Hooper–Lee–Nichols House facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Hooper–Lee–Nichols House
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The Hooper–Lee–Nichols House, front facade
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 Location in Massachusetts
Location in the United States
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| Location | Cambridge, Massachusetts |
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| Built | 1685 |
| Architect | Joseph E. Chandler |
| NRHP reference No. | 79000355 |
| Added to NRHP | June 15, 1979 |
The Hooper–Lee–Nichols House is a very old and important house in Cambridge, Massachusetts. It was first built in 1685, which makes it one of the oldest houses in the city! Over the years, it has been made bigger and changed many times. Today, you can find it at 159 Brattle Street. It's now the main office for History Cambridge, which used to be called the Cambridge Historical Society. This house is special because it shows us how homes looked and changed over hundreds of years in America. It is the second-oldest house in Cambridge, after the Cooper–Frost–Austin House, which was built a few years earlier.
Contents
The House's Long History
Early Days and First Owners
The Hooper–Lee–Nichols House was first built in 1685. A doctor named Richard Hooper had it constructed as a typical farmhouse from the "First Period" of American architecture. This means it was built during the earliest colonial times. An interesting detail is that its ceilings were plastered, which was not common for a simple house back then.
When Dr. Hooper passed away in 1691, his wife took in people who paid to live there, called boarders. After she died in 1701, the house started to fall apart.
Growing the House
In 1716, Dr. Hooper's son, Dr. Henry Hooper, took over the house. He paid off the debts on his mother's property. To make the house bigger, he bought another house, took it apart, moved it to the site, and put it back together! This amazing effort doubled the size of the original house. He also added a small extension called a lean-to and rebuilt the chimney to include cooking ovens.
In 1733, Dr. Henry Hooper sold the house to Cornelius Waldo. Mr. Waldo added a third story to the house. He also started to change its style to the "Georgian style," which was a popular architectural look at the time, known for its balanced and grand appearance.
Revolutionary Times
In 1758, Judge Joseph Lee bought the house. He added an enclosed entry porch and put stucco on the west wall. Judge Lee was a "Loyalist," which meant he supported the British King during the American Revolution. Because of this, he left his house when the war first began. However, he returned to live there in 1777.
Modern Changes and Preservation
In 1850, George and Susan Nichols rented the house. They began to update it. They made the back of the house larger and added a decorative fence-like structure on the roof, called a balustrade. The interesting thing about these balusters (the small posts in the balustrade) is that they once belonged to Saint Paul's Cathedral in Boston.
Later, in 1916, Austin White, a relative of the Nichols family, made more big changes. He removed the two-story back part of the house and rebuilt it to be a full three stories tall.
Finally, in 1923, Frances Emerson received the house as a Christmas gift from her father. Her husband was a dean at MIT for many years. In 1957, she gave the house to the Cambridge Historical Society. This group, now known as History Cambridge, has worked hard to keep the house in good condition. In the early 1980s, they did a lot of work to restore and strengthen the building. More major renovations were completed in 2013.
The Hooper–Lee–Nichols House was officially added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1979. This list includes important places that are worth protecting for their history.
See also
