Harvard Street Historic District
Why it's listed
Harvard Street, at the summit of Dana Hill in Mid-Cambridge, is lined with large nineteenth-century houses built for Boston businessmen moving to the suburbs. The district covers about two acres between Ellery and Hancock Streets. Its houses date from 1850 to 1897 and show a sequence of styles: a wide-pilastered Greek Revival mansion at 335, a brick Italianate double house at 341-43, a Bracketed-Italianate house at 336, a pattern-book Gothic house at 338, a Mansard house at 342-44, and Colonial Revival houses at 337 and 340 designed by James P. Kelley and Arthur Vinal. The street was laid out as a direct route from Old Cambridge to Boston, over the objections of Judge Francis Dana, and by 1896 it was among the city's handsomest streets. Apartment buildings arrived in the 1920s and 1960s, yet the street retains much of its original appearance. The boundaries were drawn to include the large residences that once distinguished it.
Significance in brief: The district is significant for its many substantial, high-quality houses and for its role in the early suburbanization of Cambridge by prosperous Boston businessmen. Successive styles from Greek Revival and Italianate to Colonial Revival each left fine examples. The street keeps much of its original appearance despite later apartment buildings.
Machine-generated summary. This summary was generated by a language model from the official nomination document and has not been reviewed line by line by an editor. It may contain errors. Check the source document before relying on any detail. Source: nomination document (PDF) · National Archives catalog entry. NRHP reference 82001945, listed April 13, 1982. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | Harvard St. Between Ellery and Hancock Sts., Cambridge |
|---|---|
| County | Middlesex County |
| Listed | April 13, 1982 |
| Reference number | 82001945 |
| Resource type | District |
| Architect / builder | James P. Kelley, architect (337 Harvard Street); Arthur Vinal, architect (340 Harvard Street) |
| Architectural style | Greek Revival, Italianate, Gothic Revival, Mansard, Colonial Revival |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | State |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Described as in good to excellent condition, privately owned and in residential use. |
| Acreage | 2 |
| Coordinates | 42.37064, -71.10918 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
This is a historic district. Buildings within its boundary are either contributing (they add to the district's significance) or non-contributing. Owners of contributing income-producing buildings can claim the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit; homeowners should look at state credits. National Register districts impose no design review by themselves; a local historic district ordinance, if one exists, does (the difference explained).
General information, not legal or tax advice. Rules change; confirm with your State Historic Preservation Office or a qualified adviser.
Sources and further reading
- National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places database (snapshot May 2026), reference 82001945.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q5676576
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.