Bigelow Street Historic District facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Bigelow Street Historic District
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 Location in Massachusetts
Location in the United States
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| Location | 17–21 1/2 Inman St., 5–46 Bigelow St., Cambridge, Massachusetts |
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| Area | 3.5 acres (1.4 ha) |
| Architectural style | Second Empire, Queen Anne |
| MPS | Cambridge MRA |
| NRHP reference No. | 82001922 |
| Added to NRHP | April 13, 1982 |
The Bigelow Street Historic District is a special area in Cambridge, Massachusetts. It has many old houses from the 1800s. These houses are mostly found along Bigelow Street, just northwest of Central Square.
Bigelow Street was created in 1868. Most of the houses were built very quickly, by 1874. This means the street has a very similar look. Many of the buildings share a style called Second Empire architecture. This historic district was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1982. This means it is recognized as an important historical place.
Discovering Bigelow Street's History
Bigelow Street is one long city block. It stretches from Massachusetts Avenue north to Harvard Street. It is located west of Central Square. A local real estate developer named Albert Vinal planned the street in 1868.
Mr. Vinal sold the land to different builders. These builders constructed almost all the houses by 1874. This quick building process made the street look very uniform. The houses are similar in size and how far back they are from the street. Most of them are built in the Second Empire style.
What Makes Bigelow Street Special?
The historic district covers almost all of Bigelow Street. It also includes two buildings on Inman Street. These buildings back up to properties on Bigelow Street.
Most of the houses are made of wood. They were built for one family. A key feature of the Second Empire style is the mansard roof. This is a special type of roof with four slopes. Many houses in the district have these roofs.
- Some houses are for one family.
- Three houses are duplexes, meaning they have two homes in one building.
- One building is a triple decker, with three homes.
- There are also two brick rowhouses. They also have mansard roofs.
One very fancy house is at 6 Bigelow Street. It has beautiful porch columns. These columns have very detailed designs at the top. This house was built for the treasurer of a company that made collars.
