Longfellow House-Washington’s HQ NHS: Remarkable Military & Literary History

Visited National Park #233

The Basics: Established by Act of Congress in 1972 in Cambridge, Massachusetts, Longfellow House-Washington’s Headquarters National Historic Site preserves the historic 1759 house in Cambridge that served as George Washington ’s headquarters in the Boston area for nine months in 1775 and was later the primary home and writing studio of Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, one of America’s most prominent literary figures. It’s one of the 425 national parks managed by the National Park Service.

Things to Know for Your Visit to Longfellow House-Washington’s Headquarters

This urban national park is one of the many historic sites that sit in and around Boston, Massachusetts (and New England in general). Not coincidentally, it’s one of the many Boston-area national parks that protect some of the most historic sites in American history.

Visitors can take one of two house tours – an express one focusing on the ground floor where Longfellow had his primary studio, or a more detailed one that also visits the residential rooms upstairs. You can also explore the historic grounds, including the flower garden (which would probably be particularly lovely in the spring, say, mid-April through May or so). Make sure to check out the tour schedule on the NPS App or on the Longfellow House website.

My Visit to Longfellow House

I’m back in New England for a week and a half or so, taking the opportunity to see some friends, spend a week at Baxter State Park, and also wrap up the final three eastern Massachusetts & Maine national parks I haven’t made it to yet: Longfellow House-Washington’s Headquarters, Katahdin Woods and Waters (Maine), and Salem Maritime National Historic Site.

OK, technically I have been on the grounds of the Longfellow House previously, but I didn’t count it because I wasn’t able to get on a tour of the house. And technically I’ve been to Salem Maritime, probably to not have gotten there given my history with Newburyport would have been a surprise, but didn’t feel that it was focused enough on the park to count it, either. This time, any hesitation will be erased.

Garden & Grounds

A friend and I meet up for lunch in Harvard Square, then walk over to the Longfellow House and get our names down for a tour. While we wait, we walk around the grounds a bit. There are some flowers blooming, but obviously the garden would be a bigger highlight in the spring. The afternoon light on and around the grounds is lovely, though.

Longfellow House

Longfellow House was originally built in 1759. George Washington used the house as his headquarters in 1775 for 9 months, and a number of of architectural changes were made by Andrew Craigie in the 1790s. In 1843, the house was purchased for Henry Wadsworth Longfellow and his new wife, Fanny Appleton, by Appleton’s father as a wedding present.

Our tour entered through the service portion of the house, passing through the laundry, pantry, and kitchen areas initially, which are also used today to highlight some of Charles Longfellow’s international collections. It then proceeded through the Blue Entry, the primary connecting space in the rear of the house, and into the dining room. The Longfellows doubled the space as a gallery, and several large bookcases are present as well as numerous pieces of artwork. Among the contents of the bookcases is Longfellow’s 75 volume set of works by Voltaire.

Formal Dining Room

The dining room was originally a kitchen when the house was built in 1759 and when Washington occupied it for his headquarters. Andrew Craigie turned it into a formal dining room in the 1790s, and the Longfellows maintained this use of the space.

Significant artwork is featured on the walls, including Nathan Appleton’s painting by Gilbert Stuart, and an ornate French clock is prominent on the west wall under the Longfellow children’s portrait. Charles Dickens and Charles Sumner were among the numerous distinguished guests that are known to have shared meals with the Longfellows in this room.

Front Entry & Writing Study

Passing through the front entry hall, the tour enters Longfellow’s study and writing studio. Longfellow wrote many of his most famous works, such as “Paul Revere’s Ride,” and “The Song of Hiawatha” from a lectern in one of the front rooms of the house. Among his guests who have passed through the home were such literary luminaries as Ralph Waldo Emerson (e.g. “Concord Hymn”, or as I actually prefer to hear it, sung by the Concord Museum), Nathaniel Hawthorne, Charles Dickens, and Oscar Wilde.

A substantial number of portraits of Longfellow’s literary friends and contemporaries are prominent in his writing studio, as are busts and sculpture of authors and philosophers who influenced him, such as Goethe and Shakespeare as well as characters from Greco-Roman mythology such as Hermes/Mercury.

Library

Our tour wrapped up in the Longfellow library. More international artifacts and Greco-Roman connections are evidenced here: Hermes/Mercury stands on the center table, and a Japanese screen painting is prominent in one corner. This room was originally an office during Washington’s period in the house; all correspondence relating to the Continental Amy would have passed through these walls, making this the busiest room in the house and the singular nucleus of logistics for Continental troop movements.

Andrew Craigie enlarged the room around 1793, reflecting a broader architectural shift toward the Federal style from the original Georgian structure (though these are two very similar styles with primarily political differences, it can be argued) and in order to use the room as his primary entertaining area. The Longfellow edition of the room reflects many of these changes, but also used it as his library; the 6 bookcases lining the perimeter hold many of his foreign language books.

Things to Do

• Walk the historic grounds and flower garden
• Tours of historic Longfellow House
• Visit some (or more) of the related places in the area that are not part of the official site today, but are connected to it.

Suggested Itinerary

Arrive at least 30 minutes in advance of one of the house tours. Check the park website for the detailed tour schedule, especially if you are specifically interested in the more in-depth option. Get your name on the list for a spot (no charge) and spend the time before the tour walking around the grounds and flower garden. Perhaps allow a little more time for this from April through May when the flowers are likely to be in peak condition in the spring.

Nearby Parks and other Federal Lands

John Fitzgerald Kennedy National Historic Site

This national park protects the childhood home of the 35th President of the United States. It’s located in suburban Brookline, Massachusetts. Tours of the house are regularly available.

Frederick Law Olmsted National Historic Site

This national park protects the home and studio of America’s foremost landscape architect, Frederick Law Olmsted, Jr. His connections to other national parks and public lands in New England and beyond are dense and numerous. As just a couple examples, Olmsted helped design Rock Creek Park in Washington, DC; the Park Loop Road at Acadia National Park; Prospect Park in Brooklyn, New York; the Emerald Necklace park and flood control system in Boston; the grounds of the U.S. Capitol Building in Washington; Central Park in New York City; the Biltmore Estate in Asheville, North Carolina; and more. Tours are available regularly.

Given the sense of place, the resources the park has, and the connections throughout the park system, this park is both one of my personal favorites and one of the most underrated in the system, in my personal opinion.

Boston National Historical Park

Just across the river from Longfellow House is the most famous Boston-area national park, Boston National Historical Park. The park’s famous Freedom Trail takes you through many of the historic sites in downtown Boston connected to the colonial era and the American Revolution, starting on Boston Common and ending at the USS Constitution in Charlestown.

Among the sites included are the Old State House, the site of the Boston Massacre, Paul Revere’s House, numerous historic cemeteries, the Old North Church, and the Bunker Hill Monument. The Boston Tea Party ship replica is located nearby as well. Guided tours, including by costumed living history interpreters, are available in addition to the standard self-guided option.

Boston African American National Historic Site

Boston African American National Historic Site commemorates the African American community of Beacon Hill in the 1800s. It includes, among other sites, a meeting house and the famous Massachusetts 54th Memorial outside the Massachusetts State House, carved by Augustus St Gaudens (who has his own park in New Hampshire) and a common site for ranger programs. Walking tours of park sites around Beacon Hill are available.

Boston Harbor Islands National Recreational Area and State Park

The Boston Harbor Islands are jewels of land scattered around Boston Harbor. Each is worth a visit for the natural and historic beauty. The history ranges from the Civil War (Fort Warren on Georges Island, one of the hubs for ferries to the other islands) to World War II batteries on Lovell and Peddocks Islands. (In summer, bring a head net for the mosquitoes on Lovell, though World War II buffs will probably find it worth it). Spectacle Island offers great views of the Boston skyline. Camping options are available, a rarity in such a developed urban area.

Adams National Historical Park

Adams NHP protects the homes of the Adams family in South Boston. Tours are available and can be reserved up to 60 days in advance.

Minute Man National Historical Park

Site of “the shot heard ‘round the world,” Minute Man NHP protects the battlefields of Lexington and Concord that launched the American Revolution. Programs and self guided tours are available, as well as various hiking and cycling options, but my favorite time to visit is for Patriots’ Day in April when special events commemorate the anniversary of the battles.

Great Meadows National Wildlife Refuge

A National Wildlife Refuge in two units (Sudbury and Concord), Great Meadows is primarily freshwater marsh along the Sudbury and Concord Rivers. One of the best inland birding areas in Massachusetts, the site offers river access for paddling the Concord River, hiking trails and wildlife observation towers.

Farther away, you can find Lowell National Historical Park; Salem Maritime National Historic Site; Parker River National Wildlife Refuge in Newburyport; and Cape Cod National Seashore, as well as several other national wildlife refuges in the Eastern Massachusetts National Wildlife Refuge Complex.