Winter 2006 The Newetowne Chronicle/ 1 IN THIS ISSUE P E O P L E A N D P L A C E S Winter 2006 Volume VI, Number 1 Lost to Fire _________________________ By Michael Kenney P E O P L E A N D P L A C E S Lost to Fire When the John Appleton House at 163 Brattle Street burned to the ground during cover story the night of December 8, 2005, a living link to Cambridge’s historic past was lost. That fire triggered a search through the records of the Society, the Cam- F R O M T H E P R E S I D E N T A Great Year for the CHS bridge Historical Commission, and the city’s Fire Department to find equally sto- page 2 ried structures that were lost or severely damaged by fire—as well as an account of Cambridge’s “Great Fire.” F R O M T H E D I R E C T O R Looking Ahead page 3 While not on the scale of the “great fires” in Boston and Chicago, a lack of water turned the fire on June 12, 1828, at Hovey’s Tavern and Stable s on Main Street S O C I E T Y N E W S (now part of Massachusetts Avenue) into a major disaster, according to an ac- Annual meeting reports page 4 count in the Cambridge Firemen’s Relief Association’s “History of the Fire Ser- vice” (1888). It was brought under control only when Boston firefighters—who K E Y N O T E A D D R E S S were among the many departments that responded—were able to dam a creek at Neoclassical Furniture: A lecture Brookline and Auburn streets as the tide was running out, then pumped its water by Robert Mussey, Jr. some 1,500 feet up to the scene of the fire. Page 6 O C T O B E R P R O G R A M According to Cambridge Fire Captain Stephen Persson, the department’s histo- A Walking Tour of Harvard rian, that fire “was the catalyst” for the state legislature to establish an organized Square fire department for the city some three years later. (continued on page 8) page 8 F R O M T H E L I B R A R Y & A R C H I V E Mark Time page 7 C A L E N D A R O F E V E N T S page 9 ______________________ THE CAMBRIDGE HISTORICAL SOCIETY The Hooper-Lee-Nichols House 159 Brattle Street Cambridge Historical Society archives Cambridge, Massachusetts 02138 Tel: 617-547-4252 Web site: www.cambridgehistory.org E-mail: [email protected] Fire destroyed Hovey’s Tavern in Cambridgeport in 1828. Winter 2006 The Newetowne Chronicle/ 2 F R O M T H E P R E S I D E N T cializing in period home remodeling re- OFFICERS A Great Year for the sulted in an excellent job. The project budget is $75,000, 75 percent of which Theodore L. Hansen President CHS is covered by a preservation grant from Kathy Born the city. Vice President Your Society has just completed a very Chandra Harrington special year in its history––100 years of The program committee, chaired by our Vice President Maxwell D. Solet collecting, preserving, and interpreting staff, produced monthly programs and Vice President Cambridge history. Our most noticeable events that have enjoyed record atten- Andrew Leighton accomplishment was the Grand Cente n- dance. Particular thanks are due to Jen- Treasurer nial Celebration in May at the Novartis nifer Hance, Tom Bracken, and Larry Thomas Bracken Nathanson, who each planned programs Secretary Institutes for BioMedical Research. Lindsay Leard Coolidge Thanks to the generous support of mem- last year. Curator bers, sponsors, and friends, we were Daphne Abeel able to raise $47,000 for the operations Finally, I want to thank the members of Editor of the Society. Many thanks to event the Society, whose ongoing interest and financial support are so needed. As the COUNCILORS chair Karen Falb and subcommittee chairs Bob Crocker, Larry Nathanson, CHS moves into its second century, we Charlie Allen and Paula Paris. will build on the successes of the past Robert G. Crocker year and look forward to further pro- D. Eliot Klein In June, a Centennial Exhibition featur- gress in fulfilling our mission. Paula Paris Susan S. Poverman ing highlights from the Society’s colle c- Mary Webb tions was held on the very anniversary Ted Hansen of the founding of the CHS. Lindsay Coolidge and her committee mounted ADVISORS Mary Webb joins the CHS council the exhibition, and Lindsay herself M. Wyllis Bibbins sponsored and wrote the accompanying Carol Cerf catalogue. We owe her a debt of grati- Luise M. Erdmann tude. Karen F. Falb George H. Hanford Swanee Hunt Major progress was made in preparing Dennis C. Marnon our centennial book for publication (see Ellen G. Moot page 6). CHS editor Daphne Abeel de- Larry Nathanson, M.D. serves our thanks for her dedication to Brian Pfeiffer the project. Charles M. Sullivan Our new council member has a master’s degree in landscape architecture from STAFF None of the above milestones would the Harvard University Graduate School have been possible without the impor- of Design. She worked for the City of Karen L. Davis tant efforts of director Karen Davis and Cambridge Environmental Program and Executive Director later as a landscape architect with Wal- Lewis Bushnell associate director Lewis Bushnell. lace, Floyd Associates. Mary is on the Associate Director board of the Architectural Heritage Sally Purrington Hild I am delighted to report that Paula Paris, Foundation, a Trustee of the Robert Program Director a professional fundraiser, accepted the Treat Paine Historical Trust, and a Victoria Hickey chairmanship of the development com- me mber of the Harvard Square Advi- Assistant mittee in October, just in time to guide sory Committee, and she is active on the Mark J. Vassar Buildings and Grounds Committee at Resident Archivist our successful 2005 annual appeal. Shady Hill School. Raised in Belmont, Shane LeGault Resident Fellow she moved to Cambridge in 1987 and is We were also very fortunate that Charlie the mother of three girls. Allen, who was elected to the council The Newetowne Chronicle is published three times annually last year, agreed to manage our roofing by the Cambridge Historical project pro bono (see pages 4 and 10). Society. Charlie’s expertise as a contractor spe- Winter 2006 The Newetowne Chronicle/ 3 F R O M T H E D I R E C T O R field trip to the Hooper-Lee-Nichols House that Looking Ahead will tie in with the school curriculum. One of our goals is that every Cambridge child be given the opportunity to visit the Cambridge Exciting plans are underway as the Society en- Historical Society and develop an appreciation ters its second century. Our spring benefit will for local history. be held at Avon Place Glass on April 30. Glass artistry, antiques, and collectables will be ex- plored at this working glass studio in North Sally Purrington Cambridge. We will connect Cambridge’s ven- Hild, former CHS erable past as the home of the New England executive director, Glass Company––the largest glass manufactur- has rejoined the to by Lewis Bushnell ing company in the world in the mid-19th cen- staff as director of Pho tury–– with the creation of art glass that is programs and events. made today much as fine blown glass was made over 100 years ago. There will be an ex- As hibition of antique glass made in Cambridge, we plan ahead, we know that our biggest chal- glass blowing demonstrations, and talks given lenge is to raise the money we need to accom- by an appraiser, collectors of New England plish our mission. The development commit- Glass, and Cambridge architectural historian tee, under the leadership of Paula Paris, is Susan Maycock. Ronald Bourgeault, owner of working on a plan that will lead to an endow- Northeast Auctions, will be on hand to ap- ment campaign. Our centennial benefit, praise glass objects. Art glass made at Avon “Necco to Novartis,” enabled us to cultivate Place Glass will be available for purchase, with local businesses. We are building on these rela- 30 percent of the proceeds going to the CHS. tionships and adding new ones this year. We hope that the businesses and institutions in Cambridge will join with you, our members in supporting the work of the CHS. We are ex- tremely grateful to all of you for your ongoing support. , by Lura Woodside Watkins Karen L. Davis Cambridge Glass Early flasks and pitcher manufactured at You've Got Mail...From the CHS the New England Glass Company ca. 1856. In order to keep you informed about the latest Another highlight of 2006 will be a big party in programs and other activities, we’re collecting e-mail addresses. If you wish to be placed on October to celebrate the publication of our our e-mail list, please take a moment to send book, Cambridge in the 20th Century: A City’s your address to: Life and Times. We are most grateful to the Cambridge Savings Bank for underwriting the [email protected] cost of publication and to the 18 contributors Please put “members e-mail” in the subject who wrote its essays. line. Your e-mail address will be used ONLY for Sally Purrington Hild, our former executive CHS communication and will NOT be distrib- director, has rejoined us in a part-time position uted further.