Old Cambridgport Historic District

Old Cambridgeport is a small residential district of about 4.3 acres in Cambridge, Massachusetts, around Washington, Cherry and Harvard Streets. It marks the first development north of Massachusetts Avenue in Cambridgeport. In 1805-06 Andrew Boardman sold generous one-hundred-foot-square house lots here, though growth stayed sparse because the Broad Canal venture failed after the Embargo of 1807. Several Federal houses survive in moderately good condition, among them the 1807 Margaret Fuller house, described as exceptional in architectural and historical importance. A number of Greek Revival houses add to the mix. The 1805 Samuel P. P. Fay House, built by housewright Amos Ramsdell, recalls a probate judge and civic leader who protested the Embargo Act. Other homes belonged to the Reverend Thomas Wittemore and historian Lucius Paige. The neighborhood remains private, residential and in good to excellent condition, preserving an early, prosperous, conservative community.