Gannett House
Address1511, Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, MA, United States of America, 02138
Site Number576
Building Root Number
02512
Architect (Original)
Samuel Pomeroy
Constructed
1838
Building Acquired 1897
Land Acquired 1897
Building Acquired 1897
Land Acquired 1897
StatusActive
Site Name HistoryThe site is named for Reverend Caleb Gannett (1745–1818, A.B. 1763), whose own home stood on the location of Austin Hall. Gannett was a longtime tutor and steward of Harvard College.Historical NotesGannett House was constructed in 1838 by Samuel Pomeroy, builder. It was initially purchased in 1866 and sold before it was purchased again in 1897. It serves as the home of the Harvard Law Review and other student-run organizations. It was purchased through the Law School Endowment Fund.Gannett House originally faced south and in 1937 was rotated to face east in anticipation of long open space mall extending to Oxford Street; this project was never realized. At this time, a wing in the back was demolished and new west entry was added.
Gannett House was used for student housing from 1906 to 1923. In 1925, the interior was remodeled for the Harvard Law Review. In 1960, roof dormers were added. And there was additional renovation in the 1980s. In 2013, there was a renovation for new office spaces by Austin Architects; upgrades to HVAC and electrical systems; a new slate roof; and the existing wood windows were restored.
During World War II, Gannett House and the Hemenway Gymnasium were used by the U.S. Navy to operate a secret laboratory to develop sonar. At the time, the two buildings were connected with a covered passageway.
Additional Information
Maycock, Susan E., and Charles Sullivan. Building old Cambridge: architecture and development. Cambridge, MA: The MIT Press, 2016. Print. Lamont Library call number NA735.C28 M39 2016; Loeb Design Library call number NA735.C28 M39 2016.
"Gannett House: Everything old is new again"Harvard Law Today, November 15, 2013, https://today.law.harvard.edu/gannett-house-everything-old-is-new-again/
"Scientists Tested ‘Sonar’ System in Hemenway Gym," The Harvard Crimson, April 9, 1946.
Christopher Hail, Harvard/Radcliffe Online Historical Reference Shelf: Cambridge Buildings and Architects.
Fox Butterfield, "First Black Elected to Head Harvard’s Law Review," The New York Times, February 6, 1990.
Weber, Paul J. Photographs of Harvard University Buildings and Grounds Taken by Paul J. Weber, Ca. 1929-1931 and 1939. Harvard University Archives call number HUV 2329
General Information by and about Gannett House. Harvard University Archives HUB 1416.2
Harvard University Archives. Construction Management Records, ca. 1953-1986. Harvard University Archives call number UAV 298.8000
Harvard Law School Library Buidings prints and photographs collection: box 12. Aerial View of Harvard Law School campus and surrounding areas. [194-]
This building has been designated by the University Planning Office as having a Notable Interior.