Harvard Square Subway Kiosk, former subway entrance and newsstand in Harvard Square, Cambridge, Massachusetts
The Harvard Square Subway Kiosk is a small brick structure built in 1925 that originally served as the main entrance to the subway station. The building has a simple rectangular design with limestone details and a distinctive copper roof with intersecting barrel vaults that once functioned as a ticket booth and passageway for riders.
The structure was built in 1925 as an entrance to the expanded subway station, replacing a larger entrance building that was considered too intrusive. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1978 to protect it from demolition and was later repurposed as a newsstand.
The kiosk served as a gathering point where locals and visitors met to stay informed about the world. The newsstand attracted intellectuals, artists, and students who browsed publications and became part of the vibrant community life centered around Harvard Square.
The kiosk is centrally located in Harvard Square and easy to reach on foot, positioned right next to the current subway entrance. The site is publicly accessible at all times since it sits in an open plaza area, so there are no specific hours to check before visiting.
The kiosk was a gathering place for notable figures like chef Julia Child who browsed cooking magazines and economist John Kenneth Galbraith who regularly bought the French newspaper Le Monde. In 1975, a young Paul Allen picked up a magazine here that inspired him toward founding Microsoft.
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