Central Square, Cambridge
Central Square Historic District | ||
MPS Cambridge MRA | | |
NRHP reference No. | 90000128[1] | |
---|---|---|
Added to NRHP | March 2, 1990 |
Central Square is an area in
Culture
Central Square was designated an official Cultural District in the state of Massachusetts by the Mass Cultural Council in October 2012.
History
Central Square's history has been marked by several waves of immigration. The original population of the Square included people of English and Canadian ancestry. Between 1850 and 1890, the Square attracted many Irish immigrants, and in the late Nineteenth Century also became home to many others from throughout Europe. Later waves of immigration included people from the West Indies, South America and Africa.[9]
Central Square is also the original home of actor Ben Affleck and, from 1927 to 2003, the Necco factory. The old Necco factory building in Cambridge is now used for labs by Novartis.
Geography and transportation
Several Cambridge neighborhoods meet at Central Square. To the east,
Central Square is accessible from
The intersection of Massachusetts Avenue and Brookline in front of The Middle East in Central Square is named in honor of the late indie rock musician Mark Sandman, who often played there.
Central Square serves as the commercial center for the surrounding neighborhoods of Cambridgeport, Riverside, Mid Cambridge, Area 4 and MIT.[10]
Local government services
Central Square is the seat of government in Cambridge.
Notable residents
- Ben Affleck, actor
- Casey Affleck, actor
- Matt Damon, actor
- Ken Brown, filmmaker
- Lisa Crafts, animator
- Patrick Ewing, athlete
- Vernon Grant, cartoonist
- John Forbes Nash, mathematician
- Margaret Hamilton, scientist and engineer
Notable businesses
Fiction about Central Square
- Central Square (1998), by ISBN 1-55597-277-2
See also
References
- ^ "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. April 15, 2008.
- ^ Rekha Murthy, "Central Square, Cambridge: Rising Fortunes at a Regional Crossroads," MIT, http://www.rmurthy.com/CentralSquare1_rmurthy.pdf Archived 2007-07-07 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ "Designated Cultural Districts".
- ^ Vicky Waltz, April 3, 2008, "Get to Know your Neighborhood: Central Square," BU Today, http://www.bu.edu/today/arts-entertainment/2008/04/02/get-know-your-neighborhood-central-square Archived 2008-04-08 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ "In this hidden alley, a museum of modern art - The Boston Globe". BostonGlobe.com. Retrieved November 9, 2019.
- ^ Kirsten Studlien, June 10, 1999, "The Square Deal," The Harvard Crimson, http://www.thecrimson.com/article.aspx?ref=97092
- ^ Boston Uncovered, Boston.com, http://www.boston.com/ae/uncovered/eats/central_square/
- ^ Eliot, Samuel Atkins (1913). A History of Cambridge, Massachusetts, 1630-1913. Cambridge Tribune.
- ISBN 0-9620072-2-6
- ^ "Cambridge". Global Boston. Retrieved October 7, 2023.
- ^ City of Cambridge: Police Department new Headquarters updates Archived October 28, 2009, at the Wayback Machine