The Margaret Fuller House was the birthplace and childhood home of American transcendentalist

Margaret Fuller Sarah Margaret Fuller (May 23, 1810 – July 19, 1850), sometimes referred to as Margaret Fuller Ossoli, was an American journalist, editor, critic, translator, and women's rights advocate associated with the American transcendentalism movemen ...

(1810–1850). It is located at 71 Cherry Street, in the Old Cambridgeport Historic District area of

Cambridge, Massachusetts Cambridge ( ) is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States. As part of the Boston metropolitan area, the cities population of the 2020 U.S. census was 118,403, making it the fourth most populous city in the state, behind Boston, ...

, in the neighborhood now called "The Port" (formerly known as "Area Four") (north of

Massachusetts Avenue Massachusetts Avenue may refer to: * Massachusetts Avenue (metropolitan Boston), Massachusetts ** Massachusetts Avenue (MBTA Orange Line station), a subway station on the MBTA Orange Line ** Massachusetts Avenue (MBTA Silver Line station), a stati ...

, between

Central Central is an adjective usually referring to being in the center of some place or (mathematical) object. Central may also refer to: Directions and generalised locations * Central Africa, a region in the centre of Africa continent, also known as ...

and

Kendall Square Kendall Square is a neighborhood in Cambridge, Massachusetts. The square itself at the intersection of Main Street and Broadway. It also refers to the broad business district east of Portland Street, northwest of the Charles River, north of MIT ...

s). The house is now a

National Historic Landmark A National Historic Landmark (NHL) is a building, district, object, site, or structure that is officially recognized by the United States government for its outstanding historical significance. Only some 2,500 (~3%) of over 90,000 places listed ...

. The three-story, wooden,

Federal style Federal-style architecture is the name for the classicizing architecture built in the newly founded United States between 1780 and 1830, and particularly from 1785 to 1815, which was heavily based on the works of Andrea Palladio with several inn ...

house was built in the early 19th century, and was Fuller's home from birth until age 16. In 1902 it became the Margaret Fuller House of Cambridge, a settlement house providing information and services to help immigrants assimilate into American culture. It is now known as the Margaret Fuller Neighborhood House.

History

Fuller's parents,

Timothy Fuller Timothy Fuller (July 11, 1778 – October 1, 1835) was a U.S. Representative from Massachusetts. Life and work Fuller was born in Chilmark, Massachusetts. His father, also named Timothy, the first settled minister of Princeton, Massachusetts, ...

and Margaret Crane Fuller, were married in 1809. A few months after the wedding, they bought the three-story, Federal-style house on Cherry Street for the high price of $6,000. The couple's daughter Sarah Margaret Fuller was born in this home on May 23, 1810.Blanchard, Paula. ''Margaret Fuller: From Transcendentalism to Revolution''. Reading, Massachusetts: Addison-Wesley Publishing Company, 1987: 15.

Current use

Today, the Margaret Fuller House is being used to service the public in The Port community in Cambridge. It provides a free

computer lab A computer lab is a space where computer services are provided to a defined community. These are typically public libraries and academic institutions. Generally, users must follow a certain user policy to retain access to the computers. This usu ...

, computer classes, a

food pantry A food bank is a non-profit, charitable organization that distributes food to those who have difficulty purchasing enough to avoid hunger, usually through intermediaries like food pantries and soup kitchens. Some food banks distribute food direct ...

, after-school services for children, meeting room space for various activities for the public and a daytime

summer camp A summer camp or sleepaway camp is a supervised program for children conducted during the summer months in some countries. Children and adolescents who attend summer camp are known as ''campers''. Summer school is usually a part of the academ ...

for children. A fundraiser is held every year for the MFNH called the Sweet Soul Supper to help provide money to run these services. The house was designated a

in 1974 for its association with Fuller, whose publication of ''

Woman in the Nineteenth Century ''Woman in the Nineteenth Century'' is a book by American journalist, editor, and women's rights advocate Margaret Fuller. Originally published in July 1843 in ''The Dial'' magazine as "The Great Lawsuit. Man versus Men. Woman versus Women", it w ...

'' in the 1840s has been described by her biographer Karen Antony as "the first considered statement of feminism in this country".

References

External links

Margaret Fuller Neighborhood House Official Site

{{National Register of Historic Places in Massachusetts Fuller House National Historic Landmarks in Cambridge, Massachusetts Houses completed in 1810 Federal architecture in Massachusetts Historic district contributing properties in Massachusetts History of women in Massachusetts

History

Current use

See also

References

External links