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Asa Gray House

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hip roof surrounded by a low balustrade. The main facade is flushboarded, with pilasters at the corners; the other sides of the house are sheathed in clapboards. The cornice on the main block is dentillated; that on the ell is plain. The main entrance is centered on the front facade, with sidelight windows on either side and a fanlight window above. The entry is sheltered by a portico supported by clustered square columns; this portico is a replacement to the original, made when the house was moved. There is a secondary entrance in the ell, which is sheltered by a closed-in porch dating to c. 1920. At the rear of the house is an addition, roughly dating to the move but extended later, which incorporates a formerly-external shed into the house.
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The interior of the house follows a typical Federal-period center hall plan, with the central hall divided into front and rear sections (each with a staircase) by a doorway with a fanlight. There are two rooms on either side of the central hall. The woodwork in the public spaces is not particularly
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The house has a rectangular main block, measuring 40 by 36 feet (12 m × 11 m), with a side ell that is about 24 feet (7.3 m) square. When first built, it was attached to a plant conservatory that was also designed by Town. The house is two stories tall and five bays wide, with a
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The Gray House was purchased in 1910 by Allen Cox, who moved it to its present address the same year. Gardner Cox (one of Allen's children and a well known artist in Boston, converted the attached carriage house into an art studio). Benjamin (an executive) & Liz Shepherd (a sculptor and
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printmaker) bought the house in 1999 and restored it. They were awarded a Restoration Award for their work by the Cambridge Historical Commission in 2001. They restored the art studio in 2006. It is still a private residence, and was declared a
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elaborate, with simple cornice moldings and fireplace surrounds, and flared moldings around the windows. The downstairs room of the ell served as Asa Gray's study, and includes a number of wood-frame
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purchased the house in 1842 and moved in during the summer of 1844, after receiving an appointment to a professorship at Harvard that he would hold for 45 years. Already a rising star in the world of
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who published the first complete work on American flora, and was a vigorous defender of the
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Detail of 1854 map of Cambridge, showing "Prof. A. Gray Botanic Garden" on Garden Street
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Houses on the National Register of Historic Places in Cambridge, Massachusetts
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National Register of Historic Places listings in Cambridge, Massachusetts
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Polly M. Rettig and S. Sydney Bradford (December 9, 1974).
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U.S. National Register of Historic Places in Massachusetts
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Botanical Garden. Subsequent occupants included botanist
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gained him widespread attention in the public sphere.
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Accompanying two photos, exterior, from 1867 and 1963
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List of National Historic Landmarks in Massachusetts
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History of the National Register of Historic Places
532: 171: 163: 158: 145: 135: 127: 119: 82: 71: 232:The Gray House was designed in 1810 by architect 1036:National Register of Historic Places portal 205:, and historically as the residence of several 270:The General of the Plants of the United States 16:Historic house in Massachusetts, United States 510: 400:Asa Gray, American Botanist, Friend of Darwin 8: 1079:National Historic Landmarks in Massachusetts 209:luminaries. Its most notable occupant was 193:, is a historic house at 88 Garden Street, 672: 517: 503: 495: 425: 423: 421: 419: 377:National Historic Landmark summary listing 60: 40:U.S. National Register of Historic Places 367: 365: 480: 337: 451: 440: 346:"National Register Information System" 23: 7: 351:National Register of Historic Places 14: 1041: 1029: 1019: 1018: 573: 483: 276:. His highly public defense of 49:U.S. National Historic Landmark 147: 1: 21:United States historic place 999:National Historic Landmarks 1095: 994:Cape Cod National Seashore 398:Dupree, A. Hunter (1988). 292:National Historic Landmark 199:National Historic Landmark 1014: 571: 268:, Gray in 1848 published 146:NRHP reference  59: 55: 46: 37: 30: 26: 1069:Houses completed in 1810 1048:United States portal 437:. National Park Service. 283:On the Origin of Species 244:, on the grounds of the 242:Cambridge, Massachusetts 195:Cambridge, Massachusetts 77:Cambridge, Massachusetts 379:. National Park Service 252:and Harvard presidents 104:42.382972°N 71.128000°W 545:Keeper of the Register 450:Cite journal requires 238:William Dandridge Peck 560:National Park Service 540:Contributing property 356:National Park Service 213:(1810–88), a leading 109:42.382972; -71.128000 358:. January 23, 2007. 222:theory of evolution 172:Designated NHL 100: /  123:less than one acre 1056: 1055: 977: 976: 676:Barnstable County 550:Historic district 409:978-0-801-83741-8 311:lining one wall. 185:, recorded in an 179: 178: 159:Significant dates 1086: 1046: 1045: 1044: 1034: 1033: 1032: 1022: 1021: 935:Worcester County 785:Middlesex County 673: 577: 519: 512: 505: 496: 487: 470: 469: 459: 453: 448: 446: 438: 436: 427: 414: 413: 395: 389: 388: 386: 384: 373:"Asa Gray House" 369: 360: 359: 342: 175:January 12, 1965 167:October 15, 1966 149: 115: 114: 112: 111: 110: 105: 101: 98: 97: 96: 93: 64: 24: 1094: 1093: 1089: 1088: 1087: 1085: 1084: 1083: 1059: 1058: 1057: 1052: 1042: 1040: 1030: 1028: 1010: 973: 930: 902: 876: 780: 764: 718: 692: 664: 583:Lists by county 578: 569: 528: 523: 491: 488: 479: 474: 473: 467: 449: 439: 434: 429: 428: 417: 410: 397: 396: 392: 382: 380: 371: 370: 363: 344: 343: 339: 334: 317: 300: 274:plant geography 246:Harvard College 230: 207:Harvard College 108: 106: 102: 99: 94: 91: 89: 87: 86: 75:88 Garden St., 67: 66:Asa Gray House. 51: 42: 33: 22: 17: 12: 11: 5: 1092: 1090: 1082: 1081: 1076: 1071: 1061: 1060: 1054: 1053: 1051: 1050: 1038: 1026: 1015: 1012: 1011: 1009: 1008: 1007: 1006: 996: 991: 985: 983: 979: 978: 975: 974: 972: 971: 970: 969: 964: 959: 949: 944: 938: 936: 932: 931: 929: 928: 927: 926: 921: 910: 908: 907:Suffolk County 904: 903: 901: 900: 895: 890: 884: 882: 881:Norfolk County 878: 877: 875: 874: 869: 864: 859: 854: 849: 844: 839: 834: 829: 824: 819: 814: 809: 804: 799: 794: 788: 786: 782: 781: 779: 778: 772: 770: 769:Hampden County 766: 765: 763: 762: 757: 752: 747: 742: 737: 732: 726: 724: 720: 719: 717: 716: 711: 706: 700: 698: 697:Bristol County 694: 693: 691: 690: 685: 679: 677: 670: 666: 665: 663: 662: 652: 647: 642: 637: 632: 627: 622: 617: 612: 607: 602: 597: 592: 586: 584: 580: 579: 572: 570: 568: 567: 565:Property types 562: 557: 552: 547: 542: 536: 534: 530: 529: 524: 522: 521: 514: 507: 499: 493: 492: 489: 482: 478: 475: 472: 471: 452:|journal= 415: 408: 390: 361: 336: 335: 333: 330: 329: 328: 323: 316: 313: 299: 296: 278:Charles Darwin 250:Thomas Nuttall 229: 226: 189:survey as the 183:Asa Gray House 177: 176: 173: 169: 168: 165: 161: 160: 156: 155: 150: 143: 142: 137: 133: 132: 129: 125: 124: 121: 117: 116: 84: 80: 79: 73: 69: 68: 65: 57: 56: 53: 52: 47: 44: 43: 38: 35: 34: 32:Asa Gray House 31: 28: 27: 20: 15: 13: 10: 9: 6: 4: 3: 2: 1091: 1080: 1077: 1075: 1072: 1070: 1067: 1066: 1064: 1049: 1039: 1037: 1027: 1025: 1017: 1016: 1013: 1005: 1002: 1001: 1000: 997: 995: 992: 990: 987: 986: 984: 980: 968: 965: 963: 960: 958: 955: 954: 953: 950: 948: 945: 943: 940: 939: 937: 933: 925: 922: 920: 917: 916: 915: 912: 911: 909: 905: 899: 896: 894: 891: 889: 886: 885: 883: 879: 873: 870: 868: 865: 863: 860: 858: 855: 853: 850: 848: 845: 843: 840: 838: 835: 833: 830: 828: 825: 823: 820: 818: 815: 813: 810: 808: 805: 803: 800: 798: 795: 793: 790: 789: 787: 783: 777: 774: 773: 771: 767: 761: 758: 756: 753: 751: 748: 746: 743: 741: 738: 736: 733: 731: 728: 727: 725: 721: 715: 712: 710: 707: 705: 702: 701: 699: 695: 689: 686: 684: 681: 680: 678: 674: 671: 669:Lists by city 667: 660: 656: 653: 651: 648: 646: 643: 641: 638: 636: 633: 631: 628: 626: 623: 621: 618: 616: 613: 611: 608: 606: 603: 601: 598: 596: 593: 591: 588: 587: 585: 581: 576: 566: 563: 561: 558: 556: 553: 551: 548: 546: 543: 541: 538: 537: 535: 531: 527: 520: 515: 513: 508: 506: 501: 500: 497: 486: 481: 476: 465: 464: 457: 444: 433: 426: 424: 422: 420: 416: 411: 405: 401: 394: 391: 378: 374: 368: 366: 362: 357: 353: 352: 347: 341: 338: 331: 327: 324: 322: 319: 318: 314: 312: 310: 309:display cases 304: 297: 295: 293: 287: 285: 284: 279: 275: 271: 267: 263: 259: 255: 251: 247: 243: 239: 235: 227: 225: 223: 220: 216: 212: 208: 204: 200: 196: 192: 188: 184: 174: 170: 166: 164:Added to NRHP 162: 157: 154: 151: 144: 141: 138: 134: 130: 126: 122: 118: 113: 85: 81: 78: 74: 70: 63: 58: 54: 50: 45: 41: 36: 29: 25: 19: 967:southwestern 962:northwestern 723:Essex County 468:(32 KB) 462: 443:cite journal 399: 393: 381:. Retrieved 376: 349: 340: 305: 301: 298:Architecture 288: 281: 269: 258:Jared Sparks 254:James Walker 231: 191:Garden House 190: 182: 180: 92:42°22′58.7″N 18: 982:Other lists 942:Southbridge 822:Marlborough 776:Springfield 709:New Bedford 234:Ithiel Town 203:Ithiel Town 140:Ithiel Town 107: / 95:71°7′40.8″W 83:Coordinates 1063:Categories 872:Winchester 847:Somerville 807:Framingham 735:Gloucester 704:Fall River 683:Barnstable 590:Barnstable 383:August 31, 332:References 952:Worcester 888:Brookline 857:Wakefield 812:Lexington 797:Cambridge 792:Arlington 655:Worcester 635:Nantucket 630:Middlesex 625:Hampshire 595:Berkshire 294:in 1965. 219:Darwinian 136:Architect 1024:Category 947:Uxbridge 924:southern 919:northern 852:Stoneham 842:Sherborn 745:Lawrence 659:northern 645:Plymouth 615:Franklin 315:See also 262:Asa Gray 215:botanist 211:Asa Gray 153:66000655 72:Location 989:Bridges 957:eastern 862:Waltham 837:Reading 827:Medford 802:Concord 755:Methuen 740:Ipswich 730:Andover 714:Taunton 688:Harwich 650:Suffolk 640:Norfolk 620:Hampden 600:Bristol 228:History 1004:Boston 914:Boston 898:Quincy 893:Milton 867:Weston 832:Newton 817:Lowell 533:Topics 477:Images 466:  406:  266:botany 760:Salem 610:Essex 605:Dukes 435:(pdf) 197:. 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Index

U.S. National Register of Historic Places
U.S. National Historic Landmark

Cambridge, Massachusetts
42°22′58.7″N 71°7′40.8″W / 42.382972°N 71.128000°W / 42.382972; -71.128000
Ithiel Town
66000655
HABS
Cambridge, Massachusetts
National Historic Landmark
Ithiel Town
Harvard College
Asa Gray
botanist
Darwinian
theory of evolution
Ithiel Town
William Dandridge Peck
Cambridge, Massachusetts
Harvard College
Thomas Nuttall
James Walker
Jared Sparks
Asa Gray
botany
plant geography
Charles Darwin
On the Origin of Species
National Historic Landmark
display cases

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