Cambridge Discovery Walks: July 2 and July 9, 2005

The Historic Cambridge Collaborative presents
Cambridge Discovery Walks
Saturday, July 2 and Saturday, July 9

Walks are listed by starting times. Tours marked * are offered both Saturdays.

SATURDAY, JULY 2, 2005
9:00-10:00am
From Horse Races to Immigrant Faces: The Transformation of the Race Course Subdivision of North Cambridge
Did you know there once was a popular horse racetrack and hotel on Cedar Street in North Cambridge? Learn about the nineteenth century pastime of trotting races, the famous trainer Hiram Woodruff, and his more-famous horse. Can you guess her name? (She is remembered in a popular song.) After the track closed in 1855, the racecourse was subdivided into house lots and the new neighborhood became home to many Irish and French Canadian immigrants. We will walk along the perimeter of the racecourse, then explore the quiet interior streets and nineteenth century houses, including examples of the North Cambridge workers’ cottage, a vernacular house form that was once very common in the neighborhood.
Guide: Sarah Burks, Cambridge Historical Commission
Meet at Barry’s Corner, intersection of Rindge Avenue and Cedar Street
More information: sburks@cambridgema.gov

9:00-10:30am
Tales of Olde Cambridge
Your guide, actor Timothy Sawyer, will conjure the village of Olde Cambridge (now Harvard Square) in the days of Puritans and revolutionaries and tell true tales of witches, patriots, traitors, spies, murderers, heroes, heretics, and (gasp) liberals.
Guide: Timothy Sawyer, SawyerMac Productions
Meet at the rock in Winthrop Park, corner of JFK and Mount Auburn Streets, in front of Peet’s Coffee (and get a coupon for a free cup of coffee)
More information: 617 354 3344 or www.livelylore.com

10:00-11:00am
*The Human Side of George Washington
Washington’s reputation as a man distant and reserved is evident in the famous portrait by Gilbert Stuart – the general stares out at us from the dollar bill with an icy countenance. But, as at no other time in his life, General Washington consistently revealed his more human side in letters and orders written from the Cambridge headquarters, showing his efforts to cope with his frustrations in organizing, supplying, and motivating the new American army. Dressed as a colonial civilian, John Trumbull, Ranger Paul Blandford will quote from the documents Washington sent to his family, close friends, the Continental Congress, and members of his military command.
Guide: Paul Blandford, National Park Service
Meet at the front gate of the Longfellow National Historic Site, 105 Brattle Street
More information: 617 876 4491

10:00am-2:00pm
Play Ball! Civil War Era Base Ball--The Essex Base Ball Club vs. The Lynn Live Oaks
Base ball was once a simpler game, played by gentlemen on green fields for pure recreation. Balls were caught with bare hands and good play was applauded from both sides. Playing by to Civil War-era rules with period equipment and uniforms, the Essex Base Ball Club and the Lynn Live Oaks present an exciting depiction of the customs, styles, and etiquette of base ball’s formative years. The clubs also pay homage to Cambridge’s three Hall of Fame ball players, Timothy Keefe, Joe Kelley, and John Clarkson. Visit an exhibit on the lives and careers of these Cambridge sporting legends, and learn about Cambridge’s rich base ball history. See the Hall of Famers’s uniforms modeled by members of the clubs. From 1:00 to 2:00 p.m. you’ll even have the opportunity to take your best swings against "Clarkson" and "Keefe" or hurl against the mighty "Kelley"!
Played at St. Peter’s Field, Garden Street near Walden and Sherman streets
More information: Brian Sheehy 978 790 5707 historyball@yahoo.com
www.essexbaseball.org

10:30, 11:30am, 1:00, 2:00, 3:00, 4:00pm
*Tours of the Longfellow National Historic Site
Step into America’s past on a tour of the Longfellow house. For almost half a century (1837-1882) this was the home of the renowned poet, scholar, and educator, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, and a favorite gathering place for prominent philosophers and artists, including Nathaniel Hawthorne, Julia Ward Howe, James Russell Lowell, and Ralph Waldo Emerson. General George Washington, Commander-in-Chief of the newly formed Continental Army, used the house as his headquarters in the winter of 1775-1776. He, too, entertained many notable visitors, including Benjamin Franklin and Benedict Arnold. Readings from poems, letters, and diaries enliven the tours.
Led by National Park Service Rangers
At Longfellow National Historic Site, 105 Brattle Street
More information: 617 876 4491
Admission charge

11:00 a.m.-Noon
*"Have you milked the cow today?"—18th century Activities for Children
Have you milked the cow? Chopped the wood? Gathered the eggs? With Mistress Elizabeth, you’ll learn to write your name with a quill pen, card and spin wool, sing a song, and do a country dance—THAT will explain why your chores aren’t done! Materials will be provided. Children must be accompanied by a responsible adult.
Guide: Mistress Elizabeth (Donna LaRue)
All activities take place on the sidewalk in front of First Parish Church, corner of Massachusetts Avenue and Church Street
More information: 781 306 0724 or ihsdlrue@bu.edu

11:00am-Noon
The British Loyalists of Brattle Street
On the eve of the American Revolution, Cambridge was home to about 800 people. Most were farmers, artisans, or tradespeople who relied on local resources for their livelihoods. Many would fight for independence from British rule. A much smaller group of wealthy families, many of whom were related by blood and marriage, occupied sizable estates along today’s Brattle Street and Elmwood Avenue, where they lived apart from the mainstream of town affairs. Labeled Tories or loyalists, they would support the Crown in the coming war. A contemporary observer wrote: "Seven families had here farms, gardens, and magnificent houses . . . . Never had I chanced on such an agreeable situation." The walk will visit the homes (outside only!) of six Loyalists, stopping at each one to tell the story of that family’s rise and fall.
Guide: Ted Hansen, Cambridge Historical Society
Meet outside the front gate, Longfellow National Historic Site, 105 Brattle Street
More information: tedhansen1@aol.com

12:30-1:30am
*The Old Cambridge Burying Ground: Scholars, Soldiers & Stones
The tour will look at the work of early colonial carvers; discuss the stones and the information they tell about important figures in the Cambridge community; and study how the town’s public and private educational and governmental institutions functioned in the years just prior to the American Revolution. The tour will be led by Mistress Elizabeth, an 18th century living history character from Charlestown-Beyond-the-Neck, who is the widow of Captain Elias de la Rue and a sometime schoolteacher. Mistress Elizabeth lives in the summer of the year 1773, just six months before the Boston Tea Party and three years before events at Lexington and Concord. Children under the age of 14 must be accompanied by a responsible adult. No touching or rubbing of stones is permitted in the grounds; photography and drawing are fine! Handouts included.
Guide: Mistress Elizabeth (Donna La Rue, church historian)
Meet at the Old Burying Ground at the side gate near the front entrance to Christ Church, Zero Garden Street
More information: 781 306 0724 or ihsdlrue@bu.edu

1:00-2:00pm
The Women of Central Square
The tour will focus on women’s contributions to Cambridge. Learn about the lives and struggles of women politicians and feminists, visit the country’s oldest Women’s Center, and listen to the stories of Charlotte Hawkins Brown, Maria Baldwin, and other important women and women’s institutions.
Guide: Mary Leno, Cambridge Women’s Commission
Meet on the sidewalk in front of City Hall
More information: 617 349 4697

1:00-2:00pm
A History of West Cambridge near Fresh Pond
In the early years of the Massachusetts Bay Colony, the area now known as West Cambridge was part of the farming community of Watertown. As West Cambridge from 1754, it has an interesting and varied history of farms, country estates with grand mansion houses and gardens, market greenhouses, a cemetery, and suburban housing development. The Larchwood neighborhood, developed in 1915 on the former William Gray estate, is the focus of this tour.
Guide: Karen Falb, landscape historian
Meet at 245 Brattle Street
More information: 617 864 4291

1:00-2:30pm
*The Cambridge of James Russell Lowell
James Russell Lowell (1819-1891) was the first editor of the Atlantic Monthly, as well as a poet, essayist, educator, humorist, and critic. During his several years abroad as a scholar and diplomat, he never stopped yearning for his hometown: "I like Cambridge better than any other spot on the earth’s surface." Learn about Lowell’s life and times as we walk the well-worn path from his friend Longfellow’s house to Elmwood, the Lowell family’s home.
Guide: Aurore Eaton, local historian
Meet on the front lawn at Longfellow National Historic Site, 105 Brattle Street
More information: histtours@aol.com

2:00-3:15pm
*Harvard Square’s Colonial Churches: Agents of Change
Diversity of religious and political affiliations have been issues in Cambridge since Harvard’s first president became a Baptist and was asked to resign. We will visit historic church sites; discuss how issues between Cambridge and Boston clergy foreshadowed and influenced events leading up to the American War for Independence; and discover how lay and clergy alike were schooled to their professions and added to the town’s already complex texture. We will sing a tune from the Bay Psalm Book at the site where it was published and join in a rousing political song or two at the Blue Anchor Tavern site (there having been varieties of religious experience even then . . .). Handouts included. The tour will be led by Mistress Elizabeth, an 18th century living history character from Charlestown-Beyond-the-Neck, who is the widow of Captain Elias de la Rue and a sometime schoolteacher. Mistress Elizabeth lives in the summer of the year 1773, just six months before the Boston Tea Party and three years before events at Lexington and Concord.
Guide: Mistress Elizabeth (Donna La Rue, church historian)
Meet at Out Of Town News/Cambridge Discovery Kiosk
More information: 781 306 0724 or ihsdlrue@bu.edu

2:00-3:30pm
Memorable Cantabrigians at Cambridge Cemetery
Tour this scenic cemetery founded in the 1850s on the model of its older neighbor, Mount Auburn. Visit the graves of individuals who shaped the city of Cambridge and influenced the larger world, including the famed architect Henry Van Brunt, the author and editor William Dean Howells, and the remarkable James family.
Guide: Janet Heywood, Mount Auburn Cemetery
Meet inside the entrance to Cambridge Cemetery, 76 Coolidge Avenue
More information: 617 607 1981 or friends@mountauburn.org

3:00–4:00pm
Architecture of MIT
The MIT campus hosts the work of several remarkable 20th century architects – and has just completed an unprecedented building program that has transformed the built environment. The tour will begin on the steps of 77 Massachusetts Avenue with an overview of MIT's campus. We will head across the street to view the work Eero Saarinen, Eduardo Catalano, and Alvar Aalto. From post-war modernism, we will move back in time to consider MIT’s beginnings in the 1860s in Boston’s Back Bay and the big move to Cambridge in 1916. We will discuss William Welles Bosworth’s Beaux Art design, which was inspired by Thomas Jefferson's University of Virginia. Continuing along Memorial Drive, we will explore the extraordinary contributions I. M. Pei made throughout his career to MIT’s architecture. Next, we will look at some of the school’s newest additions, including the Stata Center designed by Frank O. Gehry.
Guide: Jennifer Hance, local historian and MIT alum
Meet on steps in front of 77 Massachusetts Avenue
More information: 617 492 6463 or jhance@alum.mit.edu

4:00-5:00pm
The Tempest Within: George Washington’s Struggle with Slavery
When Washington reached Cambridge in July 1775 to take command of the Continental Army, he was taken aback to find among his troops a considerable number of free blacks. Over the course of the Revolutionary War, he developed a great respect for these soldiers who were willing to risk everything for freedom’s cause at a time when most of their countrymen still endorsed the institution of slavery. Washington struggled for the rest of his life with this fundamental contradiction, eventually setting his slaves free at Mount Vernon and concluding that the reality of slavery and the ideal of liberty could not long coexist. His personal struggles and thoughts are conveyed by dramatic readings from his letters and other materials
Presented by John Bell, Paul Blandford, and Nancy Jones, National Park Service
Held on the east lawn, Longfellow National Historic Site, 105 Brattle Street
More information: 617 876 4491

SATURDAY, JULY 9, 2005
9:30-10:30am
The Literary Spirit: Scholars and Writers in Cambridge
Stroll through one of Cambridge’s most beautiful neighborhoods and meet the spirits of important cultural and literary individuals, including Richard Henry Dana (Two Years Before the Mast) and William Dean Howells (The Rise of Silas Lapham).
Guide: Kit Rawlins, Cambridge Historical Commission
Meet on the front lawn of the Longfellow House, 105 Brattle Street
More information: 617 349 4685 or krawlins@cambridgema.gov

10:00-11:00am
*The Human Side of George Washington
Washington’s reputation as a man distant and reserved is evident in the famous portrait by Gilbert Stuart – the general stares out at us from the dollar bill with an icy countenance. But, as at no other time in his life, General Washington consistently revealed his more human side in letters and orders written from the Cambridge headquarters, showing his efforts to cope with his frustrations in organizing, supplying, and motivating the new American army. Dressed as a colonial civilian, John Trumbull, Ranger Paul Blandford will quote from documents Washington sent to his family, close friends, the Continental Congress, and members of his military command.
Guide: Paul Blandford, National Park Service
Meet at the front gate of the Longfellow National Historic Site, 105 Brattle Street
More information: 617 876 4491

10:00-11:00am
Guided Tour of the Hooper-Lee-Nichols House
Built ca. 1685, the Hooper-Lee-Nichols House is one of the oldest structures in Cambridge. It has been modified and enlarged many times over the last three hundred years, reflecting changing architectural styles and tastes and is now home to the Cambridge Historical Society.
Guide: Lewis Bushnell, Cambridge Historical Society
Meet at Hooper-Lee-Nichols House, Cambridge Historical Society, 159 Brattle Street
More information: 617 547 4252 or lbushnell@cambridgehistory.org

10:30, 11:30am, 1:00, 2:00, 3:00, 4:00pm
*Tours of the Longfellow National Historic Site
Step into America’s past on a tour of the Longfellow house. For almost half a century (1837-1882) this was the home of the renowned poet, scholar, and educator, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, and a favorite gathering place for prominent philosophers and artists, including Nathaniel Hawthorne, Julia Ward Howe, James Russell Lowell, and Ralph Waldo Emerson. General George Washington, Commander-in-Chief of the newly formed Continental Army, used the house as his headquarters in the winter of 1775-1776. He, too, entertained many notable visitors, including Benjamin Franklin and Benedict Arnold. Readings from poems, letters, and diaries will enliven the tours.
Led by National Park Service Rangers
At Longfellow National Historic Site, 105 Brattle Street
More information: 617 876 4491
Admission charge

11:00am-Noon
*The Old Cambridge Burying Ground: Scholars, Soldiers & Stones
The tour will look at the work of early colonial carvers; discuss the stones and the information they tell about important figures in the Cambridge community; and study how the town’s public and private educational and governmental institutions functioned in the years just prior to the American Revolution. The tour will be led by Mistress Elizabeth, an 18th century living history character from Charlestown-Beyond-the-Neck, who is the widow of Captain Elias de la Rue and a sometime schoolteacher. Mistress Elizabeth lives in the summer of the year 1773, just six months before the Boston Tea Party and three years before events at Lexington and Concord. Children under the age of 14 must be accompanied by a responsible adult. No touching or rubbing of stones is permitted in the grounds; photography and drawing are fine! Handouts included.
Guide: Mistress Elizabeth (Donna La Rue, church historian)
Meet at the Old Burying Ground at the side gate near the front entrance to Christ Church, Zero Garden Street
More information: 781 306 0724 or ihsdlrue@bu.edu

11:00am-Noon
Four Centuries of Stylish Houses
Our meeting place, the Hooper-Lee-Nichols House, dates to the 17th century and is the oldest house on Brattle Street. Inside, we will briefly examine architectural details dating from the 17th to the 20th centuries. The walking tour will then proceed west on Brattle Street, exploring Fayerweather and Reservoir streets, Highland Avenue, and Appleton Street. We will see fine examples of domestic architecture from all periods of Cambridge history and discuss the many architectural styles represented and describe their character-defining traits. Notable architects and owners will also be mentioned
Guide: Karen Davis, Cambridge Historical Society
Meet at the Hooper-Lee-Nichols House, 159 Brattle Street
More information: 617 547 4252 or kdavis@cambridgehistory.org

11:00am-Noon
East Cambridge: We Were All in the Same Boat
Explore the sights and sounds of East Cambridge from the 1920s through the 1950s as we meander through the streets of this tightly knit multi-ethnic neighborhood. Hear stories from residents whose parents and grandparents immigrated here from Ireland, Italy, Poland, and Portugal. Imagine Angelina, master of the snow cone; the Feast of Sts. Cosmas and Damian on Ninth Street; and Chandu the Magician at the old Hip theater.
Guides: Sarah Boyer, author of All in the Same Boat: 20th Century Stories of East Cambridge, and local residents
Meet outside the Sweet Touch Café, 241 Cambridge Street (one block from Lechmere Station, on the same side of the street)
More information: 617 349 6171 or sboyer@cambridgema.gov

11:00am-Noon
Peter Salem, Fighting in the Hope of Freedom: African Americans in the War of Independence
Bruce Harris presents this first-person costumed performance based on the life of Peter Salem, a black Continental soldier and former slave who fought at Concord and in the Battle of Bunker Hill.
Presented by: Bruce Harris, local historian and actor
On the east lawn of Longfellow National Historic Site, 105 Brattle Street
More information: 617 876 4491

11:00am-Noon
Inside and Out: Public Art from Massachusetts Avenue to Inman Square
View Lisa Houck's painted and tile murals in the Cambridge Senior Center and learn how Mike Glier interpreted Cambridge city service departments in Town Green, encircling the atrium of the McCusker Center on Broadway. Explore Vellucci Plaza as transformed by Jock Reynolds and Suzanne Hellmuth. The tour will end at Ellery Eddy's beloved Engine Company #5 in Inman Square.
Guide: Barbara Martin, Cambridge Public Art Commission
Meet at entrance to Cambridge Senior Center, 806 on Massachusetts Avenue
More information: 617 864 2314

Noon-12:20pm, 1:00-1:20pm
Public Art Acts: Engine Co. #5 (street theatre)
Performance by the Underground Railway Theatre
Where? Vellucci Plaza, junction of Hampshire and Cambridge streets
More information: 617 349 4389

12:30-1:30pm
*"Have you milked the cow today?"—18th century Activities for Children
Have you milked the cow? Chopped the wood? Gathered the eggs? With Mistress Elizabeth, you’ll learn to write your name with a quill pen, card and spin wool, sing a song and do a country dance—THAT will explain why your chores aren’t done! Materials will be provided. Children must be accompanied by a responsible adult.
Guide: Mistress Elizabeth (Donna LaRue)
All activities take place on the sidewalk in front of First Parish Church, corner of Massachusetts Avenue and Church Street
More information: 781 306 0724 or ihsdlrue@bu.edu

1:00-2:30pm
Tip O’Neill’s North Cambridge
Explore the history and architecture of this North Cambridge neighborhood, from the first day of the American Revolution through the 20th century. The tour will discuss the neighborhood's agricultural and early industrial origins and its development as a streetcar suburb. Massachusetts Avenue and adjacent side streets will be featured, including several sites associated with the late Speaker of the House of Representatives.
Guide: Charlie Bahne, Cambridge historian
Meet at St. James’s Church, corner Massachusetts Avenue and Beech Street
More information: 617 354 0539

2:00-3:00pm
The Poet’s Daughter: A Special Performance of a Work in Progress
A work in progress, this costumed performance features the sixteen year old Alice Longfellow, the oldest daughter of Henry and Fanny Longfellow. Script by Stephanie Kelsch; performed by Emily Wright.
Where? On the east lawn of Longfellow National Historic Site, 105 Brattle Street
More information: 617 876 4491
Repeat performance on July 31st at 2:00pm, same location

2:00-3:30pm
Mount Auburn Cemetery – A National Historic Landmark
Discover Mount Auburn’s treasures. The cemetery, a designated National Historic Landmark, is one of the country’s most significant designed landscapes. Here, the arts of horticulture, architecture, and sculpture combine with the glories of nature to create a place of comfort and inspiration. This 1.5 mile walking tour will focus on stories of history, monuments, and the lives of those buried here. We will visit the graves of some well-known Cantabrigians and Bostonians, including reformers, politicians, artists, and writers who changed the world around them. We will be walking at a gentle pace on roads and grassy paths through Mount Auburn’s hills and dells surrounded by the beauties of summer.
Guide: Bree Detamore Harvey, Mount Auburn Cemetery
Meet at Mount Auburn Cemetery, 580 Mount Auburn Street
More information: 617 607 1981 or friends@mountauburn.org

HISTORIC CAMBRIDGE COLLABORATIVE
Created in 1998, the Historic Cambridge Collaborative is a group of nonprofit
historical and educational Cambridge institutions working together
to develop public programs that celebrate Cambridge history.

CAMBRIDGE ARTS COUNCIL
617 349 4380
www.cambridgema.gov/~CAC

CAMBRIDGE HISTORICAL COMMISSION
617 349 4683
www.cambridgema.gov/~Historic

CAMBRIDGE HISTORICAL SOCIETY
617 547 4252
www.cambridgehistory.org

CAMBRIDGE OFFICE FOR TOURISM
617 441 2884
www.cambridge-usa.org

FRIENDS OF MOUNT AUBURN CEMETERY
617 547 7105
www.mountauburn.org

LONGFELLOW NATIONAL HISTORIC SITE
617 876 4491
www.nps.gov/long

This program was funded in part by a grant from the Massachusetts Cultural Council.

12 page PDF brochure available at http://www.cambridgema.gov/Historic/walks_long_2005.pdf

2 page PDF brochure available at http://www.cambridgema.gov/Historic/walkingtours.pdf