A collection of New England Brick Co. and other bricks at History Cafe in North Cambridge on May 8. (Photo: History Cambridge)
History Cambridge broke ground on a new programming model focused on exploring one city neighborhood in depth each year in January 2023. Starting with Cambridgeport and continuing with North Cambridge in 2024, the Neighborhood History Center model will allow for a deeper exploration of the people, places, events and stories that connect each neighborhood. During our year in Cambridgeport, we visited many local parks, homes and businesses for events and guided tours, but because Cambridgeport is primarily residential, we were not able to leave a physical footprint in the neighborhoods.
In April and May of this year, History Cambridge was fortunate to open a pop-up neighborhood history center on Massachusetts Avenue in North Cambridge. The retail space, located between Frank’s Steakhouse and Le French Club (formerly the Association of Notre Dame), was our first attempt at a temporary presence in a neighborhood, and during our short but busy two months, it led to numerous community events and opportunities to share local history. Though our stay was short, being in a physical space in the neighborhood was an invaluable experience for us, and we will use the lessons we learned from this experience as we continue our work in North Cambridge over the course of our year and plan for our next neighborhood in 2025.
Josie Kuchta spoke about the development of Cambridge’s brick industry at History Café on May 8. (Photo: History Cambridge)
In mid-April, we held a grand opening in the space to welcome those with whom we were already connected and introduce ourselves to neighbors we had never met. We had themed stations throughout the space, displaying images, newspaper articles, advertisements, census records, and other information about the area’s rich history, including industry, religion, immigration and ethnicity, food, and business. Many who attended the opening shared their own stories with us. We learned about cow bones and pottery shards found in residents’ backyards (remnants of a tannery and a pottery factory, respectively), heard stories of harsh punishment and extraordinary kindness from a teacher at a local religious school, and learned that one local couple had more than 10 hours of unedited footage of the final days of Verna’s Donuts.
Over the next few weeks, we hosted a History Café in the space, highlighting the rich industrial and cultural history of brick making in North Cambridge, invited the public to loan items for our local exhibition, and hosted an ’80s Night to look back on the area’s incredible development in the 1780s, 1880s, and 1980s. Community members brought items to the exhibition that help tell the story of North Cambridge, including grammar school diplomas, spelling bee trophies, books, photographs, pottery, and of course, bricks manufactured locally by the New England Brick Company.
A 19th-century medicine bottle discovered in a North Cambridge garden and displayed at a community exhibition in May. (Photo: History Cambridge)
At Thursday’s closing party, attendees were invited to provide input to the archives by commenting on suggested memorabilia about North Cambridge history, drawing their own borders for North Cambridge (there are no wrong answers), telling us their favorite neighborhood places, and voting for “Jerry’s Pit” or “Jerry’s Pond” (the vote was split evenly).
Although our time at our pop-up space on Massachusetts Avenue has concluded, History Cambridge looks forward to continuing to explore North Cambridge throughout the remainder of 2024. Our staff, board members and volunteers will be participating in numerous events, festivals and block parties throughout the summer. We also have exciting tours and programs planned. Sign up for our newsletter to stay up to date on news and events. We look forward to continuing to make Cambridge history with you!
History of Cambridge
Cambridge History began as the Cambridge Historical Society in 1905. Today we have a new name and a new mission. We engage with the city to explore how the past influences the present to shape a better future. We recognize that everyone in the city knows something about Cambridge history and that knowledge matters. We listen to our community and live by the ideal that history belongs to everyone. Throughout 2023, we will be focusing on the history of Cambridgeport. Make history with us at historycambridge.org.
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Beth Folsom is Program Manager at History Cambridge.
