You’d Hear A Lot If This (Cambridgeport) House Could Talk

If This House Could Talk
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Imagine if your house could talk. Or if your neighborhoods streets or parks could talk. It sounds weird, but these things that we just pass by could tell you so much, about the past and about the way your city has changed over the years.

That’s the idea behind a project called If This House Could Talk. It’s part of History Day in the Cambridgeport neighborhood of Cambridge. It invites residents to do a bit of research about their houses and then post home-made signs — like museum plaques — in front of their homes, offering neighbors a brief glimpse into the past.

Cathie Zusy organized the first If This House Could Talk project in 2009. Back then, there were about 70 signs telling stories about the past. This year, she says, there are more than 120.

Charles Sullivan, director of the Cambridge Historical Commission, knows a lot about Cambridgeport. He says it used to be known for soap factories, among other industries. And he says Cambridgeport came very close to being obliterated by urban planners and the automobile.

We ask Cambridgeport to talk.

Guest:

• Cathie Zusy, If This House Could Talk
• Charles Sullivan, director, Cambridge Historical Commission

The If This House Could Talk project runs through Oct. 9 in Cambridgeport.