Maria Baldwin House facts for kids
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Maria Baldwin House
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The Maria Baldwin House is the left side of the duplex
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 Location in Massachusetts
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| Location | 196 Prospect Street, Cambridge, Massachusetts |
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| Area | less than one acre |
| Built | c. 1840 |
| Architectural style | Greek Revival |
| NRHP reference No. | 76000272 |
Quick facts for kids Significant dates |
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| Added to NRHP | May 11, 1976 |
| Designated NHL | May 11, 1976 |
The Maria Baldwin House is a special historic building in Cambridge, Massachusetts. It is located at 196 Prospect Street. This house was once the home of Maria Louise Baldwin, a very important educator.
Maria Baldwin (1856–1922) was the first African-American woman to become a principal in a Massachusetts school. She led the Agassiz Grammar School in Cambridge starting in 1916. At that time, she managed 12 teachers, all of whom were white. Most of the students were also white. Today, the Agassiz School is called the Maria Baldwin School, named in her honor. The Maria Baldwin House was recognized as a National Historic Landmark in 1976 because of its connection to her.
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About the Maria Baldwin House
The Maria Baldwin House is a two-and-a-half-story building made of wood. It sits on a brick foundation and has a roof that slopes down on two sides. It is actually half of a larger two-family house, known as a duplex.
The front of the house has six sections, with two main doorways. These doorways are covered by a small porch supported by three Ionic columns. Next to the doors are narrow windows and decorative flat columns called pilasters. The other sections have windows with two panes of glass on the top and two on the bottom. A simple decorative band runs around the house below the roof. The house was built around the 1840s.
Who Was Maria Baldwin?
Maria Baldwin was born in Cambridge in 1856. She went to public schools there and finished in 1874. The next year, she earned a degree from the Cambridge Teachers' Training School.
In 1881, the Cambridge school system offered her a teaching job. This happened after many people in the local African-American community pushed for it. She started teaching at the Agassiz School, which was close to Harvard University.
Maria Baldwin's Leadership in Education
Maria Baldwin became the principal, or "master," of the Agassiz School in 1916. This was a huge achievement! She was the first Black woman in New England to hold such a high position in education. At that time, she was also one of only two female principals in all of Cambridge's schools. The Agassiz School had mostly white students, and all of its teachers were white.
Maria Baldwin moved into the northern part of the duplex at 194-196 Prospect Street in 1892. She lived there until she passed away in 1922. Her home was a lively place where important African-American leaders and civil rights activists gathered. People like William Monroe Trotter and Archibald Grimké visited her home.
The Maria Baldwin House is a private home today. It is not open for public tours. The northern half of the duplex was named a National Historic Landmark and added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1976.
See also
