Cesar, Prince, Caesar, Mark Lee (or Lewis) and a woman whose name we do not know – who were enslaved by the owners of the house. Although we have no direct surviving evidence that an enslaved person ever lived there, we know other white Tory Row families enslaved people at their Brattle Street mansions. History Cambridge strives to use its headquarters in a way that recovers and shares the stories of the enslaved people of this land and acknowledges that chattel slavery was a Northern as well as a Southern system.
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