General William Brattle House, 42 Brattle Street, Cambridge, Middlesex County, MA

Significance: Built in ca. 1730 for Cambridge lawyer and politician William Brattle, the house is popularly known for its owner's British sympathies rather than for its architectural significance. In Cambridge, the Brattle house is one of "Tory Row," a group of pre-revolutionary structures owned by Loyalists; William Brattle fled Boston in 1774. During the nineteenth century, Brattle's estate gradually was subdivided and the neighborhood grew up around it. In 1889, the Cambridge Social Union purchased the house and renovated it to suit their needs. Despite its exterior alterations, the Brattle house street facade remains a significant example of pre-revolutionary war architecture and its stair attests to the quality of early American craftsmanship.
Survey number: HABS MA-274
Building/structure dates: 1747 Initial Construction
Building/structure dates: ca. 1890 Subsequent Work