MARGARET FULLER NEIGHBORHOOD HOUSE
Margaret Fuller Neighborhood House on 71 Cherry Street.
Updates
In 2022, the CRA received a commitment of $500,000 from the City's Community Preservation Act (CPA) funds toward the renovation of the historic Margaret Fuller House.
In 2024, the CRA and the Margaret Fuller Neighborhood House (MFNH) renewed their commitment to the joint project by executing a memorandum of understanding that lays out the vision for the project consisting of a new pantry facility, historic renovation of the House, and the delivery of affordable homeownership units on the parking lot.
Starting in the fall of 2024, the CRA and MFNH will be working on the initial plan for their joint project. This will involve getting input from the community to make sure that the project is designed in a way that meets community needs.
Looking for information about MFNH's food pantry, community advancement, or adult enrichment programs? Please visit their website or call them directly at: 617-547-4680.
Project Context and Goals
The Margaret Fuller Neighborhood House and the CRA are working in partnership to bring new housing to MFNH's parking lot site in the Port, and redevelop MFNH's food pantry, and community advancement facilities, including upgrading its historic house. This project is aligned with the CRA's growing work to support affordable housing and social services in the City, using tools and strategies not readily available to other government agencies or nonprofits.
The goals of the project are to:
Apply the value of undeveloped land owned by MFNH to expand the organization’s capacity, and strengthen its programs.
Strengthen MFNH’s immediate and long-term financial position.
Supply affordable housing for the Cambridge community.
Timeline
Frequently Asked Questions
Pantry Customer
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A temporary pantry location will be given when renovations start. Contact MFNH for more information.
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The overall improvements will be released once a renovation plan is chosen.
Cambridge Residents
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Currently, the construction phase is anticipated to begin in mid-2025 and continue through the end of 2027.
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Some of the project will coincide with the The Port Infrastructure Project [LINK] which will include stormwater and streetscape improvements.
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How many units will be available?
The goal is to deliver approximately 10 units of affordable homeownership housing. However, during the current schematic design phase, opportunities to increase the number of units are being investigated.
Who is eligible to apply for affordable housing?
The affordable housing component will be allocated in accordance with the Affordable Housing Overlay (AHO) Ordinance which assigns the Cambridge Community Development Department guidelines for awards.
Currently, the affordable housing component of the project is envisioned over the existing MFNH parking lot. The availability of quality housing will maintain the neighborhood's residential character while offering the opportunity for families and households to join a thriving community.
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Yes! MFNH and CRA are engaged in a multi-layered community engagement plan that seeks to gain perspectives from pantry guests, MFNH abutters, Port neighborhood residents, and the broader Cambridge community.
We are doing this through multiple channels:
Hosting several meetings through the AHO process to inform the community of the overall project, particularly on the housing component
Conducting on-site and online surveys with pantry guests to understand their needs to develop a better pantry
Contacting abutters (in accordance with the Zoning Ordinance) to inform them of the initial project components and gain perspective on possible concerns and solutions
A monthly newsletter detailing the current project status and to communicate any concerns that may have impacts during construction.
A continuously updated website that informs closer to real-time on the project and archives prior meetings and notes from neighbors.
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Currently, the funding is composed of a direct CRA equity payment along with some funds from Biomed Realty.
Additionally, MFNH fundraising and pursuing additional grants, Historic Tax Credits and money from Cambridge’s Community Preservation Act funds through the Cambridge Historic Commission.
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Delivery of a new renovated, accessible pantry. Newly restored historic house. At least 10,000 square feet of affordable homeownership housing.
Project HISTORY
Margaret Fuller Neighborhood House (MFNH) has provided social services and community connection from the historic home it owns at 71 Cherry Street since 1902.
Since 2018, the CRA and the MFNH have been exploring options to develop a moderate-scale housing development on an approximately 9,000 square foot surface parking lot owned by MFNH. This project would provide revenue that would allow MFNH to make improvements to the interior of its historic house to better support its programs, and to construct a new social services facility to replace the basement-level structure that now sits adjacent to the house, potentially utilizing portions of that existing structure. The CRA and the MFNH have entered into a Cooperation Agreement in order to:
Supply affordable housing for the Cambridge community.
Apply the value of undeveloped land owned by MFNH (Parking Lot) to expand the organization’s capacity, and strengthen and grow programs.
Strengthen MFNH’s immediate and long-term financial position and improve its community-serving facilities.
In August 2019, Studio G was selected as the project architect. Studio G is mission-driven, bringing a depth of experience in nonprofit building projects. They have expertise in designing housing, childcare and social service facilities, and nonprofit offices. Studio G also brings expertise in "green" building and historic preservation.
With their help, the MFNH and CRA are considering a project that would include:
Construction of new affordable housing,
Renovations to the historic house,
Development of a new addition next door to the existing house.
MFNH’s administrative offices, community library, and computer lab are located in the historic home. The pantry has recently been re-located in the basement/garden level structure built adjacent to the historic home. 16,000 individuals and families collect food from the pantry each year.
MFNH has conducted repairs as needed to the house, but has not conducted any major renovations in the recent past. The house does not have air conditioning. Other systems may be near the end of their useful life. Additionally, the pantry addition and the offices in the house itself are not currently accessible to those with physical disabilities.
MFNH Staff preparing for our first mobile Food Pantry Delivery to the Frank J. Manning Apartments in Cambridge.
Graduating Cohort from our Tech Goes Home Computer Training in 2023
Scenes from our '23 Winter Festival
MFNH BAckground
The only known photograph of Margaret Fuller, c 1846.
Home to Margaret Fuller until the age of 16, the three-story, Federal-style house at 71 Cherry Street was built in 1807. Fuller was born in 1810, and was considered a prodigy, reading Latin by age six. In 1845 she published Women in the 19th Century, which was extremely influential in the feminist movement of the 18th Century. (Source: https://www.nps.gov/nr/travel/pwwmh/ma59.htm)
In 1902, the home was reinvented as the Margaret Fuller Neighborhood House, becoming one of the first settlement houses in the United States, and serving the social needs of recent immigrant families in the Port neighborhood of Cambridge. This was at the height of the industrial revolution and Cambridge’s local factories were staffed mostly by recent immigrants. Their living conditions, in boarding and tenement houses, were often overcrowded and unhealthy. In keeping with the spirit of the Settlement House movement, MFNH was designed as an outpost of education and culture for these workers.
Today, MFNH serves as a central hub for the Port neighborhood and beyond. It offers adult enrichment programs, after-school programs, community outreach, a computer lab, a community library, and a food pantry.
Project Related Documents
CRA-MFNH Agreements
Historical Documents and Photos about Margaret Fuller Neighborhood House
CONTACT & Location
For more information about the programs that the Margaret Fuller Neighborhood House offers, please call them directly:
Margaret Fuller Neighborhood House
617-547-4680
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For more information about the CRA’s Margaret Fuller Neighborhood House project please contact:
Alex Cardelle, Project Manager
Cambridge Redevelopment Authority
255 Main Street, 8th floor, Cambridge, MA 02142
Phone: 617-492-6800