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The Trump administration’s funding cuts are hitting close to home for Cambridge residents, as the historic Longfellow House had its credit card limit dramatically reduced by the U.S. General Services Administration last week.
When the Longfellow House-Washington Headquarters National Historic Site tried to pay their annual dues of $110 to the Harvard Square Business Association last week, their credit card payment was denied.
In a statement posted on Harvard Square’s Facebook and Instagram accounts, Denise A. Jillson, executive director of the HSBA, wrote that when she called to confirm the credit card number, she was informed that the Longfellow House received notice from the federal government that their credit card limit had been reduced to $1.00.
The Longfellow House, located on 105 Brattle St., is a mansion that was built in 1759. The House was George Washington’s first long-term headquarters during the American Revolution, and was also the home of poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. The site is preserved by the National Park Service.
National parks across the country have faced staffing cuts since President Donald Trump took office, with 1,000 employees being laid off on Feb. 14. Since the staffing cuts, the Trump administration has also announced a planned 30 percent payroll deduction at the National Park Service.
The U.S. General Services Administration, which manages federal property and government operations, wrote in a public statement that they directed 15 federal agencies — including the National Park Service — to limit cardholder accounts under the GSA SmartPay to $1.00.
“GSA has implemented a review and approval process to ensure that purchases that directly support mission-critical activities can still be made in a timely manner,” they wrote in a press release.
“Under this administration, GSA is committed to saving every single dollar and helping federal agency partners prevent all fraud, waste, and abuse,” they added.
Jillson blasted the funding freeze as “appalling” and “unconscionable,” and committed to keeping the Longfellow House part of the HSBA.
“Their partnership is too important, their presence is too sacred to all we hold dear,” Jillson wrote.
Jillson said that although the Longfellow House is not connected to education, healthcare, or other “bigger issues at stake,” its contributions to culture and history are vital to Harvard Square and Cambridge.
“The Longfellow House — Washington’s Headquarters National Historic Site provides visitors from across the globe with historical knowledge and offers folks the experience of being in the same physical space as the first President of the United States of America,” Jillson wrote in a post on Instagram.
As the HSBA reaffirms its commitment to the Longfellow House, Jillson said that Cambridge residents are concerned about the funding cuts.
“Mostly, people are appalled,” Jillson said. “Just appalled.”
The Longfellow House is not the only historic site in Massachusetts to be affected by President Trump’s recent executive orders attempting to downsize the federal government. The John F. Kennedy Presidential Library in Boston was closed this past February, but was reopened just a day later. Jillson hopes something similar will happen for the Longfellow House.
“We’re hopeful that this will be one of the reversals,” Jillson said. “The good news is, I received a newsletter from the Longfellow House this afternoon, so staff is still there.”
In these times of uncertainty for businesses and cultural institutions in Cambridge and beyond, Jillson encouraged residents to speak up about what matters most to them.
“It is unprecedented for us to use this platform in this manner, but these are unprecedented times,” Jillson wrote. “Silence is complicity. We will not be complicit.”
— Staff writer Jaya N. Karamcheti can be reached at jaya.karamcheti@thecrimson.com.
— Staff writer Kevin Zhong can be reached at kevin.zhong@thecrimson.com.
