Lucius R. Paige, History of Cambridge, Massachusetts, 1630-1877, with a genealogical register

‘ [374] town school is kept through the year. Besides this, there are six school-houses in the town; two in each of the three parishes.’¹ Of the two in the First Parish, one undoubtedly stood at the northeasterly corner of Winthrop and Eliot streets, and the other probably on the northeasterly corner of North Avenue and Russell Street. The Second Parish is now Arlington, and the Third is the Brighton District of Boston. Before the incorporation of the second and third parishes as separate towns, another schoolhouse was erected in 1802, at the northwesterly corner of Windsor and School streets, in Cambridgeport, on a lot of land given to the town by Andrew Bordman; it cost about six hundred dollars, of which sum about one half was contributed by individuals, and the remainder was paid by the town. Seven years later, in 1809, the population of Cambridgeport having rapidly increased, yet another school-house was erected on the southerly side of Franklin Street, about midway between Magazine and Pearl streets, on a lot of land given to the town by Chief Justice Dana; it cost somewhat more than eight hundred dollars, of which sum the town paid about three hundred dollars, and the remainder was contributed by individuals. After the inhabitants of East Cambridge had become numerous, and had repeatedly petitioned therefor, the town, in 1818, appropriated four hundred dollars for a school-house on the easterly side of Third Street between Gore and Bridge streets; the remainder of the expense was raised by subscription. In 1845, the School Committee described thirteen school-houses, then standing, and their cost, so far as it was paid by the town: 1. The North School-house, corner of North Avenue and Russell Street, erected in 1841 on the site of a former house, at the cost of $2,477, exclusive of land. 2. Washington, on Garden Street, erected in 1832 on the site of a former house, at the cost of $2,150.56, besides about $1,000 contributed by individuals. 3. Auburn, in School Court, erected in 1838, at the cost of $4,171.67. 4. Harvard, on the northerly side of Harvard Street, between Norfolk and Prospect streets, erected in 1843 (on the site of a similar house which was burned in March of that year), at the cost of $3,557.48, besides the land, which originally cost $500. 5. Franklin, on a lot given by Judge Dana, erected in 1809, at the cost to the town of about $300. 6. Mason, on Front Street, opposite to Columbia Street, erected in 1835, at the cost of $3,901.89. 7. Boardman, at the corner of Windsor and School streets, erected in 1802, on land given by Andrew Bordman, at the cost to the town of about