Man looking at map near wooden stairs and fence - historical marker database

Self-guided · principal city, Massachusetts

Historical Marker Database in Cambridge, MA

A searchable record of markers and listed sites with coordinates, sources and stories, kept current by the people who visit them.

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Photo: Jaipreet Singh on Unsplash

Cambridge is one of the cities the Boston–Cambridge–Newton, MA-NH metro area is officially named after. Researchers working on Cambridge, MA usually start at the courthouse. The listed sites around it are often the fastest way to see what the records describe.

A woman wearing headphones looks at a map - historical marker database — Photo: Trương Tuyết Ly on Unsplash

A person looking at a map - historical marker database — Photo: Ashwini Chaudhary(Monty) on Unsplash

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On the record near Cambridge, MA

The 12 nearest

1,947 listed historic sites on the record within 30 miles of Cambridge, MA.

cummings, e.e., Houseunder a mile from the center of Cambridge · Building · Cambridge · listed 1983National Register of Historic Places
Cambridge Public Libraryunder a mile from the center of Cambridge · Building · Cambridge · listed 1982National Register of Historic Places
Second Cambridge Savings Bank Buildingunder a mile from the center of Cambridge · Building · Cambridge · listed 1983National Register of Historic Places
Bradbury, William F., Houseunder a mile from the center of Cambridge · Building · Cambridge · listed 1983National Register of Historic Places
Building at 1707-1709 Cambridge Streetunder a mile from the center of Cambridge · Building · Cambridge · listed 1983National Register of Historic Places
Building at 1715-1717 Cambridge Streetunder a mile from the center of Cambridge · Building · Cambridge · listed 1983National Register of Historic Places
Littlefield--Roberts Houseunder a mile from the center of Cambridge · Building · Cambridge · listed 1986National Register of Historic Places
Ware Hallunder a mile from the center of Cambridge · Building · Cambridge · listed 1983National Register of Historic Places
Harvard Street Historic Districtunder a mile from the center of Cambridge · District · Cambridge · listed 1982National Register of Historic Places
Building at 102-104 Inman Streetunder a mile from the center of Cambridge · Building · Cambridge · listed 1983National Register of Historic Places
Building at 106-108 Inman Stunder a mile from the center of Cambridge · Building · Cambridge · listed 1982National Register of Historic Places
Buildings at 110-112 Inman St.under a mile from the center of Cambridge · Building · Cambridge · listed 1982National Register of Historic Places

Distances are straight-line from the center of Cambridge, MA. Many sites are private property or working buildings - view them from the public way. See them on the map.

Marker Database in Cambridge, step by step

1
Pull every listed site in the area with its source
2
Match the sites to the records you are working from
3
Visit and photograph what still stands
4
Note anything missing, moved or wrong on the record
5
Submit corrections and photos so the record improves

What people in Cambridge, MA ask first

How much does it cost to visit these sites in Cambridge, MA?

Most listed sites can be seen from a public road or sidewalk at no cost, and the app is free to use. Some sites are private homes, working churches or museums with their own hours and fees. The record for each one says what it is, so you know before you go.

Where does the information on these sites come from?

From published records: the National Register of Historic Places, the Recorded Texas Historic Landmark program, and the Georgia Historical Society and Georgia Department of Natural Resources marker program. Every site on the page names its source.

Can I correct a mistake in a listing?

Yes. Send a photo, a location fix or a note with your source, and it is checked before it changes the record. People who visit the sites are the best check the record has.

Does this replace the official register files?

No. It points you to them. Each site names its source so you can go to the full nomination file or marker program record for the deeper detail.

How a visit works in Cambridge

Step 1
Find the place
Every stop starts as a pin with real coordinates. In Cambridge, MA the map shows what is listed around you and how far each one is, so the first decision is where to go, and it takes a few seconds.
Step 2
Read the story
The record behind each marker is kept whole: what happened there, when, who was involved, and why it was worth a sign. You read it standing where it happened, which is the part a textbook cannot give you.
Step 3
Get there under your own power
Walk it, run it, hike it, ride it or drive it. Stops in Cambridge, MA are chained into routes that fit the way you move, so a lunch break, a long run or a Saturday drive can all pass through history.
Step 4
Collect it and come back
Each stop you reach counts toward a badge, and a photo or a correction you send makes the record better for the next person. The map remembers where you have been, so the next trip starts where the last one ended.