National Park Service: Longfellow House Washington’s Headquarters

In August 2023, I took a day trip to Cambridge, MA. My first major stop on my adventure was Longfellow House-Washington’s Headquarters National Historic Site operated by the National Park Service (NPS). The double name of the property explains that the home was not only used leading up to the American Revolutionary War as a military headquarters for General George Washington, but also as a family dwelling owned by poet and abolitionist Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. The standard tour of the interior, led by a park ranger, explored both time periods along with telling the story of how the house was lovingly preserved.

Front of Longfellow House Washington’s Headquarters; a three-story yellow painted Georgian style mansion with black shutters

Informational Sign for Longfellow House Washington’s Headquarters; includes dates and names associated with important events

Three-Quarters View of Longfellow House Washington’s Headquarters; an American flag flies at the front of the house

Harry Dana & the Longfellow Legacy

With a fully name of Henry “Harry” Wadsworth Longfellow Dana, the Harvard academic and expert on Russian drama preserved his family’s story, including extensive documentation and their historic home. Besides his love of literature and history, Dana was an early LGBTQ rights activist and union supportor. During the last tour season at the property, some house tours were themed on the LGBTQ history of the Greater Boston area.

Oil Portrait of Young Harry Dana and His Brother; two little boys in late 19th century clothing

Stables and Shed Behind Longfellow House Washington’s Headquarters; a yellow painted building with two blue stable doors

Before the American Revolution

Longfellow House is also called Vassall-Craigie-Longfellow House for the three families who lived there. Sugar plantation owner John Vassall Jr. built the house in 1759, having made his money from enslaving hundreds of people between his estate in Jamaica and in Boston. Leading up to the Revolution, Brattle Street in Cambridge was a trendy area for rich loyalists, who fled en masse in the 1770s and abandoned those they enslaved.

Dining Room at Longfellow House Washington’s Headquarters; a table set for dinner, a sideboard with 19th century implements, and portraits of Longfellow family members on the wall

Parlor at Longfellow House Washington’s Headquarters; a whitewashed, Neoclassical style room with a large, ornate fireplace and mismatched but elegant furniture

Tony and Cuba Vassall seized this chance to free themselves and their children after being forcibly separated. While remaining on the estate, Tony strategically positioned himself as a free Black man caring for an enslaved family on behalf of absentee owners. He received £222 in initial compensation and an additional £12 annually after the family was evicted in 1781 after Andrew Craigie bought the home. (According to the inflation calculator used by the Bank of England, that is the equivalent to about £27,600 [$35,000] initial compensation and £1,800 [$2,300] annually as of their last calculation done in November 2023. An additional note is that the home included the family tomb where Craigie is now buried.) The park serves hosts local Black history themed tours during the regular season.

Portrait of Two Longfellow Children Hung Over the Clock in the Parlor

More Hung Portraits and Landscapes in the Parlor

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, His Family, & His Friends

Famous for such poems as “Paul Revere’s Ride”, “The Song of Hiawatha”, and “The Psalm of Life”, Longfellow captured the attention of mid 19^th century readers both in the United States and abroad in Europe. At the time, he was among the best known and best beloved English language poets in the world. Longfellow had a kind, inviting nature. He rarely ate a meal without family and friends, while fellow authors and foreign dignitaries frequently visited his home to have dinner. Longfellow and his second wife, Frances “Fanny” Elizabeth Appleton, carefully planned who came to what meals, as his large social circle held a wide range of political opinions. Longfellow’s father-in-law, Nathan Appleton, had purchased the house as a gift for the young couple. Because Appleton invested heavily in cotton mills, he supported slavery, a sharp contrast to Longfellow’s own abolitionist views.

Washington’s Headquarters Room or Music Room; a large, carpeted room with a fireplace, yellow couch, desk, Japanese room divider, and cabinet

Longfellow’s Office; a midsized room with desk and bookshelf along with an oil portrait of Longfellow

Desk and Piano in Washington’s Headquarters Room or Music Room

Longfellow’s parlor, where he entertained his guests, is decorated with art from his own collection, along with portraits of himself and his children. His study, where he wrote many of his poems, still holds his collection of books and original furniture. When he needed a break from writing, his children would run in to visit him. My favorite object in his study was a large metal crane sculpture staring out the window. The park offers an art themed tour during the regular season.

Metal Sculpture of a Crane in Longfellow’s Office

Fireplace, Chinese Vases, and Clock in Desk and Piano in Washington’s Headquarters Room or Music Room

Longfellow’s life was marked by tragedy. His first wife, Mary Storer Potter Longfellow, died after a miscarriage in 1835, while Fanny Longfellow died from burns in 1861, after an all too common case of her dress catching on fire. Nathan Appleton died of illness a few days later. Longfellow was so affected by these deaths that he could no longer write poetry, instead becoming a translator, and no longer wanted to socialize with others. He lived for another twenty-one years and died in the home in 1862 at age seventy-five.

Tiled Fireplace and Paintings in the Second Bedroom

Canopy Bed in the Second Bedroom; a white canopy and matching white covers

George Washington Slept Here

What the Longfellow family used as a music room, George Washington used as his Boston headquarters for nine months during the Siege of Boston leading up to the Revolution. He was present at Evacuation Day on March 17, 1776, which is still recognized as a state holiday. According to surviving letters, Washington spent much of his time despairing over the lack of trainable soldiers, seemingly unsure why working class New Englanders would resent a member of the Virginia elite who called them “Boys, Deserters, & Negroes” as an insult. While this was not a pleasant time for anyone involved, the experience taught Washington how to work with other people as a politician, not just a military commander.

Fancy Lantern Hung in the Archway between the Music Room and the Hall

Main Bedroom; a large bed with a green couch at the foot

Conclusion

Grounds are open dawn to dusk throughout the year. Tours occur during the regular NPS season from May through October. The visitors center is open from 9:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., with tours generally on the hour and lasting about an hour. No on-site parking is available except for accessible spaces for vehicles with official handicap placards. The MBTA subway (also called the T) is an ideal travel option. Because I love a good walk, I parked at the Alewife Station Parking Garage and walked a leisurely two miles on wide sidewalks, bike paths, and through historic neighborhoods. This is not the right choice for all or even most people. The Garden St @ Concord Ave MBTA stop near Harvard University is likely the best choice for subway riders, as it is about 0.25 mi from the site. Like most historic house museums, the tour is not accessible to those using a wheelchair. However, extensive information and a decent virtual tour are available on the park website. I greatly enjoyed my experience at this park, and I hope to return during the coming season to take one of the themed tours.

Abby Epplett’s Rating System

Experience: 9/10

Accessibility: 7/10

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Abby Epplett, Historian