{"nrhp_refnum":"82001931","name":"Cambridge Public Library","other_names":[],"category":"building","location":{"address":"449 Broadway St.","address_restricted":false,"city":"Cambridge","county":"Middlesex County","state":"MA","lat":42.37420920900007,"lon":-71.11087671599995,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"1982-04-13","is_nhl":false,"nhl_designated_date":null,"areas_of_significance":["Architecture","Social History"],"significance_levels":["state"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"Public library at 449 Broadway in Cambridge, Massachusetts, built in 1888 in the Richardsonian Romanesque style to designs by Van Brunt & Howe. It is still used as a library and is owned by the City of Cambridge.","why_significant":"The library was the first of four public buildings given to the City of Cambridge by Frederick H. Rindge. Rindge chose the Van Brunt & Howe design from a field of five architectural firms. The design combines Richardsonian motifs and draws on earlier Richardson libraries at Woburn, Quincy and North Easton. A reviewer cited its significance as a public institution and for its association with the donor.","narrative":"Cambridge Public Library, at 449 Broadway, was completed in 1888 and remains in use as the city's library. Designed by Van Brunt & Howe in the Richardsonian Romanesque style, it is built of rough stone with brown stone trim, a red tile roof with copper trim, and a conical tower. A major addition was made in 1968. The building was the first of four public buildings that Frederick H. Rindge gave to the City of Cambridge. Rindge selected the Van Brunt & Howe design from a competition among five architectural firms, including Peabody & Stearns, McKim, Mead & White, Chamberlin & Whidden, and William Wentworth. The design blends motifs from H. H. Richardson's work and draws heavily on his earlier libraries at Woburn, Quincy and North Easton, reflecting the popularity of his buildings at the time. It was listed for its architecture, its role as a public institution, and its association with Rindge.","period_of_significance":null,"architect_builder":"Van Brunt & Howe","architectural_style":"Richardsonian Romanesque","criteria":["A","B","C"],"status_note":"Present use is library; a major addition was made in 1968.","vacant_flag":false,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.0-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 02:11:54.969254-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/opastorage/live/86/7905/63790586/content/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_MA/82001931.pdf"},"photo":{"url_800":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/82001931/7d86eed7dc-800.webp","url_1600":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/82001931/7d86eed7dc-1600.webp","licence":"Public domain","author":"Daderot","credit_html":"<a href=\"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Cambridge_Public_Library_-_Cambridge,_MA_-_panorama.jpg\" rel=\"noopener\">Daderot</a>, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons","source_page":"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Cambridge_Public_Library_-_Cambridge,_MA_-_panorama.jpg"},"district":null,"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/63790586","wikipedia":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cambridge_Public_Library","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q5025501"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/massachusetts/middlesex-county/cambridge-public-library-82001931/"}