Harvard Square: Ava's Thoughts

Winter is a very dangerous and difficult time for the unhoused here in Cambridge and Boston. Temperatures are consistently below freezing for several months at a time and the unhoused population has only grown in recent months. This uptake in the unhoused is a result of compounding factors that include the pandemic, the opioid epidemic, evictions, and the dismantling of homeless encampments in Boston. The approach of winter only heightens these issues. Residents of Central Square have taken notice and fear for their own safety as well as the safety of their children and neighbors. They also want to see the unhoused receive the help they need to get back on their feet.  In response, I advocate for the creation and development of several small daytime drop-in centers. Communities are much more apt to caring for their particular members than large corporate entities. Who better to help Central’s unhoused than the people of Central who intimately know the needs of the area? I think sev...

Locations: First Church in Cambridge Christ Church Cambridge The First Parish Cambridge The Old Burial Ground Harvard University  Memorial Church  St. Paul’s Parish  Old Cambridge Baptist Church  The tour I have designed is a tour of religious institutions and religious history in Cambridge. Cambridge boasts some extremely historical and beautiful churches and Harvard University itself began as a seminary. The first stop will be the First Church in Cambridge which was founded in 1636 as the 11th church in Massachusetts. The next stop will be the Christ Church in Cambridge which was built in 1759 by a missionary. This church was also the sight of numerous historical civil war events. The third stop on the tour will be the First Parish Cambridge which is located right by Harvard University and is locally involved with the Y2Y homeless shelter. The fourth stop will be the Old Burial Ground connected to the First Parish Cambridge to discuss the history of the burial grou...

The Weld Boathouse The Weld Boathouse, built by the George Walker Weld family in 1906, sits on the bank of Charles river on the east side of John F. Kennedy Street. The grand boathouse is several stories high with two docs to walk down to the water. It has a reddish roof with red brick accents on a beige facade. With large arched black steel windows and two symmetrical chimneys the boathouse also features a balcony on the riverfront. Weld Boathouse from the Intersection of JFK St and Memorial Dr The boathouse sits at the halfway point of the Head of the Charles course, attracting hundreds of thousands of visitors each year. The Weld family hoped the boathouse would encourage “university-wide rowing” and the house is a close walk to Harvard University, Harvard Square, and the surrounding Cambridge area. Weld Boathouse (upper right) and the Head of the Charles Regatta The boathouse has become a famous Cambridge landmark denoting one’s arrival at the historic Harvard University and Cambr...