Upper Magazine Street Historic District

Magazine Street in Cambridgeport runs from Central Square toward the site of the old powder magazine on the river. This district covers the upper stretch, where fine residences appeared early and mansions for local businessmen were built shortly before the Civil War. Later churches, apartments and houses added further layers. William Street is notable for Greek Revival houses with full-width porticos, built between 1835 and 1860, a rare grouping in the area. Key buildings include Pilgrim Congregational Church (1871), designed by Thomas W. Silloway, and Grace Methodist Church (1886), a Queen Anne design by Franklin E. Kidder. Other landmarks are the Mansard-style Joseph Hinman House (1875), the Brewer-Pulsifer House (1852), which blends Greek Revival and Italianate features, and the Bracketed Italianate Edward Hixon House (1857). The boundaries were drawn to include properties that contribute to the partly preserved nineteenth century streetscape, and the area remains in good condition.