Blog Post 9
Beauty, Horror, History; A Trip through Harvard Square
The illustrious history of Cambridge also holds the legacies and footprints of individuals who held reprehensible political views and committed inhumane acts. The following tour takes one through a journey of admirable architecture with close ties to deplorable individuals.
1. Lowell House - Coolidge, Shipley, Bulfinch, Abbott / 1930
Abbot Lawrence Lowell, for whom the house was named after, was an anti-semite and racist
2. Wadsworth House / 1726
Benjamin Wadsworth, the first resident of the house, held four slaves who lived in the house
3. Carpenter Center - Le Corbusier / 1962
Charles-Edouard Jeanneret, known as Le Corbusier, was a fascist with anti-semitic beliefs
4. Sackler Building - James Stirling / 1985
The Sackler family has played a central role in the devastating Opioid Crisis
The building is named after Elizabeth Cabot Cary Agassiz, who was married to Louis Aggasiz, an integral supporter and perpetuator of scientific racism
6. Henry Vassall House / 1746
Henry Vassal was described by his slaves as a very wicked man
7. Thesis House - Philip Johnson / 1943
The thesis project for the Graduate School of Design was designed by Philip Johnson, an avid Nazi supporter
8. William Brattle House / 1727
William Brattle was the one of the wealthiest men in the Massachusetts Bay Colony and a slaveholder
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