Harvard University, Harvard Yard, Harvard Square (Hahvahd) - Founded 1636, Historic Cambridge, MA

Updated: Nov 11, 2021

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Harvard Station, Red Line, Boston's T

Coming from Downtown Crossing, take the Red Line Train to Alewife 5 stops (about 10 Minutes), and get off the T at Harvard. You can come out the station a few different exits, all on Massachusetts Ave.

One exit for Harvard Square for dining & westbound transfers, and one on Church St, near the Johnson Gate to Harvard, for the University & northbound transfers. Whichever way you choose, look for the Church Steeple, walk towards the First Parish Unitarian Universalist Church, away from the business district.

First Parish Unitarian Universalist Church, Built 1632. Known then as the First Meeting House in Cambridge, MA. The first Minister, Thomas Hooker, left in 1636 to escape religious persecution from the Mass. puritans, and he founded Connecticut Colony. After Hooker left, it became the First Church of Cambridge. Rev. Thomas Shepard convinced Massachusetts Bay Colony leaders to build their first University across the Street, and in 1636 Harvard University was created. The Second Meeting House was built in 1652, across the street on the site of Harvard's Lehman Hall. It was succeeded by two more churches in the same spot and in 1925 by Harvard's Lehman Hall.

In 1833, the Fifth Meeting House was built on campus at Harvard Yard and is today known as Memorial Church. For about 200 years, until 1833, the First Parish operated as the center of governance for Cambridge, MA. In Revolutionary times, Rev. William Brattle (honored by nearby Brattle Square) moved from Calvinism to a more liberal theology. In 1775, George Washington worshipped at the Fifth Meeting House (Harvard Yard) while commanding the Army after Lexington & Concord, MA. In 1837, Transcendentalist Ralph Waldo Emerson gave his famous "American Scholar" address at the First Parish Church off-campus.

Illustration - September 1836 procession of Harvard alumni leaving the First Parish Meeting House and walking to the Pavilion - by the daughter of Harvard President, Josiah Quincy III

While standing in front First Parish, you'll be across the street from the Main Gates to Harvard (Though there are many lesser used gates to access the Campus from different streets, mostly from the 1800's by Class of 18xx etc). Before we enjoy Harvard, we will explore the green space in Cambridge right outside the University.

In front of the Church is General MacArthur Square with a statue of Sen. Charles Sumner.

Sumner & his father were both Harvard Law graduates. Sumner was from Beacon Hill, near the Hancock Mansion. Boston (Specifically Beacon Hill) was a well-known center in the Abolitionist Movement and Underground Railroad Hub. Sumner linked up with Gov. John Andrew, Frederick Douglass, and other abolitionists, like the first 2 Black Representatives in Massachusetts (Lewis Hayden & John J Smith). Most Southern Democrats were pro-slavery, so Sumner was a Whig, and later a FreeSoil Democrat, ally of NY's Martin van Buren. As we will soon see, he was partially responsible for creating the anti-slavery Republican Party , and later became a Radical Republican, critical of the Lincoln-Johnson Union after the Civil War. Sen. Sumner was featured in our article Walking the Black Heritage Trail on Historic Beacon Hill, Boston's Underground Railroad & African American History Museum

Learn More about Senator Charles Sumner, who was nearly caned to death on the Congress Floor, while pro-slavery Democrats held Congress at gunpoint, in 1856. He gave his speech "The Crime Against Kansas" for opposing the Democrat-led slave state movement in Kansas & Nebraska. Also, in 1856, the Republican Party was founded as an anti-slavery party, and their first nominee Abraham Lincoln would win the next election in 1860, throwing the US into Civil War, when Southern Democrats seceded and recognized Jefferson Davis as President. Perhaps Democrats caning their comrades publicly and holding their fellow Congressmen hostage at gunpoint didn't sit too well with the rest of the country... Sumner is the first Senator to develop a LEGITIMATELY diagnosed PTSD from Washington DC, even though 440+ members of US Senate & House are traumatized daily by DC politics. :-)

The square is named after General Douglas MacArthur, born in Little Rock, Arkansas but raised in San Antonio, Texas. MacArthur was the Chief of Staff for the US Army in the 1930's, until his retirement in 1937. He came out of retirement in 1941 to lead the US Army in the Far East, the Pacific Theatre. He was kicked out of the Philippines by Japanese invaders during the Bataan Death March. He operated the Southwest Pacific Battalion from Australia and returned to the Philippines in 1945 and forced Japan into surrender. He remained in the Philippines from 1945-1951 overseeing the establishment of an independent country, from the former US Territory. He also spent much of that time in Tokyo, overseeing the International Military Tribunal (Far East Nuremberg Trials), and working with Emperor Hirohito to overcome spread of Communism from China. He became Supreme Commander of the Allied Forces. In 1948, he decided to run against Pres. Truman as the GOP nominee, so Truman withdrew him from Tokyo, just prior to the Korean War. In 1951, at 71 years old, he returned to the US as a National Hero and Medal of Honor recipient, popular enough to run for President. (The next election would see GOP Gen. Eisenhower defeat Truman) MacArthur was invited to nearly every state in the country. Boston held the biggest welcome-home celebration for MacArthur in the country, as over 500,000 people surrounded South Station for his arrival by train. Legends recall up to 2 Million people in attendance, but newspapers at the time settled at over 500,000 but less than 1 Million, including the Harvard Crimson. MacArthur would even be an adviser for Massachusetts own JFK while President in 1961 (Age 81) before dying in 1965.

Cross up the street to Flagstaff Park, you will see the tall monument for the American Revolution.

There is a Secret Tunnel to Harvard Square coming out of the ground if you follow the Trolley Cables overhead. Be careful, watch for outgoing buses! There used to be Trolley Stations underground at many Subway T stops in Boston, before city buses were common. The trolley cables can be seen going into the ground in Flagstaff Park and go completely under the street and some of the University, and they come out of the ground in the restaurant district in Brattle Square, a few blocks away.

Alternatively, if you are in the restaurant district in Brattle Square, you can see where the buses come from the underground tunnel to start the run Westbound. I imagine this used to, or still does, connect to the T station somehow. Google Maps lists this as "Harvard Bus Tunnel." Nowadays, we catch multiple Buses above ground about 5-10 minute walk from the Harvard T stop, mostly West of Harvard Square.

(Learn More about Harvard Station & the History of Boston's T circa 1897 in our post)

As far back as 1630, Cambridge was the halfway mark between settlements in Charlestown & Watertown. Following the directions on the sign, we start in Charlestown around Lechmere Station. Somerville Ave may have been part of today's Mass Rt. 28 going into Boston at one point, but the damming of the Charles River and creation of Back Bay has altered the land greatly from how it used to look in 1630. Leaving Lechmere you head NW on Somerville Ave, to Union Square in Somerville, MA. Turn Left on Washington St (Not to be confused with Boston's Washington St which was the only road into Boston from the South until the damming of the Back Bay.). Stay on Washington St to Ward Two, where Somerville ends, and Cambridge begins, and Washington St becomes Kirkland St. Kirkland St goes right through the middle of Harvard and comes out at Cambridge Common at this very marker. You go left on Mass Ave to Harvard Square for 1 block, and then stay right onto Brattle St, and follow it until it merges with Mt. Auburn St and ends at Watertown Square on the Charles River.

Learn more about Harvard Square & Cambridge being the transit hub from Boston & Charlestown to western suburbs like Watertown & Mt Auburn here where we examine the History of Boston's T, Oldest Subway in US and examine Harvard's history as a transport hub.

As stated, in 1636 Thomas Hooker left the First Parish of Cambridge for religious freedom and rode this trail to Watertown on his way to Hartford to found the Connecticut Colony.

John Bridge was born in Braintree, Essex County, England in 1578. He arrived in Cambridge, MA in 1631 with Thomas Hooker and helped establish the First Parish Church. He stayed when Hooker left to found CT in 1632 and recruited Rev. Thomas Shepard from England. Bridge was also responsible for establishing the First Public School of Cambridge in 1635. He later became a Select Person for MA, an early Representative title such as the one John Hancock would hold 100 years later. He was also responsible in founding Braintree, MA & other settlements in New Towne, MA (Greater Cambridge). The statue is referred to as "The Puritan". It was dedicated by Samuel Bridge in 1882. Samuel also dedicated the John Harvard Statue we will learn more about later. In the 1880's, many other Puritan/Pilgrim themed statues were dedicated in the former Colonies, like "The Puritan" in Springfield, MA, and "The Pilgrim" found both in Philadelphia & NYC Central Park. It is thought to be the first monument to Puritans in the US.

Ignoring the underground tunnel, we cross Massachusetts Ave on the Left to Cambridge Common. We see the Civil War Monument towering over the middle of the park. First, there is another monument to John Bridge on the far right corner sidewalk (NE). Turn back Left (SW), and head towards the middle of the park to the Civil War Monument. From the front of the Monument walk to the left (W), and we will come across the Washington Elm. Walk down the West path back towards Harvard and we will pass a Monument for the Irish Hunger Famine. Continue back to the beginning of Cambridge Common, and cross Dawes Island back to MacArthur Square, and use the bathroom if you dare!

If you walk 2 blocks to the right, and take a right on Brattle St, you will cross through Lesley University, and find the Longfellow House. This was Washington's Headquarters during the Siege of Boston in '75 & '76.

Across the street to the right is Christ Church Episcopal dating back to 1759. The Church was occupied by the British Troops in Winter 1775, yet Martha Washington still requested New Years service on Dec. 31, 1775 and sent a special request to the King. The Church was closed until 1790, and it did not have a full time rector until 1829. By 1857, Congregation was so big the Church was expanded for more parishioners. In 1879, one of the Sunday School teachers was fired for embracing Dutch Reform. He was NY's own Theodore Roosevelt, future President of the United States,

Dawes Island is named after William Dawes, who was one of 3 men who made a "Midnight Run" to alert the Colonists that "The British Are Coming" on April 18-19, 1775. Most people are familiar with Paul Revere who rode from Boston's North End to Charlestown, along the Mystic River past British lines to Somerville, Medford & Arlington and linked up with Dawes and Dr. Samuel Prescott to alert Concord, MA. William Dawes also left South Boston, rode through Roxbury, Brookline & Brighton, crossed the Charles River into Cambridge and continued North past Arlington to Lexington where he met with Revere. Dr. Joseph Warren sent Revere & Dawes to meet John Hancock & Samuel Adams. If Revere had been captured, we would never know his name, but the results would be the same as Dawes also completed the journey to deliver the news. Nearby is a marker depicting where he rode through Cambridge on his way to Lexington & Concord. In 1767, Dawes was one of 250 Boston natives who refused to buy British Goods, and basically started the "Buy American" movement. Dawes was also a Son of Liberty and a Freemason. Samuel Adams led the Sons of Liberty and Paul Revere would become the Grand Master Mason in Boston about 15 years after the Revolution. After his Midnight Ride, Dawes joined the Continental Army, fighting in the Battle of Bunker Hill in June 1775, and fleeing to Worcester, during the Siege of Boston.

Looking across the street to your right, away from Harvard, you will see the "Old Burying Ground" dating back to 1635. It is nestled between First Parish Church of 1632 and the Christ Church of 1760. Old Burying Ground was the only cemetery in Cambridge for over 200 years, so everyone from local slaves to the President of Harvard were buried next to each other in poorly marked graves. Some gravestones from 1600's still remain today.

Back at First Parish Church, we crosss the street to Johnson Gate to enter Harvard University at the East Campus . Through Harvard Yard to Science Center Plaza, cross over to West Campus, circle back to Harvard Square for Lunch, Happy Hour or Dinner & Drinks.