Page 112 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide 2017 - Boston

110  BOST ON AREA B Y AREA

7 Cambridge

Part of the greater Boston metropolitan area, Cambridge is,
nonetheless, a city in its own right, and has the mood and feel
of such. Principally a college town, it is dominated by Harvard
University and other college campuses. It also boasts a
number of important historic sights, such as Christ Church
and Cambridge Common, which have associations back to
the American Revolution. Harvard Square is the area’s main
entertainment and shopping district.

P Longfellow National P Harvard Square Site of the Washington Elm, on
Historic Site Tel(617) 491-3434. 7 Cambridge Common
105 Brattle St. Tel (617) 876-4491. ∑ harvardsquare.com
Open Jun–Oct: 9:30am–5pm Wed– Even Bostonians think of P Cambridge Common
Sun. & ^ 7 8 Harvard Square as a stand-in for Set aside as common pasture
∑ nps.gov/long Cambridge – the square was and military drill ground in 1631,
This house on Brattle Street, like the original site of Cambridge Cambridge Common has
many around it, was built by from around 1630. Dominating served as a center for religious,
Colonial-era merchants loyal the square is the Harvard social, and political activity ever
to the British Crown during Cooperative Society (“the since. George Washington took
the Revolution. It was Coop”), a Harvard command of the Conti nental
seized by American institution, that sells Army here on July 3, 1775,
revolutionaries and inexpensive clothes, beneath the Washington Elm,
served as George posters, and books. now marked by a stone. The
Washington’s head- Harvard’s large common served as the army’s
quarters during the student population is encampment from 1775 to
Siege of Boston. very much in evidence 1776. Today the ball fields and
The poet Henry here, adding color to playgrounds are popular with
Wadsworth Longfellow the character of the families. In 1997 the first
boarded here in 1837, square. Many trendy monument in the U.S. to the
was given the house as Street musician, boutiques, inexpen- victims of the Irish Famine was
a wedding present in Harvard Square sive restaurants, and unveiled on the common.
1843, and lived here numerous cafés
until his death in 1882. He cater to their needs. Street R Christ Church
wrote his most famous poems performers abound, especially Garden St. Tel (617) 876-0200.
here, including Tales of a Wayside on the weekends, and the Open 8am–6pm Sun–Fri, 8am–
Inn and The Song of Hiawa tha. square has long been a place 3pm Sat. 5 7:45am, 10:15am Sun;
Longfellow’s status as literary where pop trends begin. Club 12:10pm Wed; 8am Thu. ^ 7
dean of Boston meant that Passim (see p162), for example, ∑ cccambridge.org
Nathaniel Hawthorne and has incubated many successful With its square bell tower and
Charles Sumner, among others, singer-song writers since Joan plain, gray shingled edifice, Christ
were regular visitors. Baez first debuted here in 1959. Church is a restrained example
of an Anglican church. Designed
in 1761 by Peter Harrison, the
architect of Boston’s King’s
Chapel (see p60), Christ Church
came in for rough treatment as
a barracks for Continental Army
troops in 1775 – British loyalists
had almost all fled Cambridge by
this time. The army even melted
down the organ pipes to cast
musket balls. The church was
restored on New Year’s Eve, 1775,
when George Washington and
his wife Martha were among
the worshipers. Anti-Anglican
sentiment remained strong in
Cambridge, and Christ Church
did not have its own rector again
Simple interior of Christ Church, designed prior to the Revolution in 1761 until the 19th century.

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Eyewitness Travel LAYERS PRINTED:
Catalogue template “UK” LAYER
(Source v2.7)
Date 1st October 2013
Size 125mm x 217mm