[MassHistPres] Examples of clusters of workmans cottages in Massachusetts

[Jane S Becker]

Hello Anne,
There are a number of workers’ cottages in North Cambridge, built for the brickyard workers in the 19th century.  These are now scattered around Rindge Ave., and some of the side streets off of Rindge.  You can read about them in Arthur Krim’s book on Northwest Cambridge for the Cambridge Historical Commission.  https://watermark.silverchair.com/9780262367905_c001800.pdf?token=AQECAHi208BE49Ooan9kkhW_Ercy7Dm3ZL_9Cf3qfKAc485ysgAAApQwggKQBgkqhkiG9w0BBwagggKBMIICfQIBADCCAnYGCSqGSIb3DQEHATAeBglghkgBZQMEAS4wEQQMy7NuvtwbZBes3TYpAgEQgIICRzxqeSMfpAjYoHZ3mqPjJJpfY-2QtyaSeECr9pJ8DKRMY4-BsWC3Ue5VHdBcRLiYlQlwIwcHG7NQXT6nUQtWuA97b4x_2IDcEBSp9n8-CJ6JwsHazF7MLkET9hnh5QJKF80dw1G-LfTrXNXnXkIGg6nZL2Sw9nRkVZVwH2SmPMPiPhasb8LaF6IKp8yW_feq60sRStW1GqubajthrMzcm_I9-Us7taHobIxOmWG91pYPTsdYT0NqGi9aRfeGHw3m_tVGaBDxujghEBRX3LioE_cMuuh0Vp8duIucKEaXfX_K14u9XfK-WfaSz6sCNQhW5JZSmtmLvk9RTWBS3bmx1Wxs5kIO61NAzUtD14zQMl4mGg4WK37misMaD0OuT_T8WV01B89u-sxBwMjch8m2hWa14PwF9tFAfeusbGvWCsIjjx8rS2t1w_fcMcgaIQ8mG08NH2GHzcoGJMUxrlBZA6jBgBl20y1-92nvTmXMGC2vNWASqOTuioAjhd3W_UNW4gGfNwwHj55_ULHLeQ7kiWRAXRlKOK9-x2As7UjBNLw0rZTD6n6bbsBMMVx4Nwp3RUQsqPRCOsqUfayhNNbwmoUCD_nBl0wKpbGL_N_hLWG8lyb0JkcQCbeSPC7tKPBk_kyeTHE4xuGJKo_g_aslajGhsXNKegwp_3CmAz4lFEE4ZcudtG69qQrg0Bu9dkQSz0fwYXvUWI6DZoX0yXH32VYXfWpvP55ShW5ywbs1GfmIkkmtYe0nLo0jAhJDI3rDL3PfS_6P-KE

Sorry for that shockingly long URL!

I believe that there are other clusters of workers’ cottages in other areas of Cambridge (Central Square?  Cambridgeport?). Cambridge Historical Commission’s set of publications on Cambridge neighborhoods may be helpful.

There are also some rows of workers’ housing in Waltham, quite early buildings, as I recall.  But I can’t point you to the street.  Perhaps someone at the Charles River Museum or the Waltham Historical Commission can help out here.

Jane

Jane Becker, PhD
Director of Public History
History Department
University of Massachusetts, Boston
Jane.becker at umb.edu<mailto:Jane.becker at umb.edu>
Ph: 617-287-6885
Fax: 617-287-6899
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From: MassHistPres <masshistpres-bounces at cs.umb.edu> on behalf of Anne Lusk <annelusk at gmail.com>
Date: Monday, May 24, 2021 at 2:53 PM
To: Masshistpres <masshistpres at cs.umb.edu>
Subject: [MassHistPres] Examples of clusters of workmans cottages in Massachusetts
EXTERNAL SENDER
Dear All,
   I'm working on a Study Report for a Local Historic District submission in Brookline that concerns a cluster of workman's cottages that were built, starting around 1820.  There are 11 cottages really close together on Hart Street and 5 cottages really close together on Franklin Court.
     Are there any other clusters of workman's cottages in Massachusetts?  I gather there are some cottages near the old glass factory in Sandwich. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jarvesville_Historic_District<https://nam10.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fen.wikipedia.org%2Fwiki%2FJarvesville_Historic_District&data=04%7C01%7Cjane.becker%40umb.edu%7C720e981a449b4e257c3008d91ee52e9c%7Cb97188711ee94425953c1ace1373eb38%7C0%7C1%7C637574791962793234%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C3000&sdata=Cz7xVmHKZJ%2F3YgDU6sCfjR9hL8B8k%2BoLHnS4ZPGdjMg%3D&reserved=0>   Could someone give me a street name for these cottages?  Those cottages would have been built by the glass company to house their workers.
      The houses on Hart and Franklin were moved in 1870 to these streets to be owned by Irish Catholic workers or rented to them. Eventually, all the houses were owned.  Many single women owned the houses, widows remained in the cottages for a long time, and houses were passed down from family to family.
     With so many wealthy mansions already being listed and the threat of smaller homes being demolished to build McMansions, saving the humble cottages and telling the stories about the owners is worth the effort.
Thanks so much for your help,
Anne Lusk, Ph.D. 617-879-4887
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