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 home in Cambridge, Massachusetts. It is located at 196 Prospect Street. This house is the northern part of a two-family building built in the 1800s. It is important because of its connection to a famous educator, Maria Louise Baldwin (1856–1922).
Maria Baldwin lived here when she made history. She became the first African-American female principal in a Massachusetts school. This was at Cambridge's Agassiz Grammar School, starting in 1916. As the leader, she managed 12 teachers, all of whom were white. Most of her students (98%) were also white. The Agassiz School is now called the Maria Baldwin School in her honor. The Maria Baldwin House was recognized as a National Historic Landmark in 1976.
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The Maria Baldwin House: A Historic Home
The Maria Baldwin House is a wooden building with two and a half stories. It sits on a brick foundation. The roof slopes down on the sides. It is actually a duplex, meaning it's one building with two separate homes inside.
What Does the House Look Like?
The front of the house has six sections, or bays. There are two main doorways. These doorways are covered by a small porch supported by three columns. Next to the doors are tall, narrow windows and decorative flat columns. 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 likely built around the 1840s. Behind the main house, there is a two-story addition for the kitchen.
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, Maria Baldwin was offered a teaching job. This happened after the local African-American community asked the school leaders to hire her. She started teaching at the Agassiz School, which was close to Harvard University.
A Special School Leader
Maria Baldwin became the leader, or "master," of the Agassiz School in 1916. At that time, she was the first Black woman in New England to have such a high position in education. She was also one of only two female school leaders in all of Cambridge. 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.
A Hub for Change
Her home became an important meeting place. It was a social center for well-known African-American people in the area. Important civil rights leaders, like William Monroe Trotter and Archibald Grimké, visited her home.
A National Landmark
The Maria Baldwin House is a private home today. It is not open for public visits. The northern half of the duplex was named a National Historic Landmark in 1976. It was also added to the National Register of Historic Places that same year.
