History & Culture

Historical document reading Anthony Vassall / Coby Vassall
The Early History of 105 Brattle Street

Explore stories of 1700s-era slavery and freedom, wealth and politics, architecture, and a changing landscape.

Historical map showing Boston Harbor and Dorchester Heights
Washington's Cambridge Headquarters

Explore revolutionary-era stories of nation-building, leadership, and the contradictions at the heart of America’s founding.

black and white photograph of man seated at table covered in books
Longfellow At Home and In Print

Explore Henry Wadsworth Longfellow’s poetic legacy, along with the home, family, and events that shaped his life and work in the 1800s.

Seated portrait of three white woman with dark hair.
The Longfellows' Legacies

Explore the history of the poet’s descendants and their family’s legacy of preservation, activism, and cultural change in the 1900s.

Group studio portrait of Victorian people
People

The Vassall-Craigie-Longfellow House was made significant by the people who lived and worked within its walls for its 191 years as a home.

Yellow house with flag and large tree in yard
Places

The house and grounds are significant in the history of architecture and landscape and connect to a network of places in Cambridge.

Row of books of poems by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
Poetry

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow was one of the greatest and best-known American poets of the nineteenth century.

Chair bearing inscriptions from The Village Blacksmith
Museum Collections

Longfellow's descendants donated the contents of the house along with the property, resulting in rich and varied collections.

Black and white image of two men looking at documents on table
Research

The archives and museum collections are available to researchers by advanced appointment.

 

Last updated: February 10, 2025

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Contact Info

Mailing Address:

105 Brattle Street
Cambridge, MA 02138

Phone:

(617) 876-4491

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