Blackstone South
Address46, Blackstone Street, Cambridge, MA, United States of America, 02139
Previous Address26, Blackstone Street, Cambridge, MA, United States of America, 02139
Site Number01703
Building Root Number
01703
Architect (Original)
Chamberlin & Whidden
Constructed
1889
Building Acquired 2003
Land Acquired 2003
Building Acquired 2003
Land Acquired 2003
StatusActive
Materials for this building in our collection are not fully processed at this time.
Site Name HistoryThe site is named after its address.Historical NotesDesigned by the Boston firm of Chamberlin and Whidden, and built in 1889 for a book bindery, Cambridge Diary Company, that specialized in diaries (day planners). No architect is indicated for the 1926 and 1929 buildings.Blackstone South complex is comprised of three buildings that are now interconnected. The first building was erected in 1889. The second was built in 1926 for Cambridge Electric Light Company (2-story storage). And lastly, in 1929, the Standard Diary Company built a 2-story warehouse. All buildings were owned by the Cambridge Electric Light Company.
Blackstone South building was acquired by Harvard in 2002 from the NStar utility company.
In 2006, there was a major renovation to the interior.Additional Information
“Whidden and Lewis, architects“ The Oregon Encyclopedia, https://www.oregonencyclopedia.org/articles/whidden_lewis_architects/#.X6SDCu17laQ
“Cambridge Electric Light Co.’s New Plant,” The Cambridge Chronicle, May 4, 1901, p. 5.
Hail, Christopher. Harvard/Radcliffe Online Historical Reference Shelf: Cambridge Buildings and Architects
Dorgan, Lauren R. “Harvard Acquires Local Steam Plant” The Harvard Crimson, August 9, 2002.
Haglund, Karl. Inventing the Charles River, (Cambridge, MA: The MIT Press, 2003), pp. 140-142
"New Power House Has No Equal in Country“ The Cambridge Chronicle, July 19, 1902, p. 13.
“Power Plant of the Cambridge Electric Light Company” Engineering Record, Building Record And Sanitary Engineer. (New York: McGraw Pub. Co, 1902), v 46, pp 410-412.
Howe, Peter J. “Harvard to Buy Power Plant.” Boston Globe, Boston Globe Media Partners, LLC, 3 Aug. 2002, p. E.1.
