{"nrhp_refnum":"83000828","name":"St. James Episcopal Church","other_names":[],"category":"building","location":{"address":"1991 Massachusetts Ave.","address_restricted":false,"city":"Cambridge","county":"Middlesex County","state":"MA","lat":42.39086857700005,"lon":-71.12066826199998,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"1983-06-30","is_nhl":false,"nhl_designated_date":null,"areas_of_significance":["Architecture","Religion"],"significance_levels":["local"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"A stone and brick Episcopal church at 1991 Massachusetts Avenue in Cambridge, Massachusetts, built in 1888-89 to designs by architect Henry M. Congdon for St. James Parish.","why_significant":"The nomination argues the church is significant under criterion A for its ties to the development of Massachusetts Avenue and North Cambridge, especially the Yankee community between Harvard and Porter Squares. Under criterion C, it is a good local example of Richardsonian Romanesque church design, notable for its siting and its mix of four materials.","narrative":"St. James Episcopal Church, at 1991 Massachusetts Avenue in Cambridge, was built in 1888-89 for a parish that began in 1864 as a mission from Christ Church. Its first chapel went up in 1871 on Beech Street. In 1885 the congregation bought the present corner site, which held the Davenport Tavern, standing since 1757. One section of the tavern was moved to Somerville and the rest was demolished. Architect Henry M. Congdon of New York designed the church in the Richardsonian Romanesque style. A crossing tower dominates a picturesque composition of buttresses, gables, dormers and porches, built of puddingstone, brownstone, brick and slate. The compact, centralized plan suits low-church Episcopal worship. Funding came partly from Old Cambridge parishioners, including a large gift from Mary Longfellow Greenleaf. The church was listed for its link to the Yankee community of North Cambridge and as a good local example of Richardsonian Romanesque church design.","period_of_significance":null,"architect_builder":"Henry M. Congdon","architectural_style":"Richardsonian Romanesque","criteria":["A","C"],"status_note":"Listed as a church in present use; the form records no alterations and no move.","vacant_flag":false,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.0-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 02:11:57.501415-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/opastorage/live/13/7906/63790613/content/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_MA/83000828.pdf"},"photo":{"url_800":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/83000828/ae574ccaa7-800.webp","url_1600":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/83000828/ae574ccaa7-1600.webp","licence":"Public domain","author":"George M. Cushing, Photographer","credit_html":"<a href=\"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:St._James_Church,_1991_Massachusetts_Avenue,_Cambridge_(Middlesex_County,_Massachusetts).jpg\" rel=\"noopener\">George M. Cushing, Photographer</a>, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons","source_page":"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:St._James_Church,_1991_Massachusetts_Avenue,_Cambridge_(Middlesex_County,_Massachusetts).jpg"},"district":null,"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/63790613","wikipedia":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St._James_Episcopal_Church_(Cambridge,_Massachusetts)","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q14715862"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/massachusetts/middlesex-county/st-james-episcopal-church-83000828/"}