Harvard Houses Historic District

Along the Charles River in Cambridge, a group of Harvard undergraduate houses forms one of Greater Boston's most recognizable riverfront scenes. Most were built between 1913 and 1930 in the Georgian Revival style, largely by Shepley, Rutan & Coolidge and its successor firms. They grew out of President A. Lawrence Lowell's push to house students and faculty together, funded by gifts from Edward Harkness. Each house borrows details from a specific building in Old Harvard Yard or elsewhere, such as Massachusetts Hall, the Old State House and Holden Chapel. Houses include Kirkland, Eliot, Winthrop, Lowell, Dunster and McKinlock, along with the 1762 John Hicks House and several neo-Georgian clubs. Later modern buildings, including Quincy House, Leverett Towers, Mather House and Peabody Terrace, were added and are tied to the older houses by courtyards and open space. The district was listed for its architectural character and its link to the house system.