Doing
More: Outings and Field Trips
The area around Harvard is packed with historic sites
and museums that present different versions of New England's past.
Below you will find a list of ideas for field trips and outings
around Cambridge, Boston,
and further afield. Any of these exhibits
could provide starting points for your final
project.
Many of these attractions are not open year round
and some many only be open by appointment. Be sure to call
ahead before visiting.
Cambridge
Hooper-Lee-Nichols
House (1685)
159 Brattle St, Cambridge, MA. Tel. (617) 547-4252
This is a great house for students who are interested in architecture.
The historical society has built swinging panels which allow guides
to literally strip away the walls and reveal architectural elements
from different periods. Watch nineteenth-century wallpaper become
seventeenth-century lathe and plaster! The objects in the house
are rather eclectic, but the architecture is a real treat. Ask for
a map of the historic houses of Brattle St (also known as “Tory
Row”). The Historical Society runs Saturday architectural
tours of the neighborhood.
Cooper-Frost-Austin
House (c. 1690)
21 Linnaean St, Cambridge, MA. Tel. (781) 891-4882 ext. 237
“The Cooper-Frost-Austin House is clearly documented
as the oldest dwelling still standing in the City of Cambridge.
Built by Samuel Cooper c. 1690, the house was one of the earliest
examples of a integral lean-to "half house," comprising
a "low room," "little room," "kitchin,"
"Chamber," "kitchin Chamber," "Garret,"
and "Cellar." Other original features include a pilaster
chimney and a facade gable.”
Fogg
Art Museum
32 Qunicy St., Cambridge, MA. Tel. (617) 496-8576
Curators have arranged a special display for HSB41 students.
It consist s two objects: a Savonarola Chair and a Washington Elm
Book. Students should also pay special attention to the Endicott
chair on the second floor. Students may want to compare it with
chairs of the same period at the MFA or Plimoth Plantation. The
first floor offers American paintings and English silver.
Peabody
Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology
11 Divinity Ave, Cambridge, MA. Tel. (617) 496-1027
The Peabody provides an excellent antidote to the commonly
held misconception that all Indians were alike and that their culture(s)
remained unchanging over time. The exhibits in the museum cover
various groups from all portions of what is now the United States
and allows students to compare the cultures of different Indian
groups with one another (and presumably with Anglo-American cultures
of the period). Many of the exhibits are geared toward illustrating
the ways in which different Indian groups adapted their material
cultures to incorporate good received from Europeans.
Longfellow
House
105 Brattle St., Cambridge, MA. Tel. (617) 876-4491
“Longfellow National Historic Site is an outstanding
example of a historic site representing the themes of arts and literature.
For almost half a century (1837-1882) this was the home of one of
the world's foremost poets, scholars and educators, Henry Wadsworth
Longfellow. Longfellow House is also significant in America's colonial
history. General George Washington, Commander-in-Chief of the newly-formed
Continental Army, headquartered and planned the Siege of Boston
here between July, 1775 and April, 1776… Longfellow House
was a favorite gathering place for many prominent philosophers and
artists including Ralph Waldo Emerson, Nathaniel Hawthorne, Julia
Ward Howe, and Charles Sumner.”
Boston
John Adams Birthplace
135 Adams Street, Quincy, MA. Tel. (617) 770-1175
“Adams National Historical Park is located in the City
of Quincy, Norfolk County, Massachusetts, approximately ten miles
south of Boston. The Park comprises 11 historic structures and a
cultural landscape totaling almost 14 acres. The story encompasses
five generations of the Adams family (from 1720 to 1927) including
two Presidents and First Ladies, three United States Ministers,
historians, writers and family members who supported and contributed
to the success of these public figures. The site's main historic
features include: John Adams Birthplace, where second United States
President John Adams was born on October 30, 1735, and less than
75 yards away the John Quincy Adams Birthplace, where his son, John
Quincy Adams, 6th United States President was born on July 11, 1767;
the "Old House," home to four generations of the Adams
family; the United First Parish Church, where both Presidents and
the First Ladies are entombed in the Adams family crypt. There is
an off-site visitor center located within one mile of the historic
structures.”
Boston Harbor Walk Get out and explore the waterfront along the Boston HarborWalk! From the promenades in East Boston and the boardwalks of Charlestown,
through the busy wharves of the North End and Downtown, and from the
bustling Fort Point Channel through the South Boston working port to the
beaches of South Boston and Dorchester, there are so many exciting places
to go!
Harrison
Gray Otis House
141 Cambridge St., Boston, MA. Tel. (617) 227-3956
“The Harrison Gray Otis House exemplifies the elegant
life led by Boston's governing class after the American Revolution.
Harrison Gray Otis made a fortune developing nearby Beacon Hill,
served as a Representative in Congress, and later was Mayor of Boston.
He and his wife Sally were noted for their frequent and lavish entertaining.
This was the first of three houses designed for the Otises by their
friend Charles Bulfinch, the architect of the Massachusetts State
House. Its design reflects the proportions and delicate detail of
the Federal style, which Bulfinch introduced to Boston. The interior
provides insights into social, business and family life, as well
as the role played by household servants. The restoration of the
Otis House, with its brilliantly colored wallpapers and carpeting,
and high-style furnishings, is based on meticulous historical and
scientific research.”
Paul Revere/Pierce-Hitchborn
House
19 North St., Boston, MA 02113. Tel. (617) 523-2338
The Revere House was built in about 1680. Some rooms depict
an early eighteenth-century house and others are restored to the
1770s. The objects in the house were not owned by Revere or his
family (with a few exceptions in the display cases) but illustrate
the types of objects which might have been owned by a well-to-do
craftsman like Revere. Students may wish to compare styles and amenities
available in the earlier and later periods. Parts of the house are
eighteenth-century additions so keep in mind that the house was
smaller in the seventeenth century. The guides at this site are
very knowledgable, and students may want to ask them questions about
the size of the house in earlier periods, the ways in which room
use changed, and more specific questions about the use of various
objects in the rooms. The guides are, of course, also prepared to
tell about anything related to Paul Revere. The Pierce-Hitchborn
house is quite interesting architecturally but sparsely furnished
inside. For students who are interested, however, it is well worth
the $1.50 and extra 45 minutes.
Freedom
Trail
Begin at the Visitor on Boston Common. Tel. (617) 242-5642
“The Freedom Trail is a 2.5 mile walking trail through
downtown Boston, the North End, and Charlestown. The Trail itself
is outside and is always open for walking. Individual sites have
varying operating times (listed in this booklet). Wear sneakers
and comfortable, weather-appropriate clothing. Plan to spend around
4 hours on the Trail, depending on your itinerary and local distractions
along the way. Public restrooms are available at the Information
Center on Boston Common, the State Street Visitor Center, Faneuil
Hall, Quincy Market, the Navy Yard, and Bunker Hill. All are handicap
accessible.”
Old
State House
206 Washington Street, Boston, MA. Tel. (617) 720-1713
“Built in 1713, the Old State House was the headquarters
of the British government in Boston. It served as merchants’
exchange, general meeting place, site of revolutionary fervor in
the legislature and as the symbol of Royal authority in the colony.
The site played a central role in the story of the rebellion, from
the Boston Massacre in 1770 which sparked the fires of the revolution,
to the reading of the Declaration of Independence from the balcony
in 1776. Today, the Old State House is a museum of the city’s
history, operated by the Bostonian Society.”
Old North
Church (Christ Church)
193 Salem St., Boston, MA 02113. Tel. (617) 523-6676
Christ Church (or “Old North”) is a particularly
valuable historical document. It was built in 1723, and although
its interior has changed over time, it has been restored to its
1723 appearance with most of its furnishings intact. This is a good
place to look at box pews. Sit down and try to look at the pulpit.
Period foot warmers in the window sills remind visitors that hard
seats were not the only discomfort the faithful endured. Students
who have visited Old South meeting-house may want to compare the
architecture of the “meeting house” with that of the
“church.” Just remember that Old South has many nineteenth-century
elements.
Museum of Afro
American History
Joy Street, Beacon Hill, Boston, MA. Tel. (617) 725-0022
“The Museum of Afro American History (MAAH) is a not-for-profit
history institution dedicated to preserving, conserving and accurately
interpreting the contributions of African Americans during the colonial
period in New England. Through educational workshops, youth camps,
special events and unique partnerships with professional organizations
and educational institutions, the Museum places the African American
experience in an accurate social, cultural and historical perspective.”
Further Afield
Plimoth Plantation
Plymouth, MA. (508) 746-1622
Minuteman National
Historic Park
174 Liberty Street, Concord, MA 01742. (978) 369-6993
Rebecca Nurse Homestead
149 Pine St., Danvers, MA 01923. Tel. (978) 774-8799
Saugus Ironworks
224 Central St., Saugus, MA 01906. Tel. (781) 233-0050
Rocky
Hill Meeting House
4 Elm St., Amesbury, MA 01913. Tel. (978) 462-2634
Whittier
Family Homestead
305 Whittier Road, Haverhill, MA. Tel. (978) 373-3979
Essex
Ship-building Museum
28 Main St, Essex, MA 01929. Tel. (978) 768-7541
Museum of
American Textile History
491 Dutton St., Lowell, MA 01854-4221. Tel. (978) 441-0400
New England
Quilt Museum
18 Shattuck Street, Lowell, MA 01852. Tel. (978) 452-4207
Lowell National
Historic Park
67 Kirk Street, Lowell, MA 01852. Tel. (978) 970-5000
New Bedford
Whaling Museum
18 Johnny Cake Hill, New Bedford, MA. Tel. (508) 997-0046
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