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The Proceedings of the Cambridge Historical Society, Volume 25, 1938-1939 TABLE OF CONTENTS PROCEEDINGS One Hundred and Twenty-Third Meeting..........5 One Hundred and Twenty-Fourth Meeting……...8 Once Hundred and Twenty-Fifth Meeting.........10 One Hundred and Twenty-Sixth Meeting..........11 One Hundred and Twenty-Seventh Meeting…...13 One Hundred and Twenty-Eighth Meeting........16 One Hundred and Twenty-Ninth Meeting.........17 One Hundred and Thirtieth Meeting................18 PAPERS Chronicles of the Craigie House: The Coming of Longfellow...........19 By Henry Wadsworth Longfellow Dana The Origin of the New England Town.........................................61 By Joseph Henry Beale The Preservation of Historic Houses..........................................65 By Rev. Samuel A. Eliot Cooperation Between Schools and Local Historical Societies………..70 By Edwin B. Worthen The Observatory of Harvard College and Its Early Founders.........75 By Elizabeth L. Bond The Fayerweather House...............................................................86 By Mrs. James Lowell Moore 55 Garden Street...........................................................................95 By Lois Lilley Howe Charles Folsom and the McKeans................................................97 By Sarah McKean Folsom Enebuske "Information Please!"....................................................................113 By Samuel A. Eliot Dr. Estes Howe: A Citizen of Cambridge........................................122 By Lois Lilley Howe REPORTS Annual Report of Secretary and Council, 1937.............................142 Annual Report of Secretary and Council, 1938..............................145 Annual Report of Treasurer and Auditor, 1937...............................148 Annual Report of Treasurer and Auditor, 1938................................150 MEMBERS........................................................................................154 PROCEEDINGS OF The Cambridge Historical Society ONE HUNDRED AND TWENTY-THIRD MEETING THIRTY-THIRD ANNUAL MEETING THE THIRTY-THIRD ANNUAL MEETING OF THE CAMBRIDGE HISTORICAL SOCIETY was held at the Craigie House, 105 Brattle Street, on January 25, 1938. There were nearly ninety members and guests present. The meeting was called to order by the President shortly after eight o'clock. The minutes of the Special Meeting of the Society, held at Christ Church on December 16, 1937, were read and, there being no objection, were approved. The Treasurer presented his annual report; and Frank Gaylord Cook, Esq., presented his report as Auditor. Both reports were received and ordered placed on file. The Secretary presented the report of the Council and of the Secretary, which was upon motion received and ordered filed. The Secretary then read the report of the Nominating Committee, as follows: President --- ROBERT WALCOTT Vice-Presidents --- JOSEPH H. BEALE, FRANK GAYLORD COOK, LOIS LILLEY HOWE Secretary --- ELDON R. JAMES Treasurer --- GEORGE A. MACOMBER Curator --- WALTER B. BRIGGS Editor --- DAVID T. POTTINGER 5 Council: the above and SAMUEL A. ELIOT, C. LESLIE GLENN ROGER GILMAN, , ELIZABETH B. PIPER, MRS. CHARLES P. VOSBURGH The President called for further nominations. There being none, it was voted that the nominations be closed and that the Secretary be directed to cast one ballot for those nominated by the Committee. The ballot having been cast by the Secretary, all those nominated by the Nominating Committee were elected to serve during the year. Dr. Eliot moved that a vote of appreciation be given to the retiring Treasurer, Willard Hatch Sprague, for his distinguished services. The motion was unanimously adopted. The President called the attention of the Society to the fact that the publication of the Proceedings of the Society was now up to date, those for the years 1936 and 1937 having been distributed to the members of the Society on the day of the Annual Meeting. He congratulated the Editor, Mr. Pottinger, upon his accomplishment. The statement of the President was received with much applause. The President reported that an agreement had been made for the sale of 9 Pollen Street for the sum of $15,000 cash, less $600 real estate commission, the transfer to take place on or before February i, 1938. This being approximately the one hundredth anniversary of the coming of Longfellow to the Craigie House, the President introduced Mr. HENRY WADSWORTH LONGFELLOW DANA, the grandson of the poet, who read a most interesting account of Longfellow at the Craigie House.1 Passages from unpublished Longfellow journals and letters written in the house formed a considerable part of this important paper. 1. See post, pp. 19-60. 6 At the conclusion, the thanks of the Society were voted to Mr. Dana for his interesting and important paper, and also to Mr. Dana, Mrs. Charles Hopkinson, and the Longfellow Trustees for their kindness in permitting the meeting to be held at the Craigie House. The meeting then adjourned. 7 ONE HUNDRED AND TWENTY-FOURTH MEETING THE SOCIETY met for its Spring Meeting at the residence of Mrs. Wallace M. Scudder, 164 Brattle Street, on Tuesday, April 26, 1938. In the absence of the President, Vice-president Frank Gaylord Cook presided. The meeting was called to order at 8:15 o'clock. The minutes of the previous meeting were read and approved. The Secretary presented the following recommendation of the Council; and upon motion made and seconded it was VOTED: That the action of the President, Robert Walcott, in signing, sealing, acknowledging, and delivering for and in behalf of the Cambridge Historical Society a quitclaim deed conveying premises located at 9 Follen Street, Cambridge, to Margaret F. Schroeder and others on April n, 1938, be and the same is ratified, confirmed, and approved. Upon motion made and seconded it was VOTED: That until further action of this Society no investment of the funds of this Society be made except in deposits in Massachusetts savings banks or in securities legal for Massachusetts savings banks. Upon motion it was VOTED: That until the next Annual Meeting, the President, the Treasurer, and Mr. Philip P. Sharpies be the Investment Committee. Mr. Briggs presented the invitation of the Lexington Historical Society requesting that the Cambridge Historical Society be the guest of the Lexington Historical Society on Wednesday, June 8, from 5:30 to 8 P.M. The invitation was accepted with thanks, and the Secretary was directed to communicate the acceptance to the 8 Lexington Historical Society and also to consult with it as to the program. Mrs. Vosburgh reported that she had kept for the Society a number of interesting articles formerly in the Bowen house, which might be used to fill a Bowen Memorial case when the Society secured a permanent home. These articles had been deposited with the Curator; a list of them was given to the Secretary. Mr. Briggs reported the gift from the Historical Society of Watertown of a volume issued by that Society containing the records of the court of Nathaniel Harris, a Justice of the Peace. The Secretary was directed to send the thanks of this Society to the Watertown Historical Society. The Vice-President then introduced Professor JOSEPH H. BEALE, who spoke on the origin of 1 the New England town. After Professor Beale's address, which was listened to with great interest and attention, there were remarks by members of the Society, in which interesting side-lights upon the New England town were developed. After expressing the thanks of the Society to Mrs. Scudder for her generous hospitality, and to Professor Beale for his paper, the Society adjourned for refreshments. 1. See post, pp. 61-64. 9 ONE HUNDRED AND TWENTY-FIFTH MEETING UPON THE INVITATION OF THE LEXINGTON HISTORICAL SOCIETY, the Cambridge Historical Society met with the Lexington Historical Society at the Gary Memorial Building in Lexington on June 8, 1938, at four o'clock P.M. The meeting was called to order by Mr. W. R. Greeley, President of the Lexington Historical Society, at 4:15 P.M. After a witty and interesting address Mr. Greeley introduced Rev. SAMUEL A. ELIOT, who spoke on "Our Common Concern for the Preservation of Historical Sites, Scenes, and Buildings."1 Mr. Greeley then introduced Mr. EDWIN B. WORTHEN of the Lexington Historical Society, who gave a very interesting talk on the subject of cooperation between schools and local historical societies.2 President Walcott was then introduced by Mr. Greeley and spoke briefly of the relations between the two communities, Lexington and Cambridge. The meeting, which was largely attended, then adjourned for refreshments provided by the Lexington Historical Society. 1. See post, pp. 65-69. 2. S ee post, pp. 70-74. 10 ONE HUNDRED AND TWENTY-SIXTH MEETING THE SOCIETY met for its Autumn Meeting with Mrs. Harlow Shapley, at the Harvard Observatory, in Building D, the Library, on October 25, 1938. The meeting was called to order by the President at 8:25 P.M. About seventy-five members and guests were present. The minutes of the previous meeting were read and approved. The vote recommended by the Council, as it appeared upon the notice for this meeting, sent to all the members of the Society, was read by the Secretary, who moved its adoption. The motion was seconded. Mrs. Burr requested that her letter to the President, a copy of which had been sent to the Secretary, be read, which was accordingly done. The President was asked for a statement. After reading Miss Bowen's