Building Old Cambridge
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Charles M. Sullivan and Susan E. Maycock |
Building Old Cambridgeexplores the buildings and history of the neighborhood that grew up around the original settlement of Newtowne, founded as the capital of Massachusetts Bay in 1630, and Harvard College, established in 1636. The authors trace the area’s development into a suburban community and bustling intersection of town and gown. Extensively illustrated with many historic photos never published before, Building Old Cambridge is a comprehensive exploration of the city’s history and architecture and will be a standard reference for years to come.
Building Old Cambridge was named a Finalist for the the Julia Ward Howe Award 2017 by the Boston Authors Club.
View the MIT Press' book page here and find the searchable index.
Watch an interview with the authors here. |
$49.95
Shipping is $8.00 by media mail or $14.00 by priority mail |
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Now available online from MIT Press.Open source editions of the Survey of Architectural History series. See links below. Select a chapter and click on the "PDF" symbol to download. |
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East Cambridge
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Susan E. Maycock
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East Cambridge, by Susan E. Maycock (1988).
https://direct.mit.edu/books/oa-monograph/5097/Survey-of-Architectural-History-in-CambridgeEast
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Mid Cambridge |
Antoinette F. Downing, Elizabeth MacDougall, and Eleanor Pearson |
Mid-Cambridge (Report Two of the Survey of Architectural History in Cambridge, 1967) by Antoinette F. Downing, Elizabeth MacDougall, and Eleanor Pearson.
https://direct.mit.edu/books/oa-monograph/5099/Survey-of-Architectural-History-in-Cambridge
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Cambridgeport (soft cover in stock and available online via MIT Press) |
Bainbridge Bunting and the staff of the Cambridge Historical Commission
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Cambridgeport (Report Three of the Survey of Architectural History in Cambridge, 1971) by Bainbridge Bunting and the staff of the Cambridge Historical Commission. Soft cover book available for purchase.
Also available online from MIT Press.
https://direct.mit.edu/books/oa-monograph/5098/Survey-of-Architectural-History-in-Cambridge
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$17.95
Shipping is $5.00 |
Northwest Cambridge |
Arthur J. Krim and the staff of the Cambridge Historical Commission. |
Northwest Cambridge (Report Five of the Survey of Architectural History in Cambridge (1977), by Arthur J. Krim and the staff of the Cambridge Historical Commission, 1977).
https://direct.mit.edu/books/oa-monograph/5096/Survey-of-Architectural-History-in-Cambridge
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We Are the Port: Stories of Place, Perseverance, and Pride in the Port/Area 4 Cambridge, Massachusetts 1845-2005
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Sarah Boyer |
We Are the Port represents a five-year effort to interview more than 125 longtime Port residents of diverse backgrounds. Over the course of 150 years, the Port faced many challenges – from the federal anti-immigrant acts of the 1920s to plans for an Inner Belt highway that would have displaced many families and businesses. In the last fifty years, residents have joined the struggle for civil rights, including needs for educational parity and a more responsive city government. The community has weathered the winds of change, from the construction of Newtowne Court and Washington Elms in the mid- to late-1930s to the redevelopment of Kendall Square. The generational family stories inspired and moved the author, Sarah Boyer; many shared accounts of the courage of those who left their native countries to face an unknown world, toiling to provide for their families and improve the lives of their children and succeeding generations.
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$25.00
Shipping is $5.00 |
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Common Cause, Uncommon Courage: World War II and the Home Front in Cambridge, Massachusetts
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Sarah Boyer |
Common Cause, Uncommon Courage: World War II and the Home Front in Cambridge, Massachusetts is the product of a four-year effort to record the experiences of more than 125 Cambridge veterans and home front participants. These recollections are told by soldiers in combat, nurses in hospitals in Europe and the Pacific, women who worked at the Charlestown Navy Yard and other defense industries, and servicemen’s families who waited for loved ones to come home. Five POWs, a Holocaust survivor, and an Italian Jewish refugee tell stories of uncommon courage and determination to persevere and survive in extraordinary circumstances. A narrative of the war in the European and Pacific Theaters accompanies the oral histories, and more than 250 photographs, some from the National Archives and FDR Library, are included as well. |
$25.00 ($20.00 for seniors 65 and older)
Shipping is $5.00 |
All in the Same Boat:
Twentieth-Century Stories of East Cambridge, Cambridge, Massachusetts
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Sarah Boyer |
All in the Same Boat is a collection of more than 125 oral histories that explore the tightly knit neighborhood of East Cambridge from the perspective of its residents. The book, illustrated with historic and family photographs, offers a vivid picture of the diverse cultures that coexisted in East Cambridge during the 20th century and examines the social, economic, and political changes in this rapidly evolving neighborhood. |
$22.00
Shipping is $5.00 |
Crossroads: Stories of Central Square, Cambridge, Massachusetts 1912-2000
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Sarah Boyer
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Crossroads: Stories of Central Square, Cambridge, Massachusetts 1912-2000
Over 100 interviews together with more than 200 historic and family photographs, provide a much-needed historical record and richly detailed look at an area once considered Cambridge's true downtown.
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Out of print
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In Our Own Words: Stories of North Cambridge, 1900 – 1960, as told to Sarah Boyer
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Sarah Boyer |
In Our Own Words: Stories of North Cambridge, 1900 – 1960, as told to Sarah Boyer
The book celebrates the lives of the late U.S. Speaker of the House Thomas "Tip" O’Neill and his friends and neighbors in their North Cambridge neighborhood. This oral history publication is richly illustrated with over 150 photographs from North Cambridge families and historical images from the Commission and other historical organizations.
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Out of print; reference copies available at the CHC office
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A Photographic History of Cambridge
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Cambridge Historical Commission
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A Photographic History of Cambridge
A collection of historical photographs, with explanatory text, many of which were donated by Cambridge families.
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Small quantity of hard cover books available. $20.00
Shipping is $5.00
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Cambridgeport & Its 1812 Streets |
Kathleen (Kit) Rawlins and Michael Kenney |
Cambridgeport & Its 1812 Streets
A publication and related website by the Cambridge Historical Commission and Cambridge Historical Society explore the impact of the War of 1812 on Cambridgeport.
The year 2012 marks the bicentennial of the start of the War of 1812. This conflict, little remembered now, devastated Cambridgeport’s aspirations to become a bustling commercial port and ruined the fortunes of investing families. Yet within 45 years, a ladder of seven streets around Dana Park had been named for commanders, ships, and a decisive naval battle from that very war. Who named these streets? Why commemorate a conflict with such disastrous results for the area? Cambridgeport and Its 1812 Streets solves these mysteries. The book, rich with historic maps and illustrations, examines the growth of the neighborhood and the life and relationships of the man who named the streets. |
$6.50
Shipping is $1.00 |
“To protect the Union”: Civil War History in Central Square, Cambridge, Mass. |
Kathleen (Kit) Rawlins and Michael Kenney
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“To protect the Union”: Civil War History in Central Square, Cambridge, Mass.
In January 1861 James Richardson, a Central Square attorney, organized a company of local men to fight in the war he believed was inevitable. President Lincoln made the official call for volunteers on April 15 and Captain Richardson’s men, now known as Company C, marched to the State House on the morning of the 17th, becoming the first Massachusetts unit mustered into service. Historic maps and photographs illustrate the buildings and sites where the men mustered and drilled; biographies of several of the more prominent company members trace their interesting and sometimes unexpected lives. |
Free online |
Maintaining Your Old House in Cambridge |
Charles Sullivan, Eileen Woodford and the Staff of the Cambridge Historical Commission |
Maintaining Your Old House in Cambridge
An invaluable illustrated guide for owners or tenants who live in a Cambridge house built before 1930. The book offers straightforward, practical advice on repairing and maintaining the home without sacrificing its stylistic integrity. |
$10.00
Shipping is $3.00 |
Painting Historic Exteriors |
Cambridge Historical Commission |
Painting Historic Exteriors
This guide contains 80 pages of practical information about historic paint colors. It comes shrink-wrapped and 3-hole punched ready to be inserted in a binder. |
$10.00
Shipping is $3.00 |
Cambridge City Hall, 1890-1990 |
Cambridge Historical Commission |
Cambridge City Hall, 1890-1990
A brief illustrated history of Cambridge City Hall and noted benefactor Frederick Hastings Rindge. |
Out of print |
African American Heritage Trail, Cambridge, Massachusetts |
Cambridge Historical Commission and the Cambridge African American Heritage Trail Advisory Committee |
African American Heritage Trail, Cambridge, Massachusetts
Twenty historic plaques across the city honor notable African Americans who were abolitionists, authors, educators, and office holders in Cambridge from 1840 to 1940. The guide contains the complete text of each marker, a map with key, and a brief history of African Americans in Cambridge. |
$2.00
Shipping is $1.50 (1-2 book) or $3.00 (3+ books) |
Washington Takes Command, Cambridge During the American Revolution |
Historic Cambridge Collaborative |
Washington Takes Command, Cambridge During the American Revolution
This exciting map and guide explores events in Cambridge during the Revolution and identifies historic sites throughout the city. |
Free (limit one per household)
Shipping is $1.00 |
| Administrative/Regulatory Brochures: |
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Practical Guide to Permitting in the Harvard Square Conservation District |
Cambridge Historical Commission |
Practical Guide to Permitting in the Harvard Square Conservation District
Provides important information for permitting procedures in the Harvard Square Conservation District. |
Free online; hardcopy available at the CHC office |
| Window Guidelines |
Cambridge Historical Commission |
Helpful tips about repairing wood windows; important facts to consider before deciding to replace the windows. |
Free online; hardcopy available at the CHC office |
| HVAC Guidelines |
Cambridge Historical Commission |
Design and technical considerations for HVAC systems and exterior equipment. |
Free online; hardcopy available at the CHC office |
| "Protected Landmarks in Cambridge" brochure |
Cambridge Historical Commission |
This brochure explains the designation procedures and regulations of official city landmarks in Cambridge. |
Free online; hardcopy available at the CHC office |
| "Cambridge Historic Districts" brochure |
Cambridge Historical Commission |
This brochure explains the location and regulations of the two historic districts in Cambridge, the Old Cambridge Historic District and Fort Washington Historic District. |
Free online; hardcopy available at the CHC office |
| "Neighborhood Conservation Districts" brochure |
Cambridge Historical Commission |
This brochure explains the designation and regulatory procedures of the neighborhood conservation districts in Cambridge. |
Free online; hardcopy available at the CHC office |