Harvard Square Historic District
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Harvard Square Historic District
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Harvard Square in 2015
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| Location | Cambridge, Massachusetts |
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| Coordinates | 42°22′25″N 71°7′8″W / 42.37361°N 71.11889°WCoordinates: 42°22′25″N 71°7′8″W / 42.37361°N 71.11889°W |
| Architectural style | Colonial Revival, Greek Revival, Other |
| MPS | Cambridge MRA |
| NRHP reference # |
82001944 (original) 86003654 (increase) |
| Significant dates | |
| Added to NRHP | April 13, 1982 |
| Boundary increase | July 28, 1988 |
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, United States. 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. Adjacent to Harvard Yard, the historic heart of Harvard University, the Square (as it is sometimes called locally) functions as a commercial center for Harvard students, as well as residents of western Cambridge and the inner western and northern suburbs of Boston. These residents use the Harvard station, a major MBTA Red Line subway and bus transportation hub.
In an extended sense, the name "Harvard Square" can also refer to the entire neighborhood surrounding this intersection for several blocks in each direction. The nearby Cambridge Common has become a park area with a playground, baseball field, and a number of monuments, several relating to the Revolutionary War.
The heart of Harvard Square is the junction of Massachusetts Avenue and Brattle Street. 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 MBTA subway entrance, an international newsstand, a visitor information kiosk, and a small open-air performance space ("The Pit"). Brattle Street and John F. Kennedy Street merge from the southwest, joining Massachusetts Avenue at "Nini's Corner", where another newsstand is located. The Harvard/MIT Cooperative Society main building forms the western streetwall at the intersection, along with a bank and some retail shops.
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