Harvard Square

Harvard Square is a historic triangular plaza and surrounding neighborhood located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, at the intersection of Massachusetts Avenue, Brattle Street, and John F. Kennedy Street. Situated just across the Charles River from Boston and directly adjacent to the gates of Harvard University, the Square serves as both the historic center of Cambridge and a major commercial hub for students, Cambridge residents, and visitors from across the region. The area draws millions of visitors annually and encompasses not only the physical plaza but also the broader neighborhood stretching several blocks in each direction, including Brattle Square and the nearby Cambridge Common.

History

According to historian Charles Sullivan, the area that includes the present-day Harvard Square was founded in 1630 as the Puritan village of Newtowne, which would become Cambridge in 1638. The village was the first capital of the Massachusetts Bay Colony. Cambridge was also the setting for the first printing press in the Western Hemisphere.

The centerpiece of the area, Harvard University, is the oldest institution of higher learning in America, established in 1636. Its long list of famous alumni includes seven presidents of the United States. The Square played a significant role during the American Revolution: the Longfellow House at 105 Brattle Street was the home of one of America's most renowned 19th-century poets, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, and prior to that served as George Washington's headquarters during the Revolutionary War siege of Boston from July 1775 to April 1776.

The moniker "Harvard Square" did not become popular until the middle of the 19th century. The plaza and surrounding neighborhood include historic buildings from every important period from Colonial times to post-war development. Over the centuries, the Square evolved tremendously, witnessing the American Revolution, the growth of Harvard University, and numerous cultural and intellectual movements.

The Wadsworth House, standing at the edge of Harvard Yard, is one of the Square's oldest structures. The Wadsworth House is the second oldest building at Harvard, built in 1726. It served as the home for Benjamin Wadsworth, the president of Harvard at the time, and later George Washington set up his first Massachusetts headquarters there.

Geography and Layout

Harvard Square is a triangular plaza at the intersection of Massachusetts Avenue, Brattle Street, and John F. Kennedy Street near the center of Cambridge, Massachusetts. The term "Harvard Square" is also used to delineate the business district and Harvard University surrounding that intersection, which is the historic center of Cambridge.

Massachusetts Avenue enters from the southeast — a few miles after crossing the Charles River from Boston at MIT — and turns sharply to the north at the intersection, which is dominated by a large pedestrian space incorporating the current MBTA subway headhouse, as well as an older subway headhouse building which formerly housed a newsstand. The Harvard/MIT Cooperative Society main building forms the western streetwall at the intersection, along with a bank and some retail shops. The walled enclosure of Harvard Yard is adjacent, with Harvard University, Harvard Extension School, Harvard Art Museums, Semitic Museum, Peabody Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology, and Museum of Natural History just short walks away.

The name "Harvard Square" can also refer to the entire neighborhood surrounding the intersection for several blocks in each direction, including Brattle Square, a block away, and the nearby Cambridge Common. Other institutions in the general neighborhood include the Cambridge Public Library, Lesley University, the Longy School of Music, the Episcopal Divinity School, the Cambridge Rindge and Latin School, American Repertory Theater, the Cooper-Frost-Austin House, the Hooper-Lee-Nichols House, and the Longfellow House–Washington's Headquarters National Historic Site.

Transportation

The Square is served by Harvard station, a major MBTA Red Line subway station and a bus transportation hub. Until 1984, the Harvard Square stop was the northern terminus of the Red Line, and it still functions as a major transfer station between subway, bus, and trackless trolley.

Most of the bus lines serving the area from the north and west run through a tunnel adjacent to the subway tunnel. Originally built for streetcars — which last ran in 1958 — and still used by trackless trolleys as well as ordinary buses, the tunnel lessens bus traffic in central Harvard Square and lets buses cross the Square without encountering automobile traffic. The tunnel also allows covered access between the subway and the buses.

At the center of the Square is the old Harvard Square Subway Kiosk, which was home to the Out of Town News newsstand until its closure in 2020. This iconic structure is historically significant because of its origins as a newsstand called Out of Town News, a Harvard Square fixture that sold international newspapers and magazines for over 60 years.

Culture, Arts, and Entertainment

Considered the historic center of Cambridge, Harvard Square is a vibrant neighborhood filled with boutique shops, cafes, restaurants, theaters, and street performers. Harvard Square is an intellectual and offbeat area with a mix of languages, ages, and cultures. Its streets are lined with coffeehouses, independent bookstores, cinemas, and music stores.

The high pedestrian traffic makes Harvard Square and Brattle Square, a block away, a gathering place for street musicians and buskers. Singer-songwriter Tracy Chapman, who attended nearby Tufts University, is known to have played here during her college years. Amanda Palmer, of the Dresden Dolls, regularly performed here as a "living statue". A small bronze statue of "Doo Doo," a puppet created by Igor Fokin, sits at the corner of Brattle Street and Eliot Street, in honor of Fokin and all the street performers. Fokin performed regularly in Brattle Square after immigrating from Russia and before his death. The statue is the work of Konstantin Simun.

Harvard Square has a robust theatrical tradition. Harvard Square is home to a vibrant theater scene, offering a variety of performances ranging from experimental theater to classic plays. One of the most notable venues is the American Repertory Theater (A.R.T.), which is known for its innovative and bold productions. The A.R.T. is a leading force in the theater world, often staging premieres that go on to Broadway acclaim. Another gem in the Harvard Square theater landscape is the Brattle Theatre, primarily known as an art-house movie cinema but also hosting special theater events and film festivals.

Other popular sites include the historic Brattle Theater and "The Coop" college bookstore, which was founded in 1882. The area has gentrified considerably over recent decades, and now contains many nationwide stores and eateries alongside small independent businesses. The Square hosts over 80 shops and nearly 100 eateries, in addition to many cultural events and festivals year-round.

The Square has also made its mark in popular culture. The radio show Car Talk's offices occupied the third floor of the Abbott Building from 1992 until the show's end in 2014. At the beginning of every episode, hosts Tom and Ray Magliozzi would state they were broadcasting from "Car Talk Plaza" in Harvard, though the show itself was recorded at the WBUR Studio in Boston. Local tourism and business leaders likewise refer to the area colloquially as "Car Talk Plaza". Ben Affleck shot portions of his film The Town (2010) in Grendel's Den on Winthrop Street, locally famous in the 1970s for its chocolate fondue. Several parts of the 1997 film Good Will Hunting were also filmed in Harvard Square.

Annual events include the Winter Carnival, Chinese New Year, Mayfair, and Sparklefest celebrations. The Square also hosts a number of food, music, and other cultural festivals throughout the year.

Museums and Landmarks

The Harvard Square neighborhood is home to an exceptional concentration of museums and landmarks. The Harvard Art Museums, comprised of the Fogg, Busch-Reisinger, and Arthur M. Sackler museums, host an expansive collection of art ranging from European to Asian.

Just steps from Harvard Square, the Harvard Museum of Natural History houses remarkable collections that showcase the natural world's diversity. The museum's famous Glass Flowers exhibit features over 4,300 incredibly lifelike plant models crafted entirely from glass — a collection found nowhere else in the world. The museum connects with the adjacent Peabody Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology, providing visitors access to both collections with a single admission.

The Longfellow House is administered by the National Park Service and houses a collection of 19th-century documentary material and papers belonging to the Longfellow family, as well as clothing, fine arts, tools, and toys. The house, which sits on just under two acres, has a carriage barn and a pergola and is surrounded by lush lawns and formal gardens.

Memorial Hall was built in 1870. This High Victorian Gothic structure pays tribute to Harvard graduates who fought in the Civil War. Within its walls is Sanders Theater and Annenberg Hall.

A public motion art installation, Lumen Eclipse, shows monthly exhibitions of local, national, and international artists. A number of public squares dot the surrounding streets, notably Brattle Square and Winthrop Square, hosting a wide variety of street performers throughout the year.