William F. Bradbury House, Historic house in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States
William F. Bradbury House is a brick residential building on Harvard Street in Cambridge, Massachusetts, built in 1877. Its three-story form includes a mansard roof, tall narrow windows with stone lintels, and decorative pressed brick that sets it apart from newer nearby structures.
Built in 1877 for William Frothingham Bradbury, the house served as a family residence until his death in 1914. It stayed in the family for decades, was later divided into condominiums, and gained National Register listing in 1983.
The house reflects the tastes of a late 19th-century school headmaster, William F. Bradbury, who led Cambridge Latin School. Today, its pressed brick facade and symmetrical front porch echo the status that educators and civic figures displayed in that neighborhood.
Visitors can view the exterior from the public sidewalk along Harvard Street, since the building remains a private residence. Early morning or late afternoon offers the clearest light for seeing the brickwork details and the slope of the roof.
Its pressed brick exterior was unusual for Cambridge in the 1870s, making the house a rare surviving specimen of that construction method on Harvard Street. The original single-family home later became condominiums, yet the outer walls kept their late 19th-century appearance.
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