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The Cambridge Historical Commission hesitantly voted to allow the redevelopment of the Harriet Jacobs House on Thursday, on the condition that developers continue to meet with the CHC to address “clear concerns” from neighbors over the proposed height and size.
The house, which Janet Jiang has privately owned since 2020, was originally home to the boarding house Harriet Jacobs ran in the years following her escape from slavery. But in recent decades, the house has fallen into disrepair as it has bounced between private owners, none with the funding to preserve the historic site.
With architects from CambridgeSeven, Jiang brought forward a proposal to move the house forward on its original lot and construct a 90,000-square-foot addition behind. CambridgeSeven’s proposal sits at eight stories — remodeling the Jacobs house into a hotel and creating a cafe and residential units on the remainder of the lot. The renovation could include a “mini-museum” in the hotel lobby, open to the public to spotlight Jacobs’ work as an abolitionist and author.
But since November, plans have stalled in front of the CHC.
The house already sits within the Harvard Square Neighborhood Conservation District, restricting changes that can be made to the exterior of the building. But the CHC — charged with overseeing historical preservation projects — has been weighing designating the house a historic landmark since August.
If the Jacobs house becomes a landmark, it would give the CHC more oversight of both internal and external changes to the house. The study is expected to take roughly four months, CHC Executive Director Charles M. Sullivan said in the Thursday meeting.
But the vote still gives CambridgeSeven permission to move forward with the project, though Commissioners remained skeptical as they passed the vote. Architects, Jiang, and her lawyer, Patrick W. Barrett, will be required to continue meeting with the CHC in the coming weeks to address concerns regarding the building’s height and scale.
The decision comes amid nearly a year of back-and-forth with Harvard Square residents, many of whom live near the Story St. house and have strongly objected to developers’ plans to build eight stories of residential units as part of the proposed remodel.
Residents and Commissioners alike have raised concerns over the height and size of the addition, criticizing multiple iterations of the design for being out of character with the surrounding neighborhood.
“It just feels like the house is sort of engulfed by the building,” CHC member Florrie Darwin said in the Thursday meeting.
But Commissioners supported approving the proposal unanimously, though cautiously awaiting the results of the landmarking study and further discussion with developers over the building’s size.
Many have been quick to point out that there have been no other plans to preserve or develop the house in recent years. And, since the house is privately owned, it could easily be sold to private developers with little interest in preserving Jacobs’ history.
Jiang turned down an offer to sell the property outright to a private condominium developer last year, declining a sizable profit. Instead, she hopes to protect the house’s historical significance in partnership with developers.
“I didn’t grow up studying American history, but over the past five years, I have learned so much about Harriet Jacobs and how important she is both to Black history and to Cambridge,” Jiang said in the Thursday meeting. “I want this to be a real place that is alive and public, where people can connect with her history — not just the static landmark.”
The proposal has also amassed support from more than half of the City Council. Mayor E. Denise Simmons, Vice Mayor Marc C. McGovern, and Councilors Sumbul Siddiqui. Jivan G. Sobrinho-Wheeler co-authored an op-ed in the Boston Globe earlier this week to advocate for the redevelopment.
“Something is going to be built on that site, and we have a property owner who is saying, ‘Not only do I want to build on this site, but I want to preserve this history and this house.’” McGovern said in a Thursday interview. “This is a win-win.”
—Staff writer Summer E. Rose can be reached at summer.rose@thecrimson.com.
—Staff writer Laurel M. Shugart can be reached at laurel.shugart@thecrimson.com. Follow them on X @laurelmshugart.
