An aerial view circa 1957-1965 of the former Rindge Avenue extension, with Bethlehem Steel at center and the businesses Avery & Saul and Brown Wales Steel just beyond. The Arthur D. Little campus on Route 2 is visible in the distance. (Photo: Carleton W. Patriquin Collection, Cambridge Historical Commission)

When the Cambridge Historical Commission surveyed the architectural and social history of Cambridge more than a half-century ago, the final neighborhood studied was Northwest Cambridge, composed of two distinct areas: North and West Cambridge. This study resulted in the publication Report Five: Northwest Cambridge of the Survey of Architectural History in Cambridge (1977). In this report, the authors outlined the history of the area, noting how the barren pastures known as Poverty Plain were transformed into brickyard subdivisions and streetcar suburbs. The nucleus of North Cambridge grew from a colonial tavern at a simple road junction to a small village around Porter’s Station (now Porter Square), and finally to the transportation hub and shopping destination we know today.

In its early development, North Cambridge was heavily dedicated to industrial and commercial use and urban fringe activities. Techniques for commercial ice harvesting were perfected at Fresh Pond in the 1840s, and ice harvesting and an ice cream factory continued at Jerry’s Pit into the 1930s alongside the clay pits of the New England Brick Co.. The neighboring Dewey & Almy Chemical Co. on Whittemore Avenue produced a range of products from sealants to adhesives weather balloons. Though the sprawling Rand Estate was replaced by the Porter Square Shopping Center after 1952, North Cambridge retained much of its residential feel in the many triple-deckers, duplexes and workers’ cottages. Today, the neighborhood has expanded to include a swath of residential area beyond the historic course of Alewife Brook. The built environment has developed to accommodate 21st century needs of office and laboratory space, corporate centers, outdoor recreation spaces and affordable housing.

Construction of 10 Fawcett St. with the Fresh Pond Shopping Center in the distance on Nov. 26, 1984. (Photo: Carleton W. Patriquin Collection, Cambridge Historical Commission)

Following and documenting changes in Cambridge’s built environment encompasses much of our work at the Historical Commission. In addition to regulatory responsibilities, we are often engaged by members of the public who are curious about the history of a house, would like to know more about a long-gone business, or are simply searching for a photograph of a landmark they remember from childhood. It is through this public engagement that we as a staff continue to learn about Cambridge’s past and our own historical materials.

Two collections that speak to the history and development of North Cambridge are the Carleton W. Patriquin Collection and the Cambridge Photo Morgue Collection.

The Astor Motor Inn, formerly at 215 Concord Turnpike, photographed for the Boston Record American-Advertiser by Ray Lussier on Aug. 24, 1970. (Photo: Cambridge Photo Morgue Collection, Cambridge Historical Commission)

The Patriquin collection contains photographic negatives taken by aerial and freelance photographer Carleton W. Patriquin (1920-1993) and illustrates development projects in Kendall Square as well as views of East Cambridge, Harvard Square and Mount Auburn Hospital. Patriquin took several images of North Cambridge sites and the Alewife area in the 1940s and 1980s. These include Blair Pond, Bethlehem Steel, the Henderson Carriage building and Dewey & Almy, among others.

Cambridge firefighters attack a blaze in the steeple of the Baptist church on Massachusetts Avenue on Nov. 7, 1979, captured by an unknown photographer. (Photo: Cambridge Photo Morgue Collection, Cambridge Historical Commission)

The Cambridge Photo Morgue Collection contains black-and-white prints taken by area newspaper photographers to illustrate stories relating to the city of Cambridge. Images in this collection represent a breadth of topics including protests, political figures, buildings and city projects, documenting the social change and architectural evolution of Cambridge in the 20th century. Examples of North Cambridge-area subjects include the 1953 explosion at the Linde Air Products Co. acetylene division (now the location of the Fresh Pond Shopping Center), the farmers’ produce market formerly on Concord Avenue in the 1930s and a conceptual aerial view of the proposed Alewife Brook Park development for the northwest section of Cambridge, rendered in 1969. Images in this collection were digitized by Digital Commonwealth and are available to view online.

About History Cambridge

History Cambridge started in 1905 as the Cambridge Historical Society. Today we have a new name and a new mission. We engage with our city to explore how the past influences the present to shape a better future. We recognize that every person in our city knows something about Cambridge’s history, and their knowledge matters. We listen to our community and we live by the ideal that history belongs to everyone. Throughout 2023, we are focusing on the history of Cambridgeport. Make history with us at historycambridge.org.

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Meta Partenheimer is the Digital Projects Archivist for the Cambridge Historical Commission.